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About the Collection
The Society holds one of the largest collection of paintings by George Caleb Bingham, including, Order No. 11. The Thomas Hart Benton Collection contains the Year of Peril series, lithographs and other works. Many other Missouri artists, both past and present, are well represented in the Society's holdings.
The Society's extensive editorial cartoon collection includes original drawings by Daniel Fitzpatrick, S. J. Ray, Bill Mauldin, Don Hesse, Tom Engelhardt, and others.
The Main Gallery and Corridor Galleries feature rotating exhibits, with selected paintings by George Caleb Bingham and Thomas Hart Benton on permanent display.
Hours
The Main Gallery is free and open to the public.
| Monday - Thursday | 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. |
| Holidays and special events | Closed |
The Corridor Galleries are open during regular business hours.
Check our list of scheduled closings before planning a visit to the galleries. The Society is ADA accessible.
Art Reproductions
Reproductions of Bingham's paintings, Order No. 11 and Watching the Cargo are now available.
Tours
Organizations and school groups can schedule tours of the Main Gallery by contacting the Society at (573) 882-7083 or (800) 747–6366.
Exhibits
Main Gallery
Twentieth–Century Missouri Portraits: From Famous to Familiar
September 19, 2009 – March 2010
This exhibition focuses on a variety of approaches to twentieth-century portraiture of and by Missourians. It includes the faces of Missouri’s most famous citizens, as well as those of anonymous, everyday residents of the Show-me State. The functions of these portraits range from formal to intimate, and the wide assortment of images reflects the diversity of the state’s population as well as the inventiveness of its artists.
The exhibition includes works by Thomas Hart Benton, Fred Shane, Daniel Fitzpatrick, and other well-known artists.
See likenesses of Mark Twain, Harry Truman, and Thomas Hart Benton, as well as poignant images of everyday Missourians.
North-South Corridor Gallery
The Golden Age of the Comic Strip
November 7, 2009 – May 2010
The 1930s–1950s were vibrant years for the production of newspaper comics, and this exhibition will showcase the Society’s rarely seen examples, many of which were collected by the well–known former editor of the Mexico Ledger, L. Mitchell White, and his son, Robert M. Works by some of the greatest artists of the genre will be displayed, with original pen and ink drawings for classic strips such as Mutt and Jeff, Little Orphan Annie, and Blondie, and cartoons from the workshop of Walt Disney.
Traveling Exhibit
Objects Worthy of Notice: The Wildlife Encountered by the Corps of Discovery
This exhibit presents a look at the rich diversity of wildlife observed by Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark during their 1804-1806 expedition through the newly acquired and relatively uncharted Louisiana Territory. Under instructions from President Thomas Jefferson to record “objects worthy of notice,” the naturalist-explorers scientifically documented 122 new species and expanded knowledge about many others. The elegant and detailed work of naturalists John James Audubon, John Woodson Audubon, and Charles W. Schwartz illustrate engaging excerpts from the explorers' journals.
Online
Main Street, Missouri
A photographic slideshow of images from the 19th and early 20th century.
