Setaside a morning or afternoon to stroll through the permanent and temporarycollections at the Art Museum of Myrtle Beach. There’s a strong focus on localworks, which gives you a nice flavor of the local culture. The building is acharming, Southern cottage-style building and has impressive views of theAtlantic Ocean from some of its rooms.

The four permanentcollections are small but comprehensive and include paintings, sculptures,photographs, and historic, hand-drawn maps. The Bishop Maps and PrintsCollection was named after the family who donated it and features 15 mapsdating from 1606 to the mid-19th century. The Barbara Burgessand John Dinkelspiel Collection of Southern Art includes 50 paintings,photographs, drawings and lithographs by more than a dozen Southern artists.Another permanent collection is the Waccamaw Arts and Crafts Guild, featuringworks by 29 regionally-renowned artists.

Check the website fora calendar of current exhibits. The museum enjoys a reputation for hostinginteresting exhibitions you might not see elsewhere.

Children, adult andfamily art classes are offered regularly in the Museum’s Art Studio. There area variety of artistic mediums and styles. Make art from recycled material,improve your shading and drawing techniques, or learn to sculpt. Phone ahead ofyour visit to confirm specific classes and hours. Reservations are essential.

TheArt Museum of Myrtle Beach is located on South Ocean Boulevard. Admission tothe museum is free, and donations are encouraged to support exhibits andprograms. The museum is open daily except Mondays.