Morris Graves Museum of Art

Regional art museum in an elegant 1902 Carnegie library

The Morris Graves Museum of Art occupies the Carnegie Free Library building on F Street, a handsome 1902 Classical Revival structure with high ceilings and arched windows that make for excellent gallery space. The Humboldt Arts Council operates the museum, which hosts rotating exhibitions of regional and national art alongside a permanent collection that includes work by its namesake.

Morris Graves (1910–2001) was a major figure in Pacific Northwest painting, known for introspective bird and animal studies that combined Western modernism with East Asian aesthetics. The museum's holdings include examples of his work alongside pieces from other California coast artists. Modest admission; closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

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A story
The building was originally the Carnegie Free Library, one of nearly 2,500 libraries funded by Andrew Carnegie. It opened in 1902 in Classical Revival style, and its reading room — with its high ceilings and arched windows — now serves as the main gallery. The museum is named for Morris Graves, the visionary Pacific Northwest painter whose meditative bird paintings brought international attention to the region in the mid-20th century.