The Alice Moseley Museum is a museum to retain the heritages of folk art and storytelling, and keep the memory of Alice Moseley. Alice Moseley (1909-2004) known as “Miss Alice” was born in Birmingham, Alabama. She taught school as an English teacher for 30 years in Batesville, Mississippi, and then retired. After retiring, she began painting when she was caregiver for her mother, and painted to pass the time. She painted on shingles, then moved to wood, then lastly, canvas. She began to accumulate a large body of work, and continued painting. Moseley’s paintings depict Southern life, including farming communities, and the landscapes of the Mississippi coast. Her style is very childlike and known as “folk art.”
Alice Moseley painted until her death in July 2004, at the age of 94. Originally, the museum was located in Alice Moseley’s much beloved “Blue House” on Bookter Street. In February 2013, her collection was relocated from her “Blue House” to the Alice Moseley Museum in the historic Bay St. Louis train depot. In addition to the 40 or more works of Alice Moseley, the Museum houses large collections of antiques due to the love for antiques by her son, Tim. You will see vintage bottles, Majolica vases, Depression glass and antique everyday objects. There is not and will not be an admission charge at the Museum. Alice Moseley wanted the Museum to be open to all people regardless of income or social status, just as she opened her door to visitors and loved each one.
Tour directors and visitors call the Museum a “must see” destination on any visit to Hancock County and the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Fun Fact: Disability Connection was originally named “Destination and Educational Videos (DEV).” DEV produced two Alice Moseley films which are available to view in the Alice Moseley Museum and many libraries across Mississippi. In 2002-2003 Janie O’Keefe, Director of Disability Connection, and Chris Snyder, producer and videographer, produced the films about Alice as well as a film about traveling in South Mississippi called “Destination: Gulf Coast.” Chris is now the Director of the Marine Education Center, an education and outreach arm of the University of Southern Mississippi’s Gulf Coast Research Laboratory.
Address: 1928 Depot Way, 2nd Floor
City: Bay St. Louis
County: Hancock
Phone: 228.467.9223
Email: alicemoseley@gmail.com
Open: Monday-Saturday; 10am-4pm.
Accessibility: wheelchair accessible; accessible bathroom; elevator to museum on 2nd floor