The Wells Society was established to recognize those who, like Oscar and Helen Wells, have included the Museum in their estate plans. The thoughtfulness and generosity of Wells Society members help to ensure that the Museum will continue to collect, preserve, and exhibit works of art and serve as a place of learning and exploration for generations to come.

Membership in the Wells Society is open to all those who have made a planned gift to the Museum, regardless of amount.

When Helen Jacobs Wells died on Christmas Eve, 1954, she left a bequest of over $1 million to build a permanent facility for an art museum in Birmingham. She expressed her desire to nourish an interest in the fine arts among the people of Birmingham and to establish a fitting memorial to her beloved husband, Oscar. Today, The Oscar Wells Memorial Building is at the core of the Birmingham Museum of Art’s 180,000 square feet of gallery space.