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ALTOONA
When you first enter the chandelier-lit museum lobby, you can see the space remains a beautiful showcase of the precise architecture of The Brett Building, a building that has been a staple in Altoona since the 1920s. In a downtown revitalization project, the building was reimagined as an art museum using the history of the building and its original use as inspiration for the gallery designs.
EXPLORE THE GALLERIES
The incredibly distinctive George A. and Herbert T. Wolf Gallery was designed to invoke the feeling of rail travel with a similar shape and feel, where the artwork acts as the railcar windows. This important design element pays homage to the photography collection of William H. Rau, who was a commercial photographer for the Pennsylvania Railroad in the 1800s.
The Shirley and Fred A. Pechter Gallery and Paul I. Detwiler Education Center are unique in their ability to transform with each installation. The long ramp down to Detwiler allows artwork to be shown in the more traditional museum sense and the open-floor concept of the rest of the gallery is the multi-purpose area. This has been used for some of the favorite community-participation driven workshops for children and adults that take place year-round.
Find more information on what's on display on the exhibitions tab and register for events below. Becoming accustomed with the floor plan in advance of your visit will help you find your way around the museum. The museum is accessible to everybody! Download floor plan here.
EVENTS
SAMA Royale GalaSat, May 31
Escape from WonderlandSat, Jun 07
Walk, Gather & CreateSat, Jun 21
Altoona Art CampMon, Jul 14
Altoona Emerging Artists WorkshopMon, Jul 14
Altoona Artist's ReceptionSat, Jul 26
Lunch à la ArtThu, Aug 21
