Gibbes Museum Of Art

If you’re looking for a great way to spend the afternoon downtown Charleston make sure you stop by Gibbes. It’s one of my favorite places to go. My boyfriend took me on our first date here & we’ve been back 2 or 3 more times to view special exhibits they had. They have never disappointed.

Todays exhibit, Civil War Photos. OMG, gripping. Sad… amazing…worth the price. A small museum with history of Charleston and special works of art and this current exhibit (until January 2014) of Civil War Photos. Worth it. See it now.

Not a big place but some nicely selected portraits of people from Charleston’s history as part of the permanent exhibition on the main floor. Second floor display currently is photography from the Civil War. Interesting. Seniors get in for $ 7.00; adults $ 8.00.

I went here today because the museum offers free admission on Second Sunday (Second Sunday on King, held each month). That’s a really neat perk and gives locals a chance to go to the art museum, something I never thought about doing.
We went to the Civil War Photography exhibit, and it was really cool. TONS of pictures from the Civil War, definitely worth a visit if you’re a history buff. The volunteers were also super nice and helpful, and there’s some sort of program where you can follow along and listen to information about the art on your smartphone (we didn’t, but it’s neat that they have it).
The only downside is that if you’re not really into Charleston history, this museum may not be the place for you. A lot of the works of art are focused around Charleston and Charleston history (or things like the Civil War, obviously a big part of Charleston history).

The place was too pricey, only went because I had a free pass. Went to Greenville’s art museum, with free parking and admission, and they featured better collections, like Jasper Johns, Andy Warhol, Kara Walker, and Thomas Cole. The art at Gibbes was good enough, though.

Cool museum but pretty small for the price of $ 9. Saving grace… awesome Rock N Roll photo exhibit. And the small contemporary gallery on floor 3

The Gibbes main focus is on Charleston artwork and artists. My significant other and I went to see the Sound and Vision: Monumental Rock and Roll Photography exhibit which will be on display until December of this year. We perused a couple of the standard galleries, but quickly went upstairs to the Photography exhibit.
It was PHENOMENAL! Many of the photographs are iconic images that were later used for album covers. The exhibit includes several of the albums that incorporated i the photograph which hung nearby on the wall including The Rolling Stones More Hot Rocks album. The original photograph was taken with Vaseline on the lens in order to accentuate the early London morning fog after an all-​night recording session. These types of stories that accompany the photos give the exhibit an «insider» feel.
To name just a few of the musicians who are pictured: Little Richard, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Michael Jackson, Madonna, Elvis Presley, Kiss, David Bowie, and many more.
I would highly recommend this exhibit for anyone interested in the history of Rock and Roll and music in general.
Tip: Be sure to read the story that accompanies the picture of Elvis playing the piano.

This was a wonderful art museum. It is laid out over 2 and a half floors in order, earliest to most recent and alternates featured artists. Some furniture and household items are also included.
You enter through the gift shop and progression is extremely orderly. Not only is history included, but the person who commissioned the work and who donated it, is also mentioned. Quite interesting.
The stained glass dome is worth a few moments of seated enjoyment. Despite being built as a museum, it gives the feeling of an old mansion.

The Gibbes is a lovely museum nestled in the heart of Charleston. The artwork is beautiful and the stories about some of the pieces are fascinating. We loved learning more about the history of the south through art.
The layout is rather small and we felt like we were wandering around in someone’s large home instead of touring a museum. The admission counter is sort of tucked in the gift shop where we had to prompt the cashier to get admission information (and later noticed that a foreign couple just wandered right in without paying.)
However, there are some absolutely stunning pieces: the Veiled Lady is gorgeous and the stained glass dome on the second floor is just incredible.
If you’re a fan of art, you will truly appreciate the Gibbes.

I was pleasantly surprised with this art museum. Having been to several larger and more well known museums around the country, I was not expecting much out of the Gibbes. However, they have done a wonderful job with what they have. The main floor focuses on art and artists from, and inspired by, the Lowcountry with is worth checking out from a historical prospective. Once you move upstairs they have their special exhibitions. The day I went they had 2 collections — one was from the permanent collection at Wichita State University that was a nice collection of contemporary art; the other was by a photographer (blanking on his name) with ties to the area who has been doing aerial photography around the southeast of the environmental impact of certain industries. The latter exhibit was very cool and I highly recommend checking it out while it is on display. The biggest problem I see is with their permanent collection. Some of the pieces didn’t seem like they belonged and appeared to only be on display because the museum owned them.
The Gibbes is worth checking out, but might be best left off the list if you are only here for 2 – 3 days.

This is THE art museum in Charleston, and focuses on art made in the area from colonial period onward. This was our first stop in Charleston, and we came here after getting off the plane on an overnight flight. Despite our grogginess, I found this museum really fun, and enjoyed the chronological tour through the artistry of the area.
That said, it was clear that contemporary art was lacking, either in the museum’s collection or in the region in general. It represented some southeastern artists (the best Jasper Johns they could have, for example), but also had sketchier information on the wall labels. For a Sally Mann photograph it had text contextualizing the photograph within the wrong series of work. I guess it’s clear that they don’t have a dedicated photo curator!

The Gibbes is a artistic history lesson of Charleston and other surrounding areas of South Carolina. It’s a bit pricey at $ 9 but the paintings and descriptions of the subjects and artists who made their bones in Charleston is so well done and to the point that it makes the Gibbes a good way to kill a couple of hours. The paintings date from mid 17^th to mid 21^st Century. There’s also a display of 18^th century (I believe) cameos and 20^th and 21^st century photographs of other southern areas such as Alabama and Georgia. You should also check out the glass domed hall on the second floor. A few of the workers told me it’s used for events and has no standing exhibits which is a shame because the glass dome is quite beautiful with its Tiffany like design. I was told that Tiffany’s did not make it. None of the workers knows who made it. A Scooby Doo Mystery indeed. Immense hanging brass light fixtures add to the beauty. My only regret is not being a savvy art historian, or taking pen and pad to note down who the artists are. Gibbes really is a nice experience.
The gift shop is one of the better ones I have seen in a museum. Although they don’t have much of a selection the items they have seem to be of good quality. I bought a couple of local prints that I am getting framed in Brooklyn. I would have bought some jewelery, which looks very well crafted, but I have no significant other (aaaaaw).
If you happen to find yourself in Charleston make a point to visit the museum. The exhibits add to a already artistically designed city and it’s a fun and relaxing way to learn some local history.