Welcome

At Gari Melchers Home and Studio at Belmont, see the richly furnished country house and working studio of American impressionist painter Gari Melchers (1860- 1932) as they appeared in the 1920s. Explore the colorful formal gardens and wooded hiking trails of the artist's 27-acre retreat. Enjoy special exhibitions of the art of Melchers and his contemporaries. Watch our introductory film, "Gari Melchers: True and Clear"

Gari Melchers was one of the most decorated artists of his day. Today he is relatively unknown. His unvarying ambition to reproduce the essential character of a place and its people was the key to his international success, and yet it caused him to be considered old-fashioned by the close of his career. Nevertheless, his role in the history of American painting is secured because of the legacy of his work preserved at the museum and, because, like countless other Americans who made a living through their craft, his story testifies to the full breadth of our country's artistic vibrancy at the opening of the twentieth century.

In 1942, the artist's widow, Corinne Melchers, deeded the property and its collections to the Commonwealth of Virginia as a memorial to her husband. Gari Melchers Home and Studio is administered by the University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg, Virginia. A Virginia and National Historic Landmark, the museum is accredited by The American Association of Museums.

Gari Melchers Home and Studio is member of Historic Artists' Homes and Studios, a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, because it exemplifies the best of America's legacy of artistic creation.

Gari Melchers Home and Studio is home to the official Stafford County Visitor Center. The Stafford County Visitor Center is open daily 9 am - 5 pm. Visitors will find information about regional attractions, restaurants, hotels and other amenities. Visit www.TourStaffordVa.com or call 800-325-2059 or 540-654-1844 for more information on Stafford County tourism.

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