The Morris Museum of Art exists for the purpose of collecting and exhibiting the art of the American South and interpreting same in regional, national, and global contexts. This "purpose statement" distills and clearly expresses the museum's core mission -- the creation, maintenance, and interpretation of a collection of works for art that serves as a visual correlative to the culture of the South. The Morris's mission is supported by the belief that, as museum pioneer John Cotton Dana once wrote, "a good museum attracts, entertains, arouses curiosity, leads to questioning, and thus promotes learning." The Morris Museum of Art is dedicated to encouraging artistic inquiry, providing a rich visitor experience, and exercising civic responsibility.