The mission of the Masur Museum of Art is to provide a quality visual arts experience through temporary exhibitions, educational activities and programs, and collections management, for the citizens of Monroe and the community of Northeast Louisiana. As the largest visual arts museum in Northeast Louisiana, the Masur Museum of Art strives to support and foster visual arts in the cultural and educational life of the community.

The Masur Museum of Art was built as a private residence in 1929. A lumberman by the name of Clarence Edward Slagle had the modified Tudor estate built for his wife Mabel Chauvin. The Indiana limestone and Pennsylvania blue slate used to build the home were brought down through various waterways to the scenic Ouachita River, which runs behind the estate. Originally the grounds included an English style rose garden and a lawn extending down to the river. When the Army Corps of Engineers built the levee system in the 1930s, the carriage house was moved behind the new levee and much of the lawn was subsequently lost.

The Great Depression caused the home to go up for sale in the early 1930s and it was acquired by the Masur family. Sigmund and Beatrice Masur and their children Sylvian, Jack, and Bertha Marie lived in the home until the 1960s. The Masur children donated the home to the city in December of 1963 under the agreement that it become a fine arts museum. The new museum, The Masur Museum of Art, held its first exhibition in September of 1964.

The Masur Museum of Art operates as a division of the Department of Community Affairs of the City of Monroe with a mission to provide a quality visual arts experience for our community. The city provides funding for staff salaries and museum maintenance. In 1974, the Twin City Art Foundation was formed to provide additional support for the museum, providing funding for exhibitions, educational programs, and the permanent collection.

The Masur Museum of Art is the largest visual arts museum in northeast Louisiana, and is a vital part of our local culture. Because admission is always free, all members of our community can expand their horizons through the museum's many and diverse offerings.