The Grace Museum facts for kids
The Grace Museum from Everman Park
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| Established | 1937 as Abilene Fine Arts Museum |
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| Location | 102 Cypress Street Abilene, TX 79601 United States |
| Type | Art, History |
| Visitors | 60,000 annually |
The Grace Museum is a cool place in Abilene, Texas, where you can explore art and history. It's like a big treasure chest filled with amazing things to see and learn about! The museum has five art galleries that show different art pieces. It also has a history gallery with old items from Abilene and West Texas.
There's even a special area just for kids and families, full of fun, hands-on activities. The museum started way back in 1937 as the Abilene Fine Arts Museum. It moved to its current building in 1992, which used to be a historic hotel. Today, it's known as The Grace Museum and welcomes about 60,000 visitors every year!
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Discover The Grace Museum
The Grace Museum is a very important cultural spot in Abilene. It helps people in Central West Texas and the whole state learn about art and history. The museum shows special exhibits of American art, both old and new. It also keeps and shares important art and history collections.
The Grace Museum offers art education programs and fun activities for people of all ages. It's a great place to visit if you want to learn more about art, history, and your community.
Amazing Art Collection
The museum's art collection began in 1938 and has grown a lot since then. Now, it has over 5,000 pieces of art! This includes paintings, sculptures, photographs, and drawings. Some of the artists whose work is in the collection are James Surls, Andy Warhol, and Russell Lee.
The collection is especially strong in certain areas. These include the Alice and Bill Wright Photography Collection and American prints from the 1930s. There's also a great collection of art from Texas artists.
Exploring History
The history collection at The Grace Museum started in 1976. It has many interesting items that tell the story of Abilene and the surrounding area. You can find old documents, photographs, and clothing. There are also everyday items from homes and businesses from 1850 to 1950.
You can even see some of these historical documents and photos online! They are available through The Portal to Texas and the West Texas Digital Archives.
Art Shows and Exhibits
Every year, The Grace Museum creates 12 new art shows. These shows focus on American art, especially art with connections to Texas. The museum uses pieces from its own collection or borrows them from other museums and collectors.
Some past art shows have featured artists like Beili Liu and Melissa Miller. The museum also makes videos and books to go along with these art shows. These publications help visitors learn even more about the art on display.
History Exhibits
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The history galleries are on the third floor of the museum. They have cool exhibits that show what life was like in Abilene long ago. You can see recreated rooms from 1906, 1926, and 1946, including parlors and kitchens. There's also a guestroom from the Grace Hotel in the 1920s and an old bootmaker's shop.
The museum also has temporary history exhibits. These might feature old clothes, items, and films from the history collection. Past history shows have included topics like "The West Texas Clubwoman" and "Fabulous Fifties Fashion."
Fun for Kids: Children's Gallery
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The children's gallery is on the second floor of The Grace Museum. It's a super fun place where kids and families can learn by doing! This area was updated in 2007 and 2009 to make it even better.
In the children's gallery, you can find a mini version of Abilene's Paramount Theatre. There's also an interactive sound wall, a Texas tornado exhibit, and a life-size Operation game. Kids can also see special art exhibits made just for them.
The Museum Building
The Grace Museum is a huge building, about 55,000 square feet! It's located in downtown Abilene, in what used to be the historic Hotel Grace. This hotel was built in 1909. It started as a three-story building, and a fourth story was added in 1924.
Over the years, the building changed. In 1946, it became the Drake Hotel. The hotel closed in 1973. By the 1980s, the building was in bad shape. But people in Abilene wanted to save it! The Abilene Preservation League and the Abilene Fine Arts Museum worked together. They restored the building in the early 1990s.
In 1992, the beautiful building reopened as The Museums of Abilene. It was also added to the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's a very important historical site.
