THE WIREGRASS MUSEUM OF ART INC

The Wiregrass Museum of Art (WMA) was formed after a 1986 article in a national magazine pointed out Dothan’s lack of a museum. To address the issue, then-Mayor Larry Register asked Elaine Johnson, an arts-minded citizen, to explore the idea. Johnson, who had always dreamed of an art museum in the Wiregrass, worked alongside Sam Kates and Terry Slaughter to develop a plan for the founding of what would become the Wiregrass Museum of Art. Since 1988, the museum has completed three of the four phases of the original construction plan. All of the contributions for these three phases were raised by the museum board and employees with support from the private sector. The first three phases have created 18,000 square feet of gallery space, an exhibit preparation area, a vault, as well as a conference center.

The museum continues to offer educational programs, cutting edge exhibitions and community events throughout the year. WMA is continually changing and evolving, but the history of the museum would not be complete without including the dedication of a handful of believers who dreamed the impossible and saw their wishes for a new dynamic art museum become a reality for Dothan and the Wiregrass Region.