Elisabet Ney Museum facts for kids
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Elisabet Ney Studio and Museum
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| Location | 304 E. 44th St Austin, Texas, United States |
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| Area | 2.6 acres (1.1 ha) |
| Built | 1892 |
| Architect | Elisabet Ney |
| Architectural style | Classical revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 72001374 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | November 29, 1972 |
The Elisabet Ney Museum is a cool place to visit in Austin, Texas, United States. It's located in what used to be the art studio of a very talented sculptor named Elisabet Ney. The museum is all about showing her life and the amazing art she created. You can see many of her sculptures and personal items there.
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History of the Elisabet Ney Museum
How the Studio Became a Museum
Elisabet Ney called her art studio Formosa. This special building was finished in 1893 and made bigger in 1902. It was the very first art studio ever built in Texas.
After Elisabet Ney passed away in 1907, a couple named Ella and Joseph B. Dibrell bought the building. They wanted to save it and turn it into an art center to remember Ney. Ella Dibrell and other women helped start the Texas Fine Arts Association. Their goal was to create the museum we see today.
The Museum Today
The City of Austin took over the museum in 1941. It is now managed by the city's Parks and Recreation Department. The museum is not just a local landmark; it's also a state historic landmark. On November 29, 1972, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It is also part of the Historic Artists' Homes and Studios program, which includes 40 museums.
Until 1973, the Ney museum mostly showed modern art. From 1980 to 1982, the museum was closed for important updates. Workers restored the building and added a system to control the temperature and humidity. After this, the museum started to make the studio look just like it did when Elisabet Ney used it.
In 2007, a plan was made to restore the museum's outdoor areas. Some of this work has been finished. For example, wildflowers and prairie grasses were planted around the building. This makes the grounds look more like they did in Ney's time. The city of Austin also planned to fix the museum's frame, windows, and doors. These repairs help keep the building's climate controlled. Other plans included a new bridge over Waller Creek, which runs through the property. A group called Friends of the Ney was also formed to support the museum. Recently, the museum has started to focus more on modern art again. It hosts many public events and art shows every year.
What You Can See Inside
The museum has a large collection of Elisabet Ney's artwork. You can see original sculptures and copies of her pieces. Many of her personal items and tools are also on display.
There are more than fifty sculptures, including busts (sculptures of a person's head and shoulders), medallions, and full-sized figures. These include her famous portraits of important people from Europe. Some of these are King Ludwig II of Bavaria, Otto von Bismarck, Giuseppe Garibaldi, and Arthur Schopenhauer. She also sculpted well-known Americans like William Jennings Bryan, Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin, and General Albert Sidney Johnston.
See also
- List of single-artist museums
