Greenville County Museum of Art — Attraction in Greenville

Forgive me, inquisitive museum goers, for such a long review.

Terrible experience. Ridiculous. We went during the time the ventriloquist art was on display with my two boys (7 & 10,) my wife, and my mother-in-law, the latter two having been to museums all over the world, mind you. Before we entered, my wife's Kavu bag was deemed to violate the backpack policy, so, my family waited while I walked it back to our car. Once we were allowed to pass, the on-duty guard approached my wife and explained they were standing to close to the art.

There is writing next to each piece. Tiny writing. We were just trying to read the description for each display. No one was standing too close to the art or disrespecting the art. Alas, we moved on to the next section.

Before we finished the first floor, the same gentleman approached my wife a second time. Now look, I had both of my boys there, and I fully understand that you wouldn't want young children standing, pointing, walking too close to the art. But my boys were well-behaved. They were never within so much as 6 feet from the walls. They were more interested in discussing their favorite piece with their grandmother. The guard approaches my wife for a second time about standing too close to the art. She was talking to her mother, with the pamphlet they gave us at the entrace, in her hand, speaking to her mother, pointed in the direction of the art. He says you cannot point anything at the artwork.

If my children were misbehaving it would be one thing, but to have the nerve the speak to my wife and mother-in-law this way is absurd. Like I said at the beginning, if this were the Mona Lisa (no offense to the artists on display this given day,) or, maybe, if you approached us because my children were being wild, then that would be one thing. We are adults, trying to enjoy a trip to the local museum. We were being respectful. We never got within the stipulated distance from the art. No one was trying to damage anything. Perhaps, you should use bigger print so that the general public doesnt have to bring a magnifying glass to read the description for each piece. (I would like to point out that I have 20/15 vision, so that said reader can gauge our interpretation of said text on display.)

We promptly left after the second scolding. Clearly this gentleman either had nothing better to do or simply thinks too highly of himself to just allow people to enjoy the museum. Needless to say, we will not be visiting in the future. Disappointed, to...

I you want to accosted by guard continuously by hired security than this is your place. Upon entering we were stopped by security and briefed about how close you can get to a painting. The closet you can view a work is set at an arms length plus a hand. Approximitely 3 feet. My first incident of which there were many was becasue I was standing too close. The next because I point ed at something, mind you the work was under glass. The next my favorite, my wife , standing next to me at the 3 foot imagiary peremiter, turned around to face me and the guard walked across the gallery to tell her that her shoulder was too close to the watercolor which again was under glass. Really! These incident took plase within our first 15 minutes of being there. This continued the entire time we were there. I walked through the gallery with my hands in my pocket, made little difference. What an uptight museum. I said to a guard once, don't you think this is a little anal, he smiles, completely understood and responded, I am just doing what I was told. The Andrew Wyeth watercolors presented were mostly second rate. The Jamie Wyeth painting should of been returned to him so he could burn them and the N C Wyeth work would make him turn over in his grave if he knew they were on display. Don't get me wrong I love the entire families' work. I have been to the Brandy Museum too many times to count. I own just about every publication of there work. So I am making these comments from an informed perspective. I am an educated practicing figurative artist, have been my entire life. I did enjoy see some of the Wyeths' work as outside of Chads Ford at the Brandywine museum there is non to be viewed but the harassment that went along with being there was not called for. I will probably not go back again regardless of whatever show is up. My 2...

The art museum in Greenville SC is small but very interesting and worth a visit...often! In 1979 two generous benefactors, Arthur and Holly Magill, loaned a great number of Wyeth paintings to the museum. Until 1990, when Mr. Magill sold the paintings, the Greenville museum was for many the second largest holder of Andrew Wyeth paintings besides the artist, and is still home to the world’s largest public collection of his watercolors. Wyeth himself described it as “the very best collection of my watercolors in any public museum in this country.”  The museum also has one of the world’s largest public collections of paintings and prints by iconic artist Jasper Johns, who grew up in Allendale SC. Another fascinating collection the museum has is amazing wood carvings of birds by renowned sculptor Grainger McKoy. Born in NC, Mr. McKoy grew up in and still lives near Sumter, SC and has a zoology degree from Clemson University. He carves each feather on the birds individually by hand! Other outstandin collections include the largest institutional collection of Edgefield pottery by enslaved artisan David Drake and the largest collection outside the Smithsonian of works by South Carolina-born artist William H. Johnson. There are also impressionist paintings, including one by Mary Cassatt, and a quirky bunch of modern art pieces. One that caught my interest was a piece by an avant-garde artist better known for her association with the Beatles than her paintings: "Painting to Let the Evening Light Go Through." I have to say I wasn't much more impressed by this piece than I am with her singing! Although small, the Greenville County Art Museum packs a big punch. Go see...