The Susquehanna Art Museum is a public art museum in United States. It is located in historic downtown Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the state's capital.
Museum history
The museum was founded in 1989 by local educators, artists, and several non-profit organizations with the goal of establishing a contemporary art museum in Harrisburg. Up until that point, Harrisburg remained one of the only state capital cities without an art museum.
Structure and contents
The museum is located in the heart of Harrisburg's central business district, and occupies several floors of the Kunkel Building at 301 Market Street. The structure was originally constructed as a bank in 1913, later converted to a department store, and now houses the art museum with arts organization offices above. The building's accents include a White glazed terracotta exterior which creates architectural diversity. In 1925 the building was expanded to the rear in the same style as the original 1913 front portion.[1]
Highlights of the Susquehanna Art Museum include the Doshi Gallery for Contemporary Art, which promotes the work of current artists, and the "VanGo!" exhibit, a literal museum on wheels. Today, the complex includes everything from classroom areas to exhibits by such noted artists as Elizabeth Olbert, Sam Reveles, and Kim MacConnel.
The Doshi Center for Contemporary Arts was founded in 1972 by a group of community volunteers. "Doshi" is a Japanese word meaning "brotherhood." Still run by a group of local artists serving in a volunteer capacity, the Doshi maintains its original mission - to highlight new and inventive work by emerging and established artists. In 1997, the Doshi was incorporated into the Susquehanna Art Museum as the Doshi Gallery for Contemporary Art.[2]