Our area is home to so many talented artists and performers, as well as several top-of-the-line galleries, museums, and event venues. Here’s your guide to celebrating and supporting the arts in the River Region.
Museums and Art Galleries
The Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts is located in Blount Cultural Park, just a short drive over from the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. This state-of-the-art (pun intended) museum is filled with over 4,000 works of art primarily by American artists from the 18th to the 21st centuries. There’s no charge to visit and take a look around, although MMFA gladly accepts donations. MMFA also hosts classes for kids and adults, events with local artists, and more. P.S. Make sure to check out the Caddell Sculpture Garden while you’re at the museum— it’s pretty amazing!
Located in Auburn, the Jule Collins Smith Museum features permanent and temporary art exhibitions with works from local, national, and international artists. There’s even an on-site shop where you can purchase art prints and pieces made by local artists. Admission is free, but donations are more than welcome and greatly appreciated.
Stonehenge Art Gallery displays various works from Southern artists. This is a great place to purchase a piece of unique art and support the local arts community!
Marcia Weber Art Objects is located in Downtown Wetumpka. This gallery buys and sells unique pieces created by self-taught contemporary artists. Make an appointment to check out the collection.
Located in the Prattville Creative Arts Center in Downtown Prattville, the Prattauga Art Guild features works by members of the Prattauga Art Guild and guest artists. The Guild also hosts art classes and workshops throughout the year.
Julianne Hansen Fine Art & Pottery is a gallery in Downtown Prattville filled with Julianne Hansen’s gorgeous stoneware and ceramic works, as well as art from local talent.
The Kelly Fitzpatrick Memorial Gallery is a self-described “hybrid of a gallery and a museum” located in Downtown Wetumpka. This gallery is home to a permanent collection and hosts exhibitions on a regular basis. You can also purchase original works from local artists here.
The SAC’s Gallery is located in Downtown Montgomery and features works of art from local artists who are a part of the Society of Arts and Crafts of Montgomery and Central Alabama. Many of the works are available for purchase in-person and online. This gallery also hosts competitions, exhibits, and classes every now and then.
Gallery One Fine Art is located in Montgomery’s Old Cloverdale and features original art by several local artists.
Performance Art Venues
The Jay and Susie Gogue Performing Arts Center hosts concerts, plays, and more right across from the Jule Collins Smith Museum in Auburn. Music and theatre performances by Auburn University’s faculty and students also take place here.
The Davis Theatre for the Performing Arts is a Troy University facility located in Downtown Montgomery that hosts theatre productions, orchestras, ballets, and more. Fun fact: The theater originally opened in 1930 as the Paramount Theatre, a movie palace.
The Montgomery Performing Arts Centre hosts concerts, comedy shows, children’s shows, and more throughout the year. It’s part of the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa at the Convention Center complex, so you’ll have somewhere convenient to stay after your show.
If you want to see what the local college theatre kids are up to, catch a performance at Theatre AUM or ASU’s Leila Barlow Theatre.
The Cloverdale Playhouse is a community-based theatre that produces and hosts local plays, music performances, and acting and improv classes.
The Alabama Shakespeare Festival is located in Blount Cultural Park and is the designated State Theatre of Alabama. This theatre produces and hosts a variety of plays, musicals, and other performances.
Prattville’s Way Off Broadway Theatre typically produces and stages five shows each year, including a musical and a Christmas play.
The Wetumpka Depot Players are a community theatre group. The group produces and stages comedies, dramas, and musicals.
The Millbrook Community Players produce and stage a variety of theatre performances.
Programs and Organizations
The King’s Canvas is a non-profit studio and gallery in Montgomery that provides a creative space and resources for underexposed and underdeveloped artists. This organization offers art classes to local high school students, hosts quarterly art shows for students to sell their work, and more.
The Alabama Arts Alliance uses education and advocacy to increase our community’s awareness of and engagement in the arts. Its initiatives include developing artistic literacy for Alabama students, hosting competitions, and providing scholarships.
The Arts Council of Montgomery is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving art education in the River Region. It focuses on hosting programs that instruct and reward students in the visual, performing, and literary arts.
The Montgomery Area Business Committee for the Arts offers educational programs, and consulting work. It also heads public art initiatives and recognition programs.
The Dixie Art Colony Foundation works to promote local and regional visual arts while preserve and promote the history and legacy of the Dixie Art Colony. The Dixie Art Colony Museum and Gallery, located in Downtown Wetumpka, is home to a rotating exhibition of original artwork and memorabilia.
The Alabama State Council on the Arts supports Alabama’s arts communities with grants and resources. Located on the first floor of the RSA Tower in Downtown Montgomery, this organization also houses the Georgine Clarke Alabama Artists Gallery.
The Pike Road Arts Council supports Pike Road’s fine arts community and hosts workshops, classes, and art-related events.