The Sheldon Swope Art Museum in Terre Haute, Indiana, was originally funded by a bequest from Michael Sheldon Swope , a Civil War veteran and jeweler who lived in Terre Haute much of his adult life. Planning for the art museum began on September 26, 1939, and the museum was officially open to the public on March 21, 1942. According to its mission statement, "The Sheldon Swope Art Museum collects, preserves and celebrates the best in American art with programs and exhibitions designed to engage, stimulate and educate those whose lives it touches; it enhances the culture and contributes to the economic development of the Greater Wabash Valley."In addition to housing numerous important works, the Swope Art Museum offers summer classes for youth, artist lectures and exhibitions. It sponsors an annual student art exhibition, a tradition which began in May 1967. Admission to the museum is free.
