WMA’s temporary closure due to COVID-19

Wiregrass Museum of Art (WMA) today announced that, effective Tuesday at 5 p.m., the museum will temporarily close to the public to help contain the spread of COVID-19.

WMA is dedicated to the art, artists, and ideas of our time and believes that museums are places of reflection and inspiration, and play a critical role in supporting communities through crises. As a place that encourages community gathering, the decision to close was a difficult one. We serve a broad audience, and take our role in serving our vulnerable and at-risk populations especially seriously during this time.

We will continue to assess the situation daily and will share updates as they become available, including plans to reopen after April 4. Like many public institutions and museums around the country, we’ve been monitoring reports on COVID-19 from local, state, and federal sources. Though there are no confirmed cases locally at this time, it is in the interest of our visitors, staff, volunteers, and community that we’ve made the decision to temporarily close.

As an organization dedicated to increasing access to the arts, we encourage the public to use our online resources during this time, including our free app (iOS + Android), which features audio tours and video content for the public. We also have a number of educational resources available on our website including cross-curricular lesson plans and our Educator’s Lair blog which features weekly updates from our education team. While WMA is closed, our staff will be working to share art online, through our website, blog, social media channels, and more.

Our museum will maintain important security and environmental systems for the protection of the artwork. Staff will be working remotely, and can be reached with any questions or concerns by email. All employees will be paid during this closure.

We appreciate your support during this unprecedented time and are eager to welcome you back to WMA as soon as possible.

Best,

Dana-Marie Lemmer
WMA Executive Director

Canceled Events: In an effort to comply with CDC recommendations to limit gatherings over 50 people and to encourage social distancing over the next eight weeks, WMA will cancel public programs and events through May 9. This includes Art Talk, First Saturday Family Day, Screen on the Green, and Art After Hours. Patrons who have purchased tickets to classes, workshops, or tours can expect to hear from a WMA staffer about issuing refunds or credits for future programs.

For full details about changes to our calendar, please visit the museum’s website often: www.wiregrassmuseum.org.

For additional information on the coronavirus and the prevention of its spread, please visit the Centers for Disease Control’s website and the Alabama Department of Public Health’s website.

If you are an artist in need of resources, please visit Creative Capital’s list of resources here.