The Barry Art Museum is a private, not-for-profit foundation. It was created in 2017 through the generosity of Carolyn K. and Richard F. Barry III, who donated the Museum’s luminous new building, the Founders’ Collection of art, and operating funds. Visitors of all ages can explore art and the world in which it is made in a museum environment that encourages a dynamic relationship between art objects and observers. The permanent collection showcases international glass sculptures, 20th-century American Modernist paintings, and historical dolls and automata.
The Barry Art Museum is FREE to all visitors. Your gift supports public engagement through innovative programming or the addition of a new work to our growing art collection. Our mission is to provide an environment that inspires intellectual and social inclusiveness for all – many of our guests are first-time museum visitors from the surrounding urban, diverse community. Our approach to the visitor experience encourages both intuitive interpretations and emotional responses to art. ODU educational research and institutional partnerships, as well as visiting experts and artists, enrich and inform these Museum activities.
