Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art

Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art
Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art is located in Montana
Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art
Location within Montana
Established1977
Location1400 First Avenue North, Great Falls, Montana, U.S.
Coordinates47°30′21″N 111°16′57″W / 47.505947°N 111.282579°W / 47.505947; -111.282579
TypeArt museum
Visitors29,000 (2010)[1]
DirectorSarah Justice
CuratorNicole Maria Evans
Websitethe-square.org
Great Falls Central High School
Location1400 First Avenue North, Great Falls, Montana, U.S.
Built1896
ArchitectWilliam White
Architectural styleRomanesque Revival
NRHP reference No.76001120
Added to NRHPSeptember 1, 1976

Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art (also known by its acronym, PGSMA) is an art museum located at 1400 First Avenue North in Great Falls, Montana, in the United States. The building was constructed in 1896 to house the city's first high school, Great Falls High School (later known as Great Falls Central High School). The high school moved to new quarters in 1931, at which time the building was renamed Paris Gibson Junior High School. The junior high school vacated the premises in 1975 for a new building. In 1977, Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art was formed, and it took ownership of the building. It is one of six museums in the city. The structure was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in September 1976.

The museum focuses primarily on contemporary art by artists from the region. Much of its collection consists of folk art, abstract art, postmodern art, and functional artwork such as jewelry. In addition to two floors of galleries, the museum also hosts an outdoor sculpture garden.

The structure should not be confused with the Roman Catholic parochial school also named Great Falls Central High School. This Catholic school opened in 1950 at 2400 Central Avenue.[2] It closed in 1973, and the public school system purchased the building in 1975.[3] The building housed Paris Gibson Junior High School (later Paris Gibson Middle School) from September 1976 to May 2005.[4] Paris Gibson Education Center, an alternative high school, opened in the building in 2007. This building also houses Paris Gibson Middle School Academy, a program for at-risk students.[5]

  1. ^ Thiel-Schaaf, Kim. "Paris Gibson Square More Than a Museum." Great Falls Tribune. December 11, 2010.
  2. ^ "Parochial High School." Life. January 18, 1954, p. 63-64, accessed 2013-01-09; Small, p. 68-69.
  3. ^ The Catholic school system in the city of Great Falls did not have a high school after 1973 until Great Falls Central Catholic High School opened in the fall of 2001. The new GFCCHS was housed at the University of Great Falls until fall 2007, when it moved into its own building at 2800 18th Avenue South. See: Johnson, Peter. "Backers Offer Details of Proposed Great Falls Catholic High School." Great Falls Tribune. February 3, 2000; Radcliffe, Rosanne. "Two New High Schools Open Their Doors." Great Falls Tribune. July 30, 2000; Cates, Kristen. "Central Opens in New Facility." Great Falls Tribune. September 4, 2007.
  4. ^ Szpaller, Keila. "Middle School Transition Has Happy Ending." Great Falls Tribune. October 10, 2006.
  5. ^ Cates, Kristen. "Students Using High-Tech Devices to Map River's Edge Trail Donations." Great Falls Tribune. May 16, 2011.