Popes Museum

08/23/2026

It’s a lot of work when you get 17 original Laura Pope Forrester pieces, but it’s worth it!
Grand opening November 7

08/01/2026

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTAQjpfeH/
The returning of the paintings were a team effort.
Each person has a part to play

08/01/2026

Across the state of Georgia people are joining the team and sharing the amazing news about Pope’s Museum.
We are thrilled to be featured in this article coming out of Athens, Georgia!

https://flagpole.com/arts-culture/arts-culture-features/2026/07/22/an-outsiders-roadtrip-georgia-folk-art-installations-to-visit/?fbclid=IwZnRzaATYTdVwZG9mBWZkaWQWULgV0pR5-6qXeSl5-hj0XFjbXugLu2V4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkCjY2Mjg1NjgzNzkAAR6afBUPGndd4jkeuclGt-PixETFqDSZl580lLpb6NWEn5kLuPxW6tYcZEwJvw_aem_g7rPUDgxss4RfuxiWvpAmg

Many road trip lists revolve around destination locations like theme parks full of rides and interesting fried foods or visiting a sprawling city full of gleaming buildings to shop ‘til you drop. Nothing wrong with any of those things, but would you like a different flavor of adventure—say, the ...

07/29/2026

More amazing news!
Many people are aware that Laura Pope Forester was a self-taught sculptress. But did you know she was also a to self-taught painter?
Laura painted large murals on her home, her commissary store and her church, Pine Forest Baptist Church. Some of those paintings came back home today.
More pictures are coming soon, but here are a few. More good news is coming, but today we celebrate the return of eleven Laura Pope Forester original murals!
-taughtEnvironments

07/24/2026

Amazing news!
Four original Laura Pope statues have made their way back home!
Thanks to the fantastic recovery (from an auction house in North Georgia after being on display in a gallery in Kansas for 40 years!),these statues have been been returned to Pope’s Museum. Dates of these pieces range from the late 1920s to 1952.
Thank you Tim White!
These photographs tell just a part of the story. Stay tuned as we clean and restore them.

07/22/2026

The number 13 may have an unpopular reputation, but at Pope’s Museum, we love it!
Wonder why?
These photographs are hint.
Stay tuned and keep your eyes peeled for an amazing post coming up.
P.S. these photographs are two of hundreds from the Library of Congress!
Yes, Pope’s Museum has hundreds of files produced and saved in the United States Library of Congress.
-taughtArtEnvironments .
Artists homes and Studios

07/18/2026

Looking forward to being a stop on this trip!
Sign up now.

 https://www.facebook.com/share/1L8PyS2EaA/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Tickets are still available for our next Old Thomas County Road Trip on Saturday, July 25! 🚐🎟

This month, we’re heading to Ochlocknee for a day of local history, behind-the-scenes tours, and good food. Stops will include JoNina Farm, Pope’s Museum, Billy’s Place, and more!

The tour begins at 9:30 a.m. and ends by 4:00 p.m. Advance registration is required, and the full itinerary will be provided to registered participants.

Reserve your ticket today and join us as we explore what makes Ochlocknee unique!

🔗: https://thomasvillehistory.org/excursions/

07/12/2026

Fun Fact: Long before Princess Diana captured American hearts, Queen Marie of Romania (1875-1938) captured the imagination of the nation and was greeted by massive adoring crowds and ticker-tape parades in her 1926 cross country tour.
But perhaps it was her domestic scandal that captured the interest of Laura Pope Forester. During the "Roaring Twenties" women were embracing "The Bob" haircuts, but the Queen was not allowed by her traditionalist husband King Ferdinand. Across the nation headlines like this were read,
"Queen Marie can't bob hair because King won't let her" (St Louis Dispatch July 7, 1926).
But in 1927, she snipped tradition and her hair, earning her the reputation of the most fashion forward monarch of Europe. AND...Laura Pope Forester created a statue in her honor. BEST NEWS OF ALL...
This very statue has been found! and it is being returned to Pope's Museum!
More exciting news to come.
P.S. This post is dedicated to hair stylist and color expert LeeAnn Mottern Sikes .sikes at Tired Creek Salon, one of Pope's Museum's ardent supporters.

07/11/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BtenSTFUv/?mibextid=wwXIfr
What a wonderful find!
Thank you toBarbara Mann Darus for sharing this.
Www.popesmuseum.org

Artist Laura Pope Forester lived at this house in Cairo, Georgia. During her life, the Forester turned the house into a museum of her artwork. By the time of her death in 1953, she had created over 200 sculptures and murals, many of which focused on the contributions of women to American History.

Pope’s Museum closed in 1975, and many of the original works were destroyed or moved. In 2019, it reopened to the public, and the current owners have worked to find her missing work.

Image: “Entrance to Pope Museum, near Cairo, Georgia” published by the Asheville Post Card Co. (date unknown). From the Andrew J. Bramlett Collection.

06/08/2026

So proud to be a part!