Poarch Creek Donates $100,000 To Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts

ATMORE, Ala., Oct. 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Poarch Creek Indian Reservation -- The Poarch Band of Creek Indians has donated $100,000 to the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts in Montgomery, Alabama.  Tribal Councilman Robert R. McGhee made this presentation in concurrence with a Resolution from the Tribal Council at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts in Montgomery (MMFA).

"We are proud to give back to the local community by supporting the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, it is important for our citizens to have a place where they can go and learn about history and the arts," said Tribal Chairman Buford L. Rolin.

The gift will assist in supporting the exhibition programs of the museum.  These include both the presentation of a wide variety of historical and contemporary American art, some twelve to fifteen exhibitions per year, as well as presentations from the museum's permanent collection of American art, Regional art, European Old Master Prints, and decorative arts.

Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts Director, Mark Johnson stated, "The Poarch Band of Creek Indians is an historically important part of the distinctive culture and history of Central Alabama, and the museum plays an integral role in preserving and promoting that culture.  We are grateful to the Tribal Council and the members of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians for recognizing the significant contributions of the museum to the educational and cultural resources in Central Alabama."

The educational value and opportunity for all citizens to learn more about the fine arts will be beneficial for everyone involved.  The Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts is located at the Wynton M. Blount Culture Park, and has a permanent collection that includes examples of 19^th and 20^th century American paintings and sculpture, southern regional art, Old Master Prints, and decorative art.  The facility also houses Alabama's first interactive art gallery for children, ARTWORKS.

About the Poarch Band of Creek Indians
The Poarch Creek Indians are descendants of a segment of the original Creek Nation, which once covered almost all of Alabama and Georgia.  Unlike many eastern Indian tribes, the Poarch Creeks were not removed from their tribal lands and have lived together for almost 200 years in and around the reservation in Poarch, Alabama. The reservation is located eight miles northwest of Atmore, Alabama in rural Escambia County, and 57 miles east of Mobile. 

The Poarch Band of Creek Indians is the only federally recognized Indian Tribe in the state of Alabama, operating as a sovereign nation with its own system of government and bylaws.  The Tribe operates a variety of economic enterprises, which employ hundreds of area residents. Poarch Creek Indian Gaming manages three gaming facilities in Alabama, including: Wind Creek Hotel & Casino in Atmore; Riverside Casino in Wetumpka; and, Tallapoosa Casino in Montgomery.  The Poarch Band of Creek Indians is an active partner in the state of Alabama, contributing to economic, educational, social and cultural projects benefiting both tribal members and residents of these local communities and neighboring towns.

About The Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts
The Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday Noon to 5 p.m. Admission is free and donations are welcome. For more information, call the MMFA at 334.240.4333 or visit the website at www.mmfa.org.

The MMFA, a department of the City of Montgomery, is supported by funds from the City of Montgomery and the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts Association.  Programs are made possible, in part, by grants from the Alabama State Council on the Arts and the Hearst Foundations. Exhibition Programs are supported by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians.

SOURCE Poarch Band of Creek Indians