San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts facts for kids
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The San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts in 2019
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| Established | 1981 |
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| Location | San Angelo, Texas, USA |
| Type | Art museum |
| Accreditation | American Alliance of Museums |
| Architect | Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates |
The San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts is a cool art museum in San Angelo, Texas. It's a place where you can see amazing art from many different places. The museum has its own collection of artworks, and it also brings in special shows that travel from other museums. Besides art, it has a library for learning, a special area for classes, a sculpture garden on the roof, and rooms for community events.
Contents
Museum History: How It Started
Building a Dream: From Idea to Opening
In July 1981, people in San Angelo had a great idea: they wanted to create an art museum! They formed a group to make this happen. They worked hard to raise enough money.
The museum first opened its doors in the spring of 1985. It was located in an old building at Fort Concho in San Angelo. This building used to be a Quartermaster Building. The museum quickly started showing art from famous places like the National Portrait Gallery and the Library of Congress.
A New Home for Art: The Modern Building
By 1994, the museum needed a bigger, special building just for art. People in the community helped raise over $7.2 million for this new project. The new museum building opened in September 1999. It's located right by the Concho River.
The museum has won many important awards. In 2003, it received the National Award for Museum Service. This award is a big honor for museums. In 2005, the museum became officially recognized by the American Alliance of Museums. Today, about 90,000 people visit the museum each year. Its own art collection has 277 pieces, mostly by artists from Texas.
Museum Facilities: What You'll See
Unique Design by the River
The San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts is located across the Concho River from downtown San Angelo. It's also next to the city's concert stage by the river. A fun, winding bridge lets people walk from the museum to the parks on the other side of the river.
The building itself is very special. It was designed by architects from Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates. The roof is curved, like a saddle or an old Conestoga wagon. The building uses local materials, such as limestone and Texas mesquite wood.
Inside the Museum: Galleries and More
The museum building is about 30,000 sq ft (2,800 m2) in size. It has two large main art galleries with very tall ceilings. There are also two smaller galleries for different exhibits.
On the roof, there's a terrace that is used as a sculpture garden. From here, you can see great views of the river and downtown San Angelo. The museum also has a research library, a special education area for classes, and offices. The museum has also fixed up old buildings nearby. These buildings are now used as art galleries for artists to rent. There's also a new Water Education Center, which the museum runs with the Upper Colorado River Authority.
Exhibitions and Art Competitions
The museum often hosts exciting art shows and competitions. Here are a few examples:
- EnPleinAir TEXAS, 2016: This event featured 35 artists from 18 states. They painted pictures of the San Angelo area outdoors.
- 21st San Angelo National Ceramic Competition, 2016: This competition showcased amazing ceramic art.
- 2014/2015 Third Annual Richard and Pam Salmon Sculpture Competition: Artists competed with their sculptures.
- 2005/2006 Retrospective of pop artist James Gill: This show looked back at the works of a famous pop artist.
