Fitchburg Art Museum

Founded in 1925, the Fitchburg Art Museum is comprised of four buildings which hold space for regional and contemporary exhibitions, and its permanent collection of 19th century American art and photography, African American art, and Greek, Roman and Egyptian art. The museum also offers various educational programs for people of all ages. It is an important cultural and art institution for central New England.

Fitchburg Art Museum was founded in 1925 by Eleanor Norcross. Eleanor was born on June 24, 1854, to the name Ella Augusta. She grew up in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. Her father was Amasa Norcross, he was a lawyer who became the first mayor of Fitchburg. Her Mother, Susan Augusta Norcross was a schoolteacher. 

Eleanor had a brother named Nelson Norcross but later died at the age of 3 from scarlet fever in 1863. Then her mother died at the age of 38 in 1869 from consumption. Eleanor was very close with her father throughout her life. Amasa encouraged Eleanor's career in arts and would support her financially. 

Eleanor never married and spent much of her time pursuing her dreams of painting and collecting. Eleanor attended Fitchburg Academy and graduated at 16. She then went on to earn a degree from Wheaton Female Seminary and the Massachusetts Normal Art School. She went on to teach at Fitchburg Public schools for one year then moved to New York at the age of 24 in 1878 to attend classes at the Art Students League. 

An American Impressionist painter William Merrit Chase was so impressed with her work he convinced Eleanor to continue her studies in Paris. In Eleanor’s early career she liked to paint portraits and still lives. After 1900 she painted mostly interior scenes. She continued to live in Paris for almost 40 years until she moved back to Fitchburg. She died in Fitchburg in 1923. 

She wasn’t able to live on to see her dreams but with the collections, she had built and the painting she created and with some funds it was made possible to open the museum.

Fitchburg Art Museum was known as Fitchburg Art Center when a fire destroyed the collection on October 19, 1993. It has since been rebuilt and is still standing in Fitchburg MA.

http://www.fitchburgartmuseum.org

https://www.fitchburghistoricalsociety.com

https://www.bostoncentral.com/activities/museums/p2235.php

https://freedomsway.org/place/fitchburg-art-museum/#:~:text=185%20Elm%20Street%2C%20Fitchburg%2C%20MA&text=FAM%20was%20founded%20in%201925,focused%20on%20regional%20contemporary%20art