San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts facts for kids
.jpg)
The San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts in 2019
|
|
| Established | 1981 |
|---|---|
| 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 an exciting art museum located in San Angelo, Texas. It shows off a growing collection of art and hosts special art shows that travel from other places. The museum also has a library for research, a special area for learning, a cool sculpture garden on the roof, and spaces for community events.
Museum History
The idea for the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts started in July 1981. People in San Angelo wanted to create a place to show beautiful art. They formed a group to make this happen.
After raising enough money, the museum first opened in the spring of 1985. It was located in an old building at Fort Concho that used to be a Quartermaster Building. This first location hosted amazing art shows from places like the National Portrait Gallery and the Library of Congress.
In 1994, everyone decided the museum needed its own brand-new building. They raised over $7.2 million for it! The new museum building opened in September 1999. It sits right by the Concho River.
The museum has won many cool awards. In 2003, it received the National Award for Museum Service. In 2005, it became officially recognized by the American Alliance of Museums. Today, about 90,000 people visit the museum every year. Its permanent collection has 277 art pieces, mostly by artists from Texas.
What's Inside the Museum?
The San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts is located across the Concho River from downtown San Angelo. It's also right next to the city's outdoor concert stage. A fun walking bridge connects the museum to the other side of the river and its parks.
The building was designed by a company called Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates. Its unique roof looks like a saddle or an old Conestoga wagon. The building uses local materials like limestone and Texas mesquite wood.
The museum has about 30,000 square feet of space. It has two main art galleries with very tall ceilings. There are also two smaller galleries. On the roof, there's a terrace that works as a sculpture garden. From there, you can see the river and downtown San Angelo. The museum also has a research library, a learning center, and offices.
The museum has also bought and fixed up some old buildings nearby. These buildings are now used as art galleries that artists can rent. There's also a new Water Education Center there. The museum runs this center with the Upper Colorado River Authority.
Cool Art Shows and Competitions
The San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts often hosts exciting art shows and competitions. Here are a few examples:
- EnPleinAir TEXAS (2016): This event brought 35 artists from 18 different states. They painted pictures of the area around San Angelo outdoors.
- 21st San Angelo National Ceramic Competition (2016): This competition showed off amazing ceramic art pieces.
- Third Annual Richard and Pam Salmon Sculpture Competition (2014/2015): This competition featured cool sculptures.
- Retrospective of James Gill (2005/2006): This show looked back at the works of famous pop artist James Gill.
