Noyes Museum of Art

Among the Noyes Museum's holdings is a standout collection of duck decoys and bird carvings that uniquely reflect life on the South Jersey shore. Local artists were inspired by the natural surroundings of the museum, which play an important role in preserving and displaying the work of local New Jersey and Mid-Atlantic Artists. Noyes Museum borders the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge and sits beside peaceful Lily Lake. Visitors can take in southern New Jersey's nature scene and get to know the surroundings that have motivated some of Noyes' featured artists. Museum co-founder Fred Noyes in particular drew inspiration from the natural features of the area.

Noyes is the only fine art museum in South Jersey, and plays an important role in preserving the work of local artists in conjunction with the nearby historic town of Smithville. Visitors can view folk and traditional art, crafts, prints, and paintings, and particular attention in the museum's displays is paid to the art of decoy carving. Founders Fred and Ethel Noyes have amassed a collection of nearly 3,500 working decoys. The selection includes duck decoys used by hunters and beautiful carvings of local shore birds. The significance of the wildfowl decoy collection lies in the natural surroundings of the museum: pristine lakes, streams, salt marshes, coves, bays, and the mighty Atlantic Ocean are home to many species of birds that the shore communities have utilized for centuries.

Visitors interested in the rich history of South Jersey and its natural heritage will take pleasure in viewing the collections housed in the Noyes Museum and will appreciate the opportunity to experience firsthand the tidal wetlands of South Jersey and the variety of bird and fish species they support that inspired Noyes' featured artists.

- Carrie Struble