Greenville County Museum of Art

Who doesn't love a free art museum? Even being under renovation, we had a lovely time here viewing what was on display in the available spaces. And there was a lot! I especially loved the art of Elizabeth Bradford, her vibrant images of nature were absolutely beautiful. It's always wonderful to experience new art in person. Even if you don't care for certain pieces, being immersed in a space with so much passion and creative effort is powerful on its own.

An absolutely fantastic place! I’m really glad I had the chance to visit. The museum features several floors of impressive art exhibitions, showcasing a wide range of paintings. I was especially lucky to catch a live concert during my visit — a unique performance with bells and other unusual instruments, conducted like a true orchestra. It added an unforgettable layer to the whole experience. Highly recommend stopping by if you’re in the area!

Really nice art museum. The museum has a great Wyeth collection, including several works I'd never seen before, and the rest of the exhibits were equally outstanding.

I've never been here before; passed by many times. I have visited all buildings on the Heritage Green campus, except the Theatre now. I was surprised that this was free and moreover that the building was 4 levels. Love the showcasing of SC artists. There was much room for additional exhibits and more interactive elements. Staff was nice and knowledgeable.

This museum was free. Visited on Saturday morning, and it was moderately busy. The museum guards were extremely knowledgeable and had amazing details to share about the work and the artists... which I really appreciated. It is accessibility friendly with ramps and an elevator. The gift shop wasn't open as it's currently being renovated. I had a wonderful visit.

The birds made of wood metal and glass eyes are the most spectacular things I've ever seen, the portraits of the artist is very enlightening when you look them up and see who is local to the area and what they produce quite an interesting show.

Walking through the museum's grand entrance, I was immediately captivated by the array of art and artifacts on display. Each exhibit seemed to tell a unique story, drawing me deeper into its narrative. As I wandered through the halls, I found myself transported through time and space, from ancient civilizations to modern masterpieces. The museum's curated collection sparked my imagination and ignited my curiosity, leaving me in awe of the beauty and creativity of human expression. It was a truly unforgettable experience, one that left me inspired and enriched.

We really enjoyed this museum. The artwork was beautiful. The staff were friendly. They had a fantastic Roaring 20s band called Absynthe Minded. And best of all.... It was all FREE! They are working on the main entrance, so save a few steps and head to the back.

Very nice Museum for the area's population. Welcoming staff and noticed young children having exited the building. Very good statement promoting the arts. Enjoyed the Andrew Wythe watercolors. My parents in Houston collected some.

The Art Museum was easy to find and is one of several museums all near each other, The Children's museum, The Music Museum and The History museum as well as a Library and Theatre. We were greeted at the entrance and they explained about standing 3 feet back from the art on the wall. I was given a sheet of paper explaining what exhibits were on each level. The works of art were displayed nicely with cards listening Artist, title and mediums used. Also on the walls were interesting facts about the featured artist and their works. The Andrew Wyeth pictures were a beautiful representation of his work spanning several decades of his life. There was also a wonderful exhibit of American artist Bob Ray's work. I was not familiar with his work but it was lovely and intriguing. There are elevators and stairs and ramps making transitions to each floor very easy for all. We went to the top floor and a wonderful gentleman who works there, John , told us quite a bit about the mixed media bird sculptures that were made by Grainger McKoy and and featured at the museum. Gravity defying and extremely detailed we were in awe. John was enthusiastic and knowledgeable and we had a wonderful time. There was a delightful group of young children on a school trip, that were at the museum and were incredibly well behaved. They were listening to their guide and I was smiling as they were told to discuss with their partners different aspects of the works..... their sweet voices sounded like music as I was behind a wall. The gift shop was small but lovely and I bought some cards and beautiful paper masks. There is no admission fee, so we took an envelope to send in well deserved donation.

Greenville County Museum of Art is located along heritage corridor which includes a library and several museums in a beautiful neighborhood. While I am usually impressed with smaller city/county museums that are free, this one was extremely limited, with works of art scattered across a small area on 2 floors, with other floors under renovation. There are quite a few works by Andrew Wyeth on display, but nothing noteworthy compared to other museums that include his works. The modern art on display left much to be desired, and seemed like unimpressive filler art that you skip by at other museums. Overall, I spent no more than 20 minutes going through everything, and felt like I wasted my time there. Luckily, the Upcountry History Museum around the corner was excellent, so my venture out to the area wasn't a total waste. I'd probably not recommend a visit to the Greenville County Museum of Art unless you're bored on a rainy day and you're already in the area looking to kill some time.

