Looking for a way to combine your admiration for art and your thirst for knowledge? You’re in luck. The Georgia Museum of Art has its own library filled with holdings ranging from Italian, Asian and African American works to North, Central and South American works and more. The Louis T. Griffith Library houses more than 15,000 catalogued volumes and is also home to numerous files on artists, collectors and galleries. It even has historic sale documents from auction houses like Sotheby’s.
Materials in the library’s collection do not circulate, but patrons can review holdings in person or via the University of Georgia’s digital library collection, when possible. Whether you are a university faculty member or student, a curator or an art enthusiast, the Griffith Library is sure to have something for you, and librarian Laura Rhicard is happy to help you pinpoint it. “You can find all kinds of things, old and rare books shelved next to contemporary items,” says Rhicard. “We’ve [also] got a really nice view of the sculpture garden, and a bust of Louis T. Griffith by William Thompson.”
The library’s eponym and University of Georgia alumnus Griffith (1918 – 2005) earned a bachelor of arts degree in journalism in 1939 and a master of arts in 1941. After his military involvement during World War II and a nine-year stint working as an editor and publisher for Eatonton Weekly, he returned to the UGA. During his thirty-five years at UGA, Griffith served as a journalism professor, director of public relations, assistant to President O.C. Aderhold, dean of university relations, and vice president of development and university relations.
Griffith supported and volunteered at the Georgia Museum of Art for more than 40 years. He served as a co-president of Friends of the Museum and played a fundamental role in raising funds for the museum’s new building, opened in 1996. His efforts also enabled the museum to create the Louis Griffith Teacher’s Resource Room, which includes exhibition catalogues and teacher packets for loan.
Many volunteers have diligently worked to build and maintain the library over the years, including Library Ladies Jeffie Rowland, Grace Eubank, Claire Swann and Kate Howell. Lucy Rowland was instrumental in managing the collection, and Jane Johnson spearheaded the digital cataloguing process. Rhicard has worked with the museum’s curatorial department since 2010, and has served in the museum’s library since 2016. While the Griffith Library is not a branch of the UGA libraries, they do partner with each other to catalogue and acquire works. Rhicard says the bulk of the Griffith Library’s collection comes from donations.
The Griffith Library is located on the museum’s third floor, and is open to the public Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to noon, and other times by appointment. Patrons interested in visiting the library must register at the museum’s front desk. To schedule an appointment or donate items to the library, contact Laura Rhicard at lkellum@uga.edu.
Authored by:
Candice Lawrence
