About Us

Opened in 1992, the Griffin Museum is the embodiment of founder Arthur Griffin’s passion — to promote an appreciation of photographic art and a broader understanding of its visual, emotional, and social impact.  Arthur’s goal was to share with visitors his enthusiasm for a medium that is diverse, imaginative and informative. We are committed to continuing to encourage Arthur’s vision through the works we exhibit, the programs we offer, the artists we encourage and through Arthur’s own work which we proudly display.

Today, the Griffin Museum houses three galleries dedicated solely to the exhibition of photographic arts.

The Main Gallery

The 1500 square foot Main Gallery is a showcase for rotating exhibitions from some of the world’s leading photographers.  We take pride in showing prestigious bodies of work from diverse photographic genres, ranging from photojournalism to contemporary art, and historical to social commentary.  Our exhibitions have featured the work of such photographic luminaries as Edward Weston, Sebastiao Salgado and Edward Curtis, as well as contemporary iconoclast Jan Staller and celebrity photographer Peggy Sirota. <view our current exhibition>

The Griffin Gallery

The Griffin Gallery features highlights from the extensive archives of famed photographer and museum founder, Arthur Griffin.  From his days as one of the country’s first photojournalists for Life Magazine and The Boston Globe, to his New England and international travel collections, Arthur was a pioneering figure in photography.  It is our privilege to share Arthur’s legacy with new generations of visitors. <view our current exhibition>

Atelier Gallery

At the Griffin Museum, we are constantly reviewing works by new photographers with an eye toward capturing who the next great artist will be.  Our Atelier Gallery is reserved specifically for showcasing these artists, providing a rare opportunity to view their work before they are widely known. <view our current exhibition>

About Arthur Griffin

Arthur Griffin was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts on September 12, 1903. Originally trained to be an illustrator, in 1929 he picked up his first camera — a second-hand folding Brownie — and thus began a passion that would last a lifetime.

By the mid-1930’s, Arthur Griffin had become the exclusive photographer for the newly created Boston Globe Rotogravure Magazine and the New England photojournalist for Life and Time magazines. He went on to become a pioneer in the use of color film and provided the first color photographs to appear in the Saturday Evening Post — a two-page layout on New England.