The Greenville County Museum of Art was a disappointment for me as it is under construction. So it may be better when everything is fully operational. The roof was replaced so the fourth floor is not open. The first floor is being redone so that a ramp will be part of the entrance. Only two galleries are open on the second floor and you will be watched like a hawk by security. I wasn't told to stay back three feet but didn't like the constant feeling of someone looking over my shoulder. Maybe they were bored as nobody else was in the museum. Admission is free although I was told because it was my first visit I could visit for free. When I left I didn't feel anyone should be charged for that museum. There is a fee to park.

Small collection, but good for being a free activity to pass the time! Plenty of paid parking behind.

The museum is part of a large complex with what I found to be limited and baffling parking, most of it set aside for people who work there. Several other museums charged admission, but the art museum does not. It was under extensive renovation at the time of my visit, so I'm grading on a curve, but the pleasant greeting I received and the thought-provoking three rooms or so that I was able to view were worthwhile. There were several floors of partially installed art that were a little bit visible from the open staircase, and some very cramped bathrooms. I wouldn't plan on spending a ton of time here until the renovations are done, but when they are, I'd be happy to come back.

Small but free art museum in downtown Greenville was a great place to kill time while we waited for our Airbnb to be ready. There was some construction in the front so you had to come in the back door where a receptionist told you what floors were open (two were) and how to access them. Wyeth exhibit was good.

The displayed art was very nice and I enjoyed it. I had several problems with it however. When entering, we were told to stay 3 feet from any exhibit. OK. Usually art museums will put tape on the floor with signs cautioning you to stay behind that line. No so here. You were left to the honor system or to have a security person gently remind you. Oh, and for encased exhibits, the three foot rule did not apply. Many galleries of the museum were closed. I really wanted to learn more about the paintings, but could not. Instead of information plaques that most art museums have actually tell you something about the piece you are viewing. Not here. All of the information plaques were nothing more than a list of people who contributed financially. Do you know what? I Don't Care. I was forced to research the artists or pieces on my cell phone and that took away from the experience.

Man, the people here have eyes like hawks and will stare at you. No, seriously. One guy at the top gallery with the wooden crafted animals was half asleep when the significant other and I wandered thru. As we moseyed around, he was keen on keeping his eyes on us. I mean. He was stationed there for a reason right. This wasn't the only eye glaring experience we had. Yes, the artwork is delegate and should not be touched so the guy was there. But, what about the lady in the gift shop. Man, I felt so intimated browsing around the mediocre shop. I could sense her eyes following me as if I was going to shoplift. Way to go at making an impression and encouraging the only guests to buy something. As for the artwork, it didn't stare at us or made us feel like we didn't belong. There's 6 or so galleries that's quite quaint with some quite interesting works of art. It ranged from abstract to portrait to contemporary. There's a small variety of something you can find to appreciate. Since the museum is free and small, you can do a quick browse that will be about 30 to 45 mins.

Art museum is free and the workers were very helpful. Good Andrew Wyeth paintings. Wish for more art to cover the vast space!

My family was very excited about seeing the art at this museum, upon entering the building we were told we had to leave our belonging with the front desk, it would be helpful to put that clearly on the website as it was not a secure location to have open beverages stored. When we finally entered the art floors while leaving the 1st room, a very elderly gentleman approached my developmentally delayed child and aggressively got into his face and shook his finger at him sternly saying that he cannot run around up here. My son was acting very well and had not run or made any negative scene whatsoever. Unfortunately this incredibly negative encounter with this worker made our family have to leave the museum no less than 5 minutes upon entering the building. For any administrative staff, please educate your workers and volunteers on how to better handle children and be inclusive of disabilities as this was a direct violation of my son's disability and this Worker should never be around children in the future. If this museum is not inclusive of children, then please make that clear on the website and the front doors. We will not be returning Unfortunately and this visit put a damper on what so far has been a positive visit to the city of Greenville SC. If you have children or disabilities, do not visit this museum.

More than just a lovely museum with outstanding art and the premier American art museum in the South they also have frequent events for the community such as antiques shows we adore. A way to buy exquisite art for our own home! The watercolors by iconic American artist Andrew Wyeth are a favorite of ours. Don't miss this great museum!

