1515 Jersey Street
Quincy, ILlinois
217-223-5900

The Quincy Art Center came into existence in 1923 when a group of local women created the Quincy Art Club based on the goal “to foster the aesthetic needs of Quincy and develop among her citizens an appreciation of Art in its broad and universal sense as applied to life.” In its early years, the Club presented a number of exhibits and lectures to its growing public.

In 1932, the Quincy Art Club leased from the Quincy Park District the carriage house behind the Lorenzo Bull mansion and established on that site what was to become its permanent home. The carriage house was designed in 1887 by Joseph Lyman Silsbee, a prominent Chicago architect, and made a marvelous studio space in which artists could teach and work. At this time, the Clubs exhibitions were held in various local venues including the Lincoln-Douglas Hotel, the John Wood Mansion, and the Free Library. Monthly exhibits provided local and area residents with a sampling of fine paintings, sculptures, and graphics; noted authorities presented lectures on the history of art, and educational programming was developed with artists-in-residence to fulfill a growing demand in the community. In 1946-1947, the Art Club remodeled the interior of the Lorenzo Bull carriage house in order to create the Elizabeth M. Sinnock Gallery, an art moderne space designed by the late Charles F. Behrensmeyer. The newly renovated structure opened to the public on March 2, 1947.

In the mid-1980s the Art Club board decided to expand its facilities. After considerable study, it determined that a new gallery and classroom facility would be added to the old carriage house. The new addition added a gallery and a classroom facility the old carriage house giving the Center more than twice its original exhibition space. The classroom areas are equipped for ceramics, printmaking and other art instruction for both the adults and children. Now the institution is able to address the interests of a wider segment of the community and the quality of the exhibits and programs has been substantially enhanced.

CURRENT EXHIBIT

Environmental Impact II Exhibit
Through April 20, 2024

Environmental Impact II is a national traveling museum exhibition, curated by David Wagner. This exhibit aims to heighten public awareness and concern about the intentional or unintentional consequences of human action or inaction, through the power of this art. Traditional art generally depicts nature in all of its glory, often in beautiful, pristine conditions. The sixty or so paintings, photographs, and sculptures in Environmental Impact II are different from traditional works of art because they deal with ominous environmental issues.

For more information visit the exhibition’s webpage

Visiting the Quincy Art Center
Visiting Hours
Tuesday - Thursday: 1 pm - 4 pm
Saturday: 1 pm - 4 pm
Free