A generous bequest from Greensburg resident Mary Marchand Woods establishes a museum in her hometown of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, in Westmoreland County. Inspired by her travels as the wife of a U.S. ambassador, Woods aimed to leave her community with a significant cultural institution focused on art and education. She also bequeaths the grounds of her former home, where the Museum was eventually built. 

Greensburg resident and President of Greensburg Coal and Coke, William A. Coulter, a founding member of the Museum, establishes a major fund for art acquisition during the Museum’s inception. Throughout the years, the William A. Coulter Fund has allowed some of its most beloved works to enter the Museum’s collection, including Rembrandt Peale’s Portrait of George Washington, the first painting acquired by the Museum. 

The Westmoreland opens to the public under Founding Director Dr. Paul A. Chew. The Museum quickly amasses a significant collection of American art, with a focus on Southwestern Pennsylvania, alongside a strong exhibition and educational program. Its inaugural exhibition, 250 Years of Art in Pennsylvania, highlights the early focus on Pennsylvania’s notable painters, sculptors, and makers. 

The Committee for The Westmoreland (formerly The Women’s Committee) is formed in 1960 to strengthen community ties, support Museum projects, volunteer, and acquire art. Today, The Committee remains a vital force in The Westmoreland’s success.

The Museum’s West Wing—which expanded the footprint to include galleries, a sculpture court, offices, and a library and print study room—is added, in part, to accommodate pine paneled rooms donated to the Museum. The rooms were a gift of the Scaife family, who originally acquired them for their estate, Penguin Court, near Ligonier, PA. Constructed around 1750 by renowned Swedish-Scottish architect, Sir William Chambers, RA, today the paneled rooms display rotating contemporary art exhibitions. 

Coinciding with its 20th anniversary, The Westmoreland conducts a comprehensive photographic survey. The project focuses on documenting post-1865 structures in Westmoreland County. As the only photographer of the three-person team, Greensburg native Richard Stoner used an 8×10 large format camera for the majority of the photographs. The master set of over two hundred prints resides in The Westmoreland collection, an invaluable historical archive. 

The Westmoreland Society organizes in 1986 to raise funds through member donations to purchase artworks for the Museum. Each year the Society votes to purchase a work. Since its inception, The Westmoreland Society has raised over $1.3 million, purchasing 54 artworks from 51 artists.

Founding Director Paul Chew’s final exhibition at The Westmoreland highlights George Hetzel and the Scalp Level school, a group of Southwestern Pennsylvania artists who painted the rural landscape near Johnstown, PA. This comprehensive showcase of Hetzel’s work underscores the Museum’s commitment to regional heritage and significant national art movements. In 1993, Judith Hansen O’Toole succeeds Chew as the Museum’s director.

Director/CEO Judith Hansen O’Toole marks her first few years at The Westmoreland with important and impactful changes. She adds “American” to the Museum’s name, highlighting its emphasis on regional and national art. Gallery renovations are initiated to enhance the visitor experience, and the Museum hires its first dedicated curator, Barbara L. Jones. 

The Westmoreland’s regional focus shines in the 2006 exhibition Born of Fire: The Valley of Work. Curated by Barbara L. Jones, it features over 140 paintings documenting Pittsburgh’s steel heritage. The exhibition includes an interactive kiosk with stories from a Museum-produced documentary on steelmaking in Southwestern Pennsylvania. After its run, Born of Fire tours Europe until 2010. 

The Museum’s 50th Anniversary presents an opportunity to celebrate past accomplishments and discuss future goals as a museum for the 21st century—marked by a long-planned-for expansion and renovation.

Under Board President Bruce Wolf and Director/CEO Judith Hansen O’Toole, The Westmoreland sought an innovative design to reflect its new era. Chosen from over 75 firms, Ennead Architects of New York transformed the Museum with a complete renovation and expansion. The LEED® certified facility now features enhanced galleries, educational spaces, and outdoor plazas with sculptures by Tim Prentice, Josefa Filkowsky, and Aaronel de Roy Gruber. 

In 2015, the Museum begins acquiring post-1950 artwork, with modern and contemporary pieces largely donated by Diana and Peter Jannetta and legacy gifts honoring retiring Director/CEO Judith Hansen O’Toole. Between 2015 and 2018, transformative gifts and bequests enrich The Westmoreland’s collection. Richard M. Scaife’s bequest bolsters historical American art holdings, while Dr. Michael L. Nieland’s gift expands the sculpture collection. 

Building on The Westmoreland’s legacy of free admission, Richard M. Scaife Director/CEO Anne Kraybill, who succeeds Judith Hansen O’Toole in 2018, eliminates the suggested donation, ensuring that everyone has access to the Museum on their own terms. 

The Westmoreland reaffirms its commitment to Diversity, Equity, Access, and Inclusion (DEAI), acknowledging that art museums have historically been exclusive institutions. As a Museum of the 21st Century, The Westmoreland strives to be inclusive and relevant to all, committing to actions that lead to measurable change. 

After the appointment of new Richard M. Scaife Director/CEO Silvia Filippini Fantoni, PhD in 2023, the Museum staff embarked on a process to develop a new mission, vision and values as well as a strategic plan to guide the organization from 2025-2027.

To view The Westmoreland’s strategic priorities resulting from this plan, click here.