Awesome collection of Wyeths and more. Currently on display were floral pieces created to coordinate with colors in works on display. Truly a wonderful idea combining these art forms and it smelled amazing. What a sensory thrill! The security guards were friendly and also provided docent level background information on the photos and paintings of a local Greenville artist.

Interesting art, not enough information on the website. I would love to give the museum more stars because it seems like a lovely place but their website wasn't updated and so the visit was disappointing. Thankfully the one artist my mom wanted to see (Andrew Wyeth) was on the one floor that is currently open to guest. Unfortunately there was no information on their website warning me that we had to come in the back door, that only the third floor galleries were open and that they had a large group visiting. So all of these things contributed to the fact that everyone who came to the museum that day were all in one area and the college group was there doing school work which meant that they were parked in one spot (in front of paintings) for a long time. That said the Andrew Wyeth paintings that they have are impressive and varied, it was a nice exhibit to see. I'd like to go back when I can see the whole museum.

The Wyeth collection is worth the visit, but otherwise, sorta ho-hum. They close the museum shop at least 15 minutes before the museum closes, so was bummed I didn't get a chance to check that out. (Art Museum stores are one of my favorites). Not a huge fan of the brutalist architecture from the outside, and on a hot day without a car, it wasn't awesome to get to from downtown. Close enough, sure, but not enough shade for their typical 90+ degree days.

There is some cool stuff here, but the overbearing security guards ruined our visit. We came in behind a group of older women, one of whom had a very large purse. She asked if she needed to leave it and the guard told her no, the rule against large bags existed mainly to keep large backpacks out. Then I was told I needed to leave my mini mesh backpack at the front. Well, whatever. I grabbed my camera and wallet and left the bag behind. Later another guard told me I needed to wear my camera around my neck vs. holding it. Not sure how that was any different from other guests holding out their phones to take pictures, but okay. Right after this, two guests came up and said they'd just been told off for standing too close to a window, so apparently the three feet rule applies to not just the art but the entire outer wall of the building. The whole visit, we felt like we were being watched. There was always a guard hovering over us, making it hard to enjoy the art, let alone hold a conversation about it. I felt like if I leaned forward while standing three feet from a painting, a guard would be on me immediately. Every art museum I've been to since, the guards are unobtrusive and friendly, available to talk about the art with you but otherwise a subtle reminder not to get so close you risk damaging the exhibits. The guards here make you feel like you're a bratty kid who needs to be monitored at all times, no matter how polite, calm and quiet you are. I guess it's still worth a visit, but be prepared to be pissed off. At least it's free, so you don't have to pay to have your day ruined.

Great exhibits, including Andrew Wyeth and local Phil Garrett. 2 stars is the average of close to 5 for a potentially great local museum with substantial art... and zero because the attitudes toward children were frankly embarrassing. We can go to the Met but not here? Very very sad. Now we are next door at the Children's Museum of the Upstate. Next stop, Kinkos to pick up a sign for the Greenville Museum of Art that says "With Child? PROCEED NEXT DOOR!"

Overall this is a very nice museum with an excellent collection set in a gorgeous town. They have a very strong large collection of Andrew Wyeth's, and during our visit they were showing a large collection of Jamie Wyeth's as well. That along with a great group of Southern artists and art make for a very pleasant day. One small downside was an almost complete lack of benches in viewing areas. Much more annoying was the almost total lack of information on any of the individual paintings other than the medium used. There are one or two placards in each viewing room with basic very general info for a group of paintings, but each piece of art had no info other than exhaustive lists of donators. I know many who give love to see their names shown, but a few large placards for donors may make a lot more sense, or as a minimum give us info an the artist and painting. It makes any museum visit much more enjoyable. Collection A. Presentation D-.

