The Hickory Museum of Art (HMA) is an art museum in downtown Hickory, North Carolina that holds exhibitions, events, and public educational programs based on a permanent collection of 19th through 21st century American art. The museum also features a long-term exhibition of Southern contemporary folk art, showcasing the work of self-taught artists from around the region. HMA is North Carolina’s second oldest museum, established in 1944,[2] and American Alliance of Museums accredited in 1991.[3]