Southern Ohio Museum, Portsmouth

On our tour of Portsmouth we spent some time at the museum. Wow what a gem and it was free! They had a lot of Native American history and artifacts and some very interest art exhibits. They are getting ready for a new exhibit and we will be back to check it out. The staff were great and it was easy to find. There is street parking and restrooms. I completely recommend making this a stop if you are passing through.

Very Nice free Art Museum. First time visiting the museum. Permanent collection of works are from famous Portsmouth born artist, Clarence Carter. Beautiful architecture. Building is a restored bank.

This is an amazing place nestled in to Downtown Portsmouth OH They hold multiple events and a great variety for all ages check out the most recent interview with Artistic Director Charlotte Gordon @ Sciotocountydailynews.com

I've been to this museum several times over the course of my life, and every time I leave I think about how underappreciated our little museum is in the community and how many talented people we have that live locally. The first floor gallery seems to be a collection that changes over time showcasing various genres and artists. Upstairs is the Clarence Holbrook Carter collection and the Wertz: Art of the Ancients Collections. The Carter collection is astounding, the pieces themselves are enormous and and any visitor would feel as they are being drawn into these portraits. The Wertz collection is a voluminous collection of Native American artifacts. The placards briefly describe some of the artifacts but overall knowledge shared is shallow and does not do this immense collection justice. I would love to attend events such as the Museum: After Hours or similar events if they were hosted (and they may be) but this hidden gem isn't promoted as well as it should be. Given that there is no entrance fee and only a voluntary donation this place should be on any locals or visiting persons itinerary

The art of the Ancients display is out of this world best I ever seen