The Montgomery Museum of Art and History opened its doors to the public as a museum in 1989 and after 33 years, will close its Pepper Street location to give way to a new chapter. Thursday, April 7 will be the last day the museum will be open to the general public at the old site.
Through a building acquisition, the Museum will move its operations to downtown Christiansburg, taking residence at 4 East Main St. The new location is the site of the former Bank of Christiansburg, next to the post office and directly behind the town quadrant which now holds the recently unveiled African American storyboards. A soft opening at the new location is scheduled for June 22, 2022.
“Once we close the doors to the museum on Pepper St., we will take the rest of the spring season to prepare and move our physical operations to the new building,” said Casey Jenkins, Executive Director of the Montgomery Museum. “The historic manse has been a wonderful home to the museum for many decades, but it is time for the museum to take on a larger space, one which will give us the opportunity to enhance and develop dynamic cultural programming, exhibits, and displays. Specifically, I look forward to how the new facility can offer a space and forum for community conversations and dialogue among a variety of community voices and stakeholders.”
The museum will gain more than 12,000 square feet by moving. The historic building on Pepper Street is roughly 2,600 square feet, and the new building in downtown is approximately 15,000 square feet.
The soft opening for the museum’s new location on June 22 will begin with a ribbon cutting provided by the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce and end with a member-artist exhibit opening and reception in the evening. During the day, the museum will provide fun, family-friendly activities, food, and beverages.
This day is also Give Local NRV, a day dedicated to non-profit fundraising sponsored by the Community Foundation of the New River Valley. The museum will be accepting donations for Give Local NRV on June 22.
The museum will retain the old Pepper Street property with intentions of leasing the building for use as office space and promoting the outdoor recreational opportunities including the
community garden, which is managed by Master Gardeners.
