National Art Museum of Sport facts for kids
| Established | 1968 |
|---|---|
| Dissolved | 2017 |
| Location | Indianapolis, Indiana |
| Type | Art Museum |
The National Art Museum of Sport (NAMOS) was a special art museum. It focused on art that showed sports. This kind of art captures feelings like the excitement of a game or the joy of winning. It also shows how people push themselves, even when things are tough.
Artists have always loved showing sports. Think of ancient Greek paintings of athletes or beautiful horse-racing scenes. In America, many famous artists like Thomas Eakins, Winslow Homer, and George Bellows loved sports themselves. They found lots of ideas and inspiration in the world of sports.
NAMOS had one of the biggest collections of sports art. It had over 1,000 pieces! These artworks showed heroes and heroines from more than 50 different sports. The museum also had many old records and books about sports art.
The museum had two main goals. First, it wanted to help artists create more sports art. Second, it aimed to collect and share the best sports art. NAMOS did this through art shows and learning programs. It helped connect the worlds of art and sports.
In 2017, the museum's collection moved. The Children's Museum of Indianapolis bought all the artworks. Now, you can see these amazing pieces at the Children's Museum.
Contents
The Story of the Museum
How the National Art Museum of Sport Started
The National Art Museum of Sport was founded in 1959. An artist and sportsman named Germain G. Glidden started it. The museum first opened its doors in 1968. It was located in Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Later, in 1979, the museum moved. It found a new home at the University of New Haven. The museum kept growing and sharing its unique art.
Moving to Indianapolis
In 1987, the museum showed its art at the 1987 Pan American Games. These games were held in Indianapolis. After this, the museum received a special grant. This money helped it move to Indianapolis for good.
NAMOS opened a new gallery in 1990. It was in a tall building called the Bank One Tower. This building is now known as the Salesforce Tower. In 1994, the museum moved again. It settled at Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI).
The museum left IUPUI in 2012. Its collection was later acquired by the Children's Museum of Indianapolis in 2017.
Amazing Art Shows Around the World
The National Art Museum of Sport held over 100 art shows. These shows took place all over the world! Some famous places included the 1964 New York World's Fair and many Olympic Games. They also had shows at Madison Square Garden.
Many famous artists had their work shown. These included George Bellows, Thomas Eakins, Winslow Homer, and Andy Warhol. The museum also featured new and upcoming artists.
Past Exhibitions to Remember
In its final years, NAMOS had many interesting shows. Some of these included "Inuit Games" and "Winslow Homer: Leisurely Observations." There was also "Portrait of an Athlete."
For the 2012 Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis, the museum had a special show. It was called "The Football Invitational."
In May 2012, another big show opened. It was named "Speed & Motion: Racing to the Finish Line." This exhibition featured many artworks by Mina Papatheodorou-Valyraki. It was one of the largest displays of her work in the United States.
