Lucile Parker Gallery

The Lucile Parker Gallery is located in Thomas Fine Arts Building o the Hattiesburg campus of William Carey University. The Lucile Parker Gallery opened on December 4, 1990. It was named for Mrs Lucile Parker, a Mississippi artist known for her botanical drawings and paintings and her portrait work. Miss Parker organized the art department at William Carey and served as chairperson from 1974 until 1983.

The gallery stands as a testimonial to the legacy of Lucile Parker as a teacher who instilled in her students a love of beauty and inspired them to go beyond the possible.

A native of Sumrall, Mississippi, Lucile Parker earned the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Southern Mississippi in drawing and art and a Masters of Arts degree in art, painting and drawing from the University of Alabama. She also studied at Pietro Venucci Academy of Art in Perugia, Italy. She was awarded an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from William Carey College in 1981.Her paintings hang in private and public collections throughout the United States. Her book, Mississippi Wildflowers, is widely acclaimed.

The Lucile Parker Collection consists of 141 artworks by Lucile Parker, with the exception of a group 17 by Marie Hull, which were donated to the college by Miss Parker  from her private collection. Many works were given to the college by Miss Parker's family after her death in 1988. Works in the collection include paintings and drawings of flowers, landscapes, and portraits, beautifully done in watercolor, mixed media, etching, pencil, graphite, oils and acrylic.

Exhibitions of local, state, and nationally known artist are scheduled Augusto through May in the gallery. Usually five to seven exhibits are held with the permanent Lucile Parker Collection display during the summer .

The William Carey Gallery University Collection and the newly acquired The Dr. Larry H. Day Collection are also housed in the Lucile Parker Gallery. The William Carey University Collection consists 124 artworks by a variety of artists. Portraits of presidents and the benefactors of university are contained in this collection. The Dr. Larry H. Day consists of nearly 300 wildlife pieces and stamps, prints by Dr. Allen Hughes, and limited edition floral prints by Jeanne Holgate. Works donated to or purchased by the university  are also a part of the WCU Collection.

The gallery is open during the academic year from 1:00 - 4:00 pm. Monday -Friday, except during holidays and announced closings. It is opened by appointment in the summer by calling 601-318-6192.

Schedule of Events

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