To acquire and preserve the work of Miriam McClung is to safeguard one of the most compelling visual voices of the 20th-century American South. Over more than seventy-five years, McClung has built a body of work that bridges the intimate and the historical, the spiritual and the social. Her paintings—rooted in Alabama’s landscape, architecture, and […]
An Introduction to Miriam McClung for Curators and Collectors Read More »
We had several people send us pieces of art that they purchased with “McClung” as a signature, wondering if was Miriam’s artwork. After some research, we discovered an amazing 20th-century woman artist, Florence Elliott McClung, from Texas. There have been several painters with the last name “McClung” over the past century to include Catherine McClung,
Other McClung Painters Read More »
We are looking at women painters at the beginning of the 20th century, like Carrie Hill, whose art and work created a thriving art community in the industrial boom-town of Birmingham, Alabama. Their pioneering work would pave the way for the next generation of women artists in Birmingham, like Miriam, to have successful art careers.
Women Painters of Birmingham, Alabama: Louise S. Cone Read More »
For Women’s History Month 2025, we are looking at several Birmingham, Alabama women artists whose work inside and outside the studio established a vibrant art culture in the city and laid the foundation for the next generation of women artists in Birmingham to flourish like Miriam. Carrie L. Hill (1875-1957) was an acclaimed impressionist painter
Women Painters of Birmingham, Alabama: Carrie Hill Read More »
Getting your own Wikipedia page established as a living artist is very difficult. There are stringent requirements for sourcing everything. This can be a challenge when most of Miriam’s art career was pre-Internet. While we compiled a list of sources to submit for Miriam’s Wikipedia page, we created our own Wiki-style page for you to
Researching Miriam McClung’s Art History in Alabama Read More »
Where would you start if you want to collect a work of art done by a noted Alabama woman artist? Google? Museums? Galleries? University publications in Alabama? Wikipedia? AI? We are putting together a database of noted women artists who are from or have lived in Alabama for a significant period of their careers. This
Directory of Noted Alabama Women Artists Read More »
We are working to promote and encourage academic scholarship of Miriam’s life and art as a significant Alabama woman artist over the last 70 years. If you know of or are interested in learning more about access to her extensive collection and notes or would like to set up an interview, please contact us, and
A Call to Art Historians for Scholarship of a Significant Southern Woman Artist Read More »
If you know anything about the history of Birmingham, you’ll understand the significance of this oil on linen painting of Miriam’s. Sports played a major role in the South after Reconstruction, and Birmingham in particular, establishing its cultural identity and sense of community after a civil war. Baseball was particularly influential with the forming of
Part 4: A Brief History of Birmingham, Alabama through Art – Sports Read More »
History of Birmingham through Miriam’s art series continued… Viaducts, or long bridges with a series of arches, are significant features in the Birmingham cityscape. Many times Viaducts are built to carry railroads. Birmingham’s viaducts cross over railroads that cut through the southern part of the city and carry iron and steel from the furnaces that
Part 3: A Brief History of Birmingham, Alabama through Art – Viaducts Read More »
In this series, we’re delving into Miriam’s art that portrays a significant slice of Birmingham, Alabama’s history—the city where Miriam dedicated most of her artistic career. [Read Part 1 here] Birmingham, Alabama, derived its name from Birmingham, England, a hub for iron and industry during the Industrial Revolution. The abundant iron ore in the Jones
Part 2: A Brief History of Birmingham through Art- Industry Read More »