Mission

Mission Statement

The mission of the Kelly Fitzpatrick Center for the Arts is to engage, inspire and educate artists and the public at large by promoting local and regional visual arts through the collection, recognition, documentation, and the publication of relevant works of American art.

 

History

Starting in the 1930s, our namesake John Kelly Fitzpatrick was deeply committed to promoting the arts in Southeast (particularly his home state of Alabama) during a time when very few artistic opportunities existed. Thanks to his efforts, art organizations came to life such as the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, the Watercolor Society of Alabama, and many others.  Many of these art organizations continue to serve artists to this day.  The Kelly Fitzpatrick Center for the Arts now honors his legacy by doing the same as Kelly himself–encouraging, educating, and promoting local artists and deepening the artistic community.  

John Kelly Fitzpatrick providing art instruction. Photo credit: Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts.