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Monday 9am - 4:30pm Tuesday 9am - 4:30pm Wednesday 9am - 4:30pm Thursday 9am - 4:30pm Friday 9am - 4:30pm

The Reece Museum

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The Reece Museum

For more than 50 years the Reece Museum has told the many stories of Appalachia. Under the supervision of ETSU President Charles C.

Housing over 20,000 artifacts, the Reece collection captures the region's past as well as its contemporary art and culture. As one of the first museums in Tennessee to be accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the Reece continues to meet AAM's high standards of excellence. Currently, the Reece is one of only thirteen museums in Tennessee to receive this accreditation. The Museum began in

the late 1920s as a class project created by history professor Maxine Mathews. Sherrod, the Museum continued to grow. During the 1930s and 1940s, librarians staffed the Museum and provided tours to visitors. In August 1961, Louise Goff Reece, wife of the late Congressman Brazilla Carroll Reece, donated her husband's personal library, including congressional reports, files, and other materials of educational and historic value, to ETSU. Formally dedicated on October 10, 1965, the B. Carroll Reece Memorial Museum was established as a tribute to the memory of First District Congressman B. Carroll Reece as a "storehouse of knowledge ... for the use of the university's students and the citizens of the state."

06/01/2026

This is an untitled ceramic vessel by the artist Sammie L. Nicely. The four horizontal "sections" of the vessel are clearly differentiated, mixing hand-worked textures of clay with both glazed and unglazed sections. This piece demonstrates some of the stylistic traits that are found in other Nicely ceramics within the museum collection, such as the combination of textures, the highlighting of natural, unglazed clay, and asymmetrical free-form vessel shapes.

Untitled, 1978
Sammie L. Nicely
clay, glaze

is a series of student led research of artifacts from our permanent collection. To explore the collections portal, click the link below.
https://reece.pastperfectonline.com/

05/29/2026

Now on view: Johnson City Amateur Photography Club's "America the Beautiful"

Featuring the Johnson City Amateur Photography Club, America the Beautiful thematically reflects the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This Semiquincentennial anniversary presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to share the whole history of our nation and make progress in becoming a more perfect union. It also offers a chance to transform and strengthen the history, culture, and art fields, preparing them to thrive for decades to come.

Aspens, Maroon Bells Scenic Area, CO, 2026
Kim Lezzi
digital photograph

"America the Beautiful" will be on view through July 17. The Reece Museum is free admission and open to the public M - F, 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM.

05/26/2026

The Reece Museum has partnered with Alzheimer’s Tennessee since 2018 to develop SPARK!, a monthly cultural programming for people living with memory loss and their care partners. In a supportive and safe environment, the group shares a meal, socializes, and learns about artifacts from the museum’s permanent collection. For the month of May, our participants received an in-depth tour of our latest art-focused exhibitions after sharing a Cinco de Mayo themed meal.

If you or someone you know would be interested in joining this monthly program, contact Becca Proffitt at (423)439-7113 to RSVP.

05/25/2026

This artifact is part of "Decades of Dress," an exhibition showcasing the clothing of Louise St. John Taylor (July 5, 1897 - Sept. 29, 1998). The primary purpose of the exhibition is to tell the story of her life through object-based storytelling, using her clothing and related artifacts from the Reece Museum’s permanent collection.

This service cap was worn by a member of the American Red Cross during WWII summer service. Following her graduation from Washington, D.C.’s Red Cross School in May of 1943, Louise was appointed as a field representative to the East Tennessee region. Through this position, she served twenty-five counties and was often required to travel to larger Tennessee cities, such as Knoxville, Nashville, and Chattanooga, for conferences. While this item is outside of Mrs. Taylor’s collection, it has been selected for display in this exhibit to commemorate her time as a field representative for the East Tennessee region and the travel associated with the position.

Hat, 1940s
USA
cotton, synthetic materials, grosgrain ribbon, metal, enamel
Given in Memory of Allen Harris Sr. & Allen Harris Jr.

This is the last week to view "Decades of Dress", which will be on view through Thursday, May 28. The Reece Museum is open and free to the public Monday through Friday from 9:00am to 4:30 pm

05/24/2026

The Reece Museum will be closed on Monday, May 25th in observance of Memorial Day. The Museum will resume normal hours, 9:00 am - 4:30 pm, on Tuesday, May 26th.

05/22/2026

ETSU's Department of Art & Design and the Reece Museum present “Retro-gaming” by Victor Sanchez. Representing one of three artists in the "Spring BFA Senior Exhibition", Sanchez will be showcasing their Bachelor of Fine Arts capstone exhibition in the Reece Museum.

"Retro Gaming" is a collection of digital prints documenting arcades in East Tennessee characterized by their vibrant color palettes. This work vividly portrays arcade cabinets, neon lights shimmering on screens, and passionate gamers competing for high scores. The series evokes nostalgia and preserves memories of a subculture and community in America.

BOOM! RACNIG, 2024-25
Victor Sanchez
Digital photo, color ink

This is the last day to view the "Spring 2026 BFA Senior Exhibition," featuring the artworks of three BFA seniors. The Reece Museum is free and open to the public Monday through Friday from 9 am to 4:30 pm.

05/20/2026

Last week to view: "New Apparitions Stalk the Earth"

Since its establishment in the late 1920s, the Reece Museum's permanent collection has maintained a distinctive connection with the concept of "Folk." The earliest collecting initiative in 1928 sought to document regional history by collecting material culture that illustrated students' family lore, which represented a very human-centered approach to regional history. Karel Appel's work fits right into this narrative, as one of the stated goals of the CoBrA Group (1948-1951) was to create a new folk art aesthetic that drew on imagination, the intuitive, myth, non-Western art, and children's drawings.

"My paint tube is like a rocket which describes its own space. I try to make the impossible possible. What is happening I cannot foresee; it is a surprise. Painting, like passion, is an emotion full of truth and rings a living sound-like the roar coming from the lion's breast." -- Karel Appel

Resting Cat, 1978
Karel Appel
lithograph
Edition 64/125
Gift of Dr. Marshall Schuster

"New Apparitions Stalk the Earth" is on display at East Tennessee State University's Reece Museum through May 22. The Reece Museum is open and free to the public Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm.

05/19/2026

The Reece Museum will be closed Wednesday, May 20 for administrative leave. We apologize for any inconvenience, and we look forward to having you when we resume our normal hours of 9 am - 4:30 pm on Thursday, May 21!

05/18/2026

Happy International Museum Day!

The Reece Museum, founded over sixty years ago, is dedicated to serving the Appalachian area through exhibitions and collections of art and history from this region and beyond! After Louise Goff Reece, wife of the late Brazilla Carroll Reece (Congressman and our museum’s namesake), donated her husband’s personal library and collections, the museum officially became established as a tribute to his legacy and memory here in East Tennessee as a "storehouse of knowledge ... for the use of the university's students and the citizens of the state." Decades later, our collection continues to grow with the vibrant Appalachian culture. The Reece Museum also holds accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums and is recognized as an official Tennessee Music Pathways site.

To learn more about our history and current and upcoming exhibitions, visit our website or come see us in person on campus at East Tennessee State University, Monday - Friday from 9 am - 4:30 pm. Admission is free!

05/15/2026

Welcome to SABR Wrapped!

Want to know what the Student Advisory Board - Reece was up to this past school year? SABR is a student organization based at the Reece Museum on ETSU's campus. Our goal is to incorporate museum-related events across campus and introduce students to the professional side of the museum world.

This year's wrapped takes a deeper look into SABR's mission and the steps we took to incorporate museum-related events on campus. Not a history major? Not a problem! SABR currently represents students across 6 different majors from history to education.

Want to be a part of next year's wrapped? Reach out to [email protected] for information on joining SABR!

Address

363 Stout Drive
Johnson City, TN
37614

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 4:30pm
Tuesday	9am - 4:30pm
Wednesday	9am - 4:30pm
Thursday	9am - 4:30pm
Friday	9am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+14234394392

Website

https://linktr.ee/reecemus

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