Mississippi Museum of Art in Mississippi, USA

The Mississippi Museum of Art is an art museum in downtown Jackson and the largest art museum in Mississippi. Its permanent collection includes paintings, photography, sculpture, and multimedia works by artists connected to Mississippi as well as other American and international artists. The institution grew from the Mississippi Art Association, whose origins date to an exhibition of local art organized for the 1911 Mississippi State Fair.

From the Mississippi Art Association to the Museum

The organization that became the Mississippi Museum of Art began when artists and supporters organized an exhibition at the Mississippi State Fair in 1911. The Mississippi Art Association continued presenting exhibitions, formed a permanent collection, and developed art education activities in the decades that followed.

A dedicated museum building opened in 1978, marking the start of operations as a professional art museum. The institution later moved to its present home on South Lamar Street in 2007 following a $15 million capital campaign.

The current building was redesigned with an open entrance and extensive glass, creating clear views between the lobby, entrance, and surrounding public spaces. In 2011, the museum expanded its outdoor setting with The Art Garden, a 1.2-acre green space containing outdoor art, lawns, a performance stage, and areas used for programs and community events.

The Permanent Collection

The museum’s collection covers different periods, places, and artistic media. Mississippi artists and works connected to experiences in the state form an important part of the holdings, while the wider collection also contains works by artists from elsewhere in the United States and abroad.

The permanent collection is presented through New Symphony of Time in the Gertrude C. Ford Galleries. The ongoing exhibition organizes works around themes including ancestry and memory, migration and home, shared humanity, the natural environment, and liberty. Its interpretation draws inspiration from Mississippi writer Margaret Walker’s poem This Is My Century: Black Synthesis of Time.

Admission to New Symphony of Time is free. The museum also maintains other ongoing displays drawn from its holdings, including folk art and works presented in public areas of the building.

Changing Exhibitions

Beyond its permanent galleries, the museum presents temporary exhibitions involving works from its own holdings and loans from other institutions and collections. Major rotating exhibitions are shown in the Donna and Jim Barksdale Galleries, so the material on view can change substantially between visits.

The museum’s exhibition program includes Mississippi artists alongside broader American and international subjects. Recent programming has also included photography, folk and self-taught art, and exhibitions examining artistic movements and their connections with Mississippi.

Admission and Opening Hours

The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 AM to 5 PM and Sunday from 1 PM to 5 PM. It is closed on Mondays and on New Year’s Day, Easter Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. The Art Garden is open during daylight hours.

The permanent collection exhibition is available without an admission charge. As of August 2026, admission to exhibitions in the Barksdale Galleries is $15 for adults, $13 for seniors age 65 and older and groups of 10 or more, and $10 for visitors ages 6–17 and college students with ID. Children age five and younger and museum members receive free admission. The museum also offers free public admission on the first Saturday of each month through its Access for All program.

Because temporary exhibition prices and eligibility for free or discounted admission can change, current ticket information is available on the museum’s official hours and tickets page.

Accessibility and Parking

Accessible parking is available in the museum’s parking areas, and the main entrance has an accessibility ramp and guiderails. The galleries and hallways accommodate wheelchairs, walkers, and other assistive devices. Manual wheelchairs can be requested from visitor services, and accessible stalls are available in the museum’s restrooms.

The museum also provides a digital guide through Bloomberg Connects. Its audio and video materials include transcripts and captions, and the platform is designed to work with assistive technologies such as screen readers.

The Mississippi Museum of Art stands at the corner of South Lamar Street and Court Street in downtown Jackson. Visitor parking is available along Lamar Street and behind the museum near West and Court streets.