As an avid art lover, and visitor to many famous art museums in our great nation, I was thoroughly disgusted by my visit with my daughters (ages 8 and 10) today. Interestingly enough, my complaint is a common complaint on the GCMA Facebook page. The GCMA has a rule that you must stand back 3 ft from all the paintings. In all the art museums I've ever been to there is an understanding that you stay a respectable distance from the art. I totally understand that. It's priceless art, after all. However, GCMA is serious about 3 ft. My daughter and I were literally about 2 feet away from a painting--that's feet--not inches, and she was pointing at something very astute for an 8 year old to notice in a John's painting. The guard came right over and told us that pointing at a picture 2 feet away was not safe for the art. I kid you not. I was floored. We were not even close to touching the piece, nor would we. In another instance of unnecessary anal retentiveness, my back was turned to a Johns as my daughter took my picture by one of my favorite John's pieces. So, I'm not facing it, my hands are nowhere near the picture, and I am approached again because I am 2 feet away from the picture. I have never felt more unwelcome in an art museum. From the constant following through the galleries, to being approached like we were going to finger paint all over them. It was unnecessary. And at 3 ft, there's not a lot of detail you can view, or technique you can observe, unless your vision is much better than mine. From an art standpoint, the Johns exhibit is fantastic, the Wyeth was disappointing, and 2 floors of the museum were closed. Thank goodness it's free, because I would've been upset to pay money for my experience.

This small museum has the largest public collection of Andrew Wyeth's work in the US. If you are a fan, it is definitely worth a visit. Do not, however expect any information about the man or the work that you don't provide for yourself. It is the same for visiting exhibitions. "Here's the title. Here's the artist's name." And that's pretty much it. We've been there twice and enjoyed the work. Not impressed by the presentation.

Check online before you go. When I went to floors were closed and I only got to see half the exhibit.

Cute museum. I felt like I was being stalked by the staff for the majority of the visit, though. They were nice, but like... c'mon. For approximately half a millisecond, I stood 2.99 feet from the artwork (instead of the designated 3) and got in trouble. I wish I had brought a yardstick with me! Before I even entered the museum, I was (nicely) reprimanded for standing too close to the wall. Guess the rule applies to the entire area? At least admission is free!

Visited the museum specifically to view the Mary Whyte exhibit. Wonderful layout of how the paintings were placed throughout the whole museum. I was impressed with the interior itself because it provided ample lighting and space to view her works. It was a great feeling to look at her work in such an impressive place. I remember seeing many of Mrs. Whyte's paintings in a CBS Morning special and to actually view them was exciting. Would recommend visiting the Greenville County Museum of Art and this particular exhibit. Looking forward to many more in the future.

Small. But no distractions to take away from the art. The building is very minimalist and Spartan. Had an exhibit of wooden and carved birds which was quite interesting. It is a pretty stark museum, and in a way that can be good as it will not distract from the art as I mentioned, but they also have restrooms that are certainly not ADA compliant and you have to weigh less than 130lbs to squeeze thru the doors. Despite other reviewers the front welcoming desk and security folks were pleasant and accommodating and warmed up after some courteous exchange of social greetings.

Although there are occasional gems to be found, some artists are a mainstay, and take up a large percent of the gallery. Security makes a visit uncomfortable to unpleasant, as they seem keen to show a lack of even the most base instinct as to how to do their jobs.

This museum is located in downtown Greenville - offers free admission and has such exhibits as Jasper Johns, Andrew Wyeth, and other art on display.

Okay so this museum SUCKS. If i could give it zero stars then i would. Know why? Because as soon as we walked in, the people at the front table (not desk, table) stopped the conversation they were having and all three of them looked at us. They kept staring at us as we entered. Then the guards creepily watched and just about stalked us. I am certain it was because of our race because there was a white couple that was not stared at or followed/stalked once! And we were. I feel so offended. And the rules they have are just ridiculous. DO NOT GO TO THIS MUSEUM FOR ANY REASON UNLESS ITS TO FIRE EVERYONE. I have never felt so discriminated against in my entire life.

The Greenville County Museum of Art closes its doors once a year in October for one of the most remarkable antique shows in America! The GCMA staff throws an incredible venue for the antiques dealers to show their best antiques, with antiques dealers coming from all over. It is my favorite show to participate in. And the food is fabulous!

I really loved the art. I had a hard time enjoying it though. I have two very well behaved kids who I keep a very strict eye on. Well the people working there had an even stricter eye on my kids. They were behaving very well and these people followed us around the whole time just watching my kids every move. I couldn't even enjoy myself. I understand that you need to protect the art but good God that was too much. It got so bad I finally said something to one women and I am afraid of conflict. So in other words back it up just a little.

