Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art

Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art

Location within Montana
Established	1977
Location	1400 First Avenue North, Great Falls, Montana, U.S.
Coordinates	47°30′21″N 111°16′57″W / 47.505947°N 111.282579°W / 47.505947; -111.282579
Type	Art museum
Visitors	29,000 (2010)
Director	Tracy Houck
Curator	Laura Cotton
Website	the-square.org

Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art (also known by its acronym, PGSMA) is an art museum located at 1400 First Avenue North in Great Falls, Montana, in the United States. The building was constructed in 1896 to house the city's first high school, Great Falls High School (later known as Great Falls Central High School). The high school moved to new quarters in 1931, at which time the building was renamed Paris Gibson Junior High School. The junior high school vacated the premises in 1975 for a new building. In 1977, Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art was formed, and it took ownership of the building. It is one of six museums in the city. The structure was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in September 1976.

The museum focuses primarily on contemporary art by artists from the region. Much of its collection consists of folk art, abstract art, postmodern art, and functional artwork such as jewelry. In addition to two floors of galleries, the museum also hosts an outdoor sculpture garden.

The structure should not be confused with the Roman Catholic parochial school also named Great Falls Central High School. This Catholic school opened in 1950 at 2400 Central Avenue. It closed in 1973, and the public school system purchased the building in 1975. The building housed Paris Gibson Junior High School (later Paris Gibson Middle School) from September 1976 to May 2005. Paris Gibson Education Center, an alternative high school, opened in the building in 2007. This building also houses Paris Gibson Middle School Academy, a program for at-risk students.

Great Falls was founded in 1883 when businessman Paris Gibson surveyed the city and platted a permanent settlement on the south side of the river. It was incorporated on November 28, 1888. By 1890, Black Eagle Dam had been built within the city limits on the Great Falls of the Missouri River, a meat packing industry (the largest between St. Paul, Minnesota, and Spokane, Washington) had arisen, a railway had come to town, and a silver smelter had been built. The city's public school system was established in 1886. That year, the city opened the Whittier Building (later known as Whittier Elementary School) and began holding ungraded educational instruction for all students there.