Fitchburg Art Museum

The Fitchburg Art Museum performs its mission by: 1. by interpreting its own permanent collections, 2. staging changing exhibitions of borrowed objects and, 3. conducting a variety of lectures, studio classes and gallery activities. In 1995 the Museum strengthened its commitment to education by starting, in collaboration with the Fitchburg Public Schools, a unique, arts based, public school to become a "Museum with a school at its heart."

The Mission of the Fitchburg Art Museum is to teach a regional audience and especially youth, "the joy and inspiration of art". The Fitchburg Art Museum is the region's oldest and most treasured cultural institution. Eleanor Norcross, artist, art collector, and native of Fitchburg founded the Museum through a bequest in 1925. It was her hope that the "young people of her native place might know the joy and inspiration of art." In keeping with her dream, the Museum, in collaboration with the Fitchburg Public Schools, created a unique school in which all subjects in the Massachusetts curriculum are taught in the Museum's galleries through the study of collection objects and the pursuit of other art activities. Dedicated in 2000 as the Museum Partnership School, and a Focus School of the Lincoln Center Institute, New York City. Additionally, students from more than 20 school districts participate in museum gallery programs. Today, the Museum conducts twelve changing loan exhibitions annually, twenty-seven studio classes weekly and a lively program of lectures, gallery talks, seminars, workshops, and other activities. Volunteer opportunities include reception volunteers, tour guide volunteers, special volunteers, office volunteers and volunteers for the various Museum departments such as curatorial, educational, maintenance, and marketing.