Let me start by saying I LOVE museums & travel the country visiting all types. My experience here today was NOT pleasant. I walked in with my friend & the older man at the front desk ONLY greeted my friend, never acknowledged me at all & only gave her a pamphlet. After a few minutes I was RUDELY told I can't take pictures or lean against the wall. Now, I respect any & all policies but the lady didn't have to give me attitude for no reason. They can ALL also be a little more discreet about following people around. At this point I felt uncomfortable, awkward & completely over the whole experience. Therefore I left without viewing the entire gallery. Maybe I looked young? Maybe it was my race? Regardless, I felt judged. I will NOT be back & won't ever recommend this place to anyone. Way to go Museum of Art! Keep it up.

Greenville is blessed to have our art museum. Conviently located downtown you will find an easy walk from historic neighborhoods and the main business district. Excellent permanent exhibits and traveling exhibits

OK for a smallish museum -- with the exception of an extraordinary Jasper Johns exhibit. Also, a gallery devoted to a local artist I had not heard of -- Helen DuPré Moseley -- very fun.

If I could rate this place below 1 star I would. We were visiting this area on our vacation. I came here with my family and we were followed and harassed multiple times during out 10 minute visit by two white older men. They took turned following us around the room and warning us that our children "might" be too close to the art and that we needed to be 5 feet from the walls. They even had the audacity to tell us 5 minutes into our time there that when we were ready we could exit via the 2nd floor versus the main exit. There were countless other families there but I we were the only ones harassed. Being the only non-white family in the museum had us stand out like a sore thumb. And although all of our children were behaving, quietly observing and walking by our side. The men continued to bother only our group. Needless to say we left the museum after the fourth encounter with these workers. Our children were upset because they did not understand why we were being followed, if they were on their best behavior. I noticed we are not the only family that has been discriminated against at this facility. Clearly this IS NOT A CHILD FRIENDLY FACILITY and if you are a MINORITY be aware that THEY WILL HARASS YOU until you leave the building.

This morning, March 19, 2015, I pulled my phone out to check the time. One of the museum employees made a straight beeline towards me and asked me not to take photos in a very confrontational manner. I said "Oh, I didn't. Just checking the time." She sneered at me and sarcastically said "Oh, Yeah, right." As if I was lying. It was extremely rude and unprofessional. I felt very awkward and uncomfortable the rest of my stay. Would never recommend a visit to this place based on my experience and other reviews. They watch guests like hawks and follow you around.

In regards to the art & exhibits, that was lovely. As far as the employees... they were rude & unprofessional. The school I work for has been planning a social outing for parents & students for a month; despite sending extremely detailed information on our end we received little to no response from the museum. There were maybe 10-15 families that came to this outing (all students were accompanied by at least 1 parent) and there about 20+ staff from our school. It was explained prior that it was not going to be a guided tour but just a social gathering for our families. We were treated as if we were going to steal something off the wall. We felt as if we were not welcomed, one of our staff members was reprimanded for POINTING at a plaque under a painting! She never touched it & stayed 3 feet back and was told she couldn't point at the paintings! The employees were very unprofessionally dressed, you couldn't tell if they were employees or just some random people from off the street... everything from t-shirt & jeans to looking as if they had just rolled out of bed. Had it not been for the headsets they were wearing (which apparently makes them think they have all the power in the world) no one would know who an employee was. The whole experience was very unwelcoming to our staff & families.

The Greenville Museum of Art is a fabulous place to bring out the artist in anyone! The collection of southern art, broadly defined, they say, to include anyone born, living or visiting the south, is phenomenal; from a painting of the Reedy River done in the 1800's and Audubon to Andrew Wyeth and Jasper Johns. And the new exhibition A Portrait of Greenville is a real treat for anyone from this area!

The museum offers much more than wonderful art; CHILDREN'S PROGRAMS,ART CLASSSES, SCHOOL TOURS, AND AN ANNUAL ANTIQUE SHOW THAT HAS NATIONAL RECOGNITION! It is growing each day thanks to the volunteers and donors of this community!

Spent an hour here to help beat the heat on a 90+ degree Father's Day with my wife and two teen-age daughters. We enjoyed this free museum. While not artistic experts, we all enjoyed the museum, especially the Wyeth collection, but they also had a lot of interesting work that was well displayed.

Great selection of art, at the most perfect price :) Saturday has free parking, and there is no fee to get in! Not disappointed at all!

A very substandard museum. It's free, but you get what you pay for. They have a collection of Jasper Johns and Wyeth. They should sell it all and buy a couple of decent paintings. The galleries change very infrequently. A good way to kill about 30 minutes, but if you want a real museum, go to Atlanta or Charlotte. Bob Jones has a much, much better collection.