ATLANTA — One of Atlanta’s most popular hubs for history and culture is celebrating its 100th year.
Channel 2’s Lori Wilson was at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta to learn how museum leadership is making art cool.
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“Well, you only get to do it once every hundred years,” High Museum Director Rand Suffolk said about the coming centennial. “So, it’s kind of a big deal for us.”
In October, the museum, which started as a house donated to the Atlanta Art Association, celebrates 100 years, and Suffolk says he’s focused on membership.
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“We’ve dramatically changed our exhibitions to serve that audience. Our acquisitions do the same thing, a ton of programming,” Suffolk told Channel 2 Action News.
In honor of the centennial celebration, the High Museum has made more than 200 acquisitions, including works by artists like Jacob Lawrence that have never been seen in a museum before.
High Museum Public Engagement Director Erin Dougherty said staff at the museum want everyone to feel like they belong, and that it feels like Atlanta.
“We just always want to make sure that Atlanta feels like they’re here and they’re welcome here,” Dougherty said.
Those efforts aren’t wasted. Curators at the High Museum are helping generations of new visitors see themselves in the museum’s permanent and dynamic collections. In the last decade, memberships were up 50%.
“More of the feedback I’ve heard from guests is ‘I see people who look like me here,’” Dougherty said.
Suffolk said being part of the museum was special.
“We’re really proud to be Atlanta’s art museum and at the end of the day, it sounds cheesy, but we’re just trying to be the museum Atlanta deserves,” Suffolk told Wilson.
This Sunday, the museum will shut down Peachtree Street to host its Centennial Block Part from noon to 5 p.m.
Organizers told Channel 2 Action News that there will be DJs, art activities, food vendors and even some special surprises.
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