Searcy (LP) Being local citizens to Searcy Arkansas, you might not know that your very own home town has a very charming dwelling of an art gallery from the late nineteenth century. While stepping into the gallery you will find yourself going back into time with the beautiful furnishings of the Black House, but also you will also find local current art.

After talking with the executive director of the Searcy Art Gallery at the Black House, Myra Shock, we got a little history about the house,”The Black House was built as a family home, Benjamin Clayton Black and his wife Molly built it in the late eighteen hundreds and they reared eleven children here, they were the only family to occupy the house, so that is why it has retained the name the ‘Black House’.” The Black’s last living daughter lived in the black house until nineteen seventy nine Ms. Shock told us “After that the property was purchased by a local doctor, Doctor Porter Rogers Jr., he let the arts council start meeting here and hosting exhibits, eventually he deeded the property to the city of Searcy in nineteen ninety eight.” The house officially became the art gallery in nineteen ninety eight, but was officially put on the National Register of Historic Places in nineteen seventy four.  While “art in the gallery can range from two hundred dollars to twelve hundred dollars, it just depends on the artist.” That might just be a bit out of the everyday visitor’s price range so Ms. Shock also stated, “we do have some prints and some photography for sale in the gift shop.”

The Art Gallery has always been known for hosting beautiful events, Ms. Shock gave us some information on when we could be expecting from the Black House “On March the nineteenth we will be having a reception to honor a new exhibit.” If you have a free day and are looking to learn about and embrace some local art take a trip and visit the black house, they are located at three hundred East Race Street and open Tuesday through Saturday twelve to four pm. Ms. Shock voiced that one of their main goals at the gallery is “To just get the word out to the community, what we have here, we have beautiful art work, and we have a historical home which a Searcy family lived in.” We wish Searcy Art Gallery at the Black house the best of luck with there upcoming events, and can’t wait to see the new exhibits!