San Antonio Museum of Art facts for kids
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The San Antonio Museum of Art
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| Established | 1981 |
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| Location | 200 West Jones Avenue San Antonio, Texas  United States |
The San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA) is an art museum in Downtown San Antonio, Texas, USA. It shows art from all over the world. The museum is in a cool old building. It used to be the Lone Star Brewery back in 1886. The museum opened its doors in March 1981. It is located along the San Antonio River Walk.
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History of the Museum
In 1926, a group called the San Antonio Museum Association started the Witte Memorial Museum. They wanted to collect art and natural history items. By the 1970s, the Witte Museum had many important artworks. These included pieces by famous artists like Frank Stella.
Because they had so much art, the director suggested a change. He thought they should buy the old Lone Star Brewery. This way, the art collection could have its own space. So, the San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA) officially opened on March 1, 1981.
In 1985, SAMA received special art collections. These were Latin American Folk Art pieces. They came from former vice president Nelson A. Rockefeller and Robert K. Winn.
The museum is on the northern part of the Riverwalk. In 2009, the Gloria Galt River Landing opened. This made the museum a key spot on the "Museum Reach" part of the Riverwalk.
Amazing Art Collections
The museum has over 30,000 objects. These pieces show 5,000 years of history and culture. They come from every part of the world. You can see ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman art. There is also Asian art, Latin American art, and modern art.
Art from Ancient Worlds
SAMA has one of the biggest collections of ancient art in the southern United States. This includes art from Egypt, the Near East, Greece, and Rome. The Egyptian collection has items from very early times. It goes all the way to the Roman and Byzantine periods. You can also see rare Greek and Roman sculptures. These include statues of people, funeral art, and mythological figures.
Asian Art Treasures
The Asian art collection is in a special area. It's called the Lenora and Walter F. Brown Asian Art Wing. This large space opened in 2005. Over the past 70 years, SAMA's Asian art has grown a lot. It is now one of the best in the United States. There are over 1,500 artworks. They come from countries like China, India, Japan, and Korea. You can also find art from Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tibet, and Vietnam.
Latin American Art
The museum has one of the best Latin American art collections in the United States. This collection is in the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Latin American Art. It opened in 1998. The center shows art from Mexico, Central and South America. It also has art from many Caribbean countries. It holds one of the world's most important collections of Latin American folk art. This collection has over 7,000 objects.
Contemporary Art
A big part of the museum's modern art collection focuses on American painting and sculpture. These works were made after World War II. Many pieces show abstract art. The museum also collects modern Texas art. It features paintings and sculptures by Texas artists. These works are from the 1960s to today. The collection includes two sculptures by Bonnie MacLeary. She was born in San Antonio.
Fun Fact: Old Streetcar Service
From 1982 to 1985, the museum had a special streetcar. It was an original San Antonio streetcar built in 1913. People called it "Old 300." This yellow car ran on a short track behind the museum. It was a fun way to see a piece of history. The museum owned the streetcar for many years. Later, it was sold to a group in Oregon. They still use it on a special trolley line today.
