Washington County Museum of Fine Arts (original) (raw)

Thanks to the generosity of William and Anna Singer, the Washington County Museum of Fine Arts opened on September 16, 1931 as the focal point of Hagerstown's beautiful City Park. The Museum specializes in 19th and 20th century American art and holds over 6,000 pieces in its permanent collection.

This "crown jewel of Washington County" has been recognized as one of the finest small museums in the United States. The Museum offers complimentary studio art courses, lectures, films, chamber music concerts, and exhibitions from its permanent collection and traveling shows to the people of Washington County and visitors to the quad-state (MD, PA, VA, WV) region.

A gift of William, Henry and Anna Brugh Singer, the Museum was incorporated by an act of the Maryland General Assembly in 1929. A remarkable couple, the Singers also founded the Singer Museum in Laren, Holland, and the Singer Collection in the Vestlandske Kunstindustrimuseum (Permanenten) in Bergen, Norway. Mrs. Singer was a native of Hagerstown and her husband was from Pittsburgh, where his family was prominent in the steel firm of Singer & Nimick, Inc. As expatriates, the couple lived abroad where Mr. Singer painted landscapes in the post-impressionistic manner. They patronized many European and American artists and collected furniture, as well as European and Asian antiques.

In discussing the establishment of the Museum, Mrs. Singer noted that it would give "the younger generation a fuller appreciation of joy and beauty than had been afforded me." The Singers formed the initial collection with over 100 works of art, which serve as testimony to their artistic inclinations and demonstrate the sophisticated spectrum of their collecting interests. The art they donated serves as an enduring and enriching legacy to the Museum.

The Museum is located in the middle of Hagerstown City Park, easily accessible from Interstates 70 and 81. Please see the museum's website for hours and fees.

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