New Tuscaloosa Museum of Art to Showcase Important American Art

Last week, the Tuscaloosa Museum of Art opened its doors, finally giving a home to the art collection assembled by Jack Warner.

Earlier this year, the Jack Warner Foundation and Westervelt Company separated, leaving the fate undetermined as to where their respective collections would be housed. Several key works were sold by the Westervelt Co. at auction and privately. Now, more than 800 pieces of American fine and decorative arts, including Federal and Neoclassical furniture, and Asian art will be displayed at the corporate headquarters of the Westervelt Company, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where one building's wing is devoted to the museum.

This renowned collection of American art contains premier examples by the likes of George Catlin, Sanford Gifford, Thomas Moran, Edward Henry Potthast, John Singer Sargent and Albert Bierstadt.

The rooms and the halls of the building are organized by theme, the focus of the collection being primarily American with works dating back to the Revolutionary and expansionist periods. There is a cannon from the Battle of Saratoga, among other important relics of early American history.

Jack Warner spent decades acquiring the artwork, which was largely housed in the now defunct Westervelt-Warner Museum of American Art. Warner was the former CEO, president and chairman of Gulf States Paper, and purchased some art for his personal collection and other works for his corporation, now the Westervelt Co. which is controlled by his son.

The new Tuscaloosa Museum has two full-time employees to manage the collection in its corporate setting. Admission is free. The hours posted on Facebook are Tuesday-Saturday, 10am to 6pm and Sunday, 1:00pm to 6:00pm. Call 205-562-5286 or 205-562-5296 if you would like to arrange a group tour.

(Report: Alisa Alexander for ARTFIXdaily)