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 a special museum that has been approved by the American Alliance of Museums. This means it meets high standards for museums.
At The Grace Museum, you'll find five art galleries. These galleries show different art exhibits that change often. They also display amazing artwork from the museum's own collection. There's also a history gallery. Here, you can see old items and stories about Abilene, Taylor County, and West Texas. The museum also has an art library, a learning center, and a fun, interactive gallery just for kids and families.
The museum started way back in 1937. It was first called the Abilene Fine Arts Museum. It moved around a bit before finding its current home. In 1992, the building was made new and improved. The museum's name officially became The Grace Museum in 1998.
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Discover The Grace Museum
The Grace Museum is a very important cultural spot in Abilene. It helps people in West Texas and the whole state learn about art and history. The museum shows unique exhibits of American art, both old and new. It also shares local history.
The museum works hard to keep important art and history collections safe. They also help people understand and research these collections. The Grace Museum offers art education programs and online learning. They also host talks and fun events for people of all ages.
The Art Collection
The museum's art collection began in 1938. Since then, it has grown a lot! Now, it has over 5,000 pieces of art. These include paintings, sculptures, photos, and drawings.
Some of the artists whose work is in the collection are James Surls, Andy Warhol, and Helen Altman. The museum has a great collection of photos called the Alice and Bill Wright Photography Collection. It also has many American prints from the Great Depression era. There's a special collection of Texas art and works by modern American artists who have connections to Texas.
The History Collection
The history collection started in 1976. It has many interesting items from the past. You can find old documents, photos, and clothes. There are also items from homes and businesses in Abilene. These items show what life was like in Abilene from 1850 to 1950.
You can even see some of the documents and photos from The Grace History Collection online! They are available through The Portal to Texas and the West Texas Digital Archives.
Exciting Exhibitions
The Grace Museum creates 12 new art exhibitions every year. These shows focus on American art from the past and present. Many of them feature artists with connections to Texas. The art comes from the museum's own collection or is borrowed from other big museums and collectors.
Some recent art shows include "Texas Modernists" and "Home on the Range." They also had "Beili Liu: Stratus" and "Julie Speed: Paper Cut." The museum also makes videos, books, and catalogs to go with these art shows.
History Exhibitions
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The history galleries are on the third floor. They have cool exhibits that show what Abilene homes looked like in 1906, 1926, and 1946. You can see old parlors (living rooms) and kitchens. There's also a guest room from the Grace Hotel in the 1920s. You can even see a historic bootmaker's shop!
The history galleries also feature temporary exhibits. These shows display old clothes, items, and films. They come from the museum's collection or are borrowed. Recent history shows include "The West Texas Clubwoman" and "Fabulous Fifties Fashion."
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 a sound wall where you can make music. You can experience a Texas tornado, play a life-size Operation game, and see art made by kids. There's even a pretend diner and an old sign from the Dixie Pig Restaurant!
The Museum Building
The Grace Museum is a huge museum, about 55,000 square feet! It is located in the old Hotel Grace building in downtown Abilene, Texas. Colonel W. L. Beckham built the Hotel Grace in 1909. It was first a three-story building, and a fourth story was added in 1924.
Later, in 1946, the hotel was changed and renamed the Drake Hotel. Over time, fewer people traveled by train, and downtown Abilene became less busy. The Drake Hotel closed in 1973. By the 1980s, the building was in bad shape.
But people wanted to save it! The Abilene Preservation League and the Abilene Fine Arts Museum worked together. They wanted to rescue the old building and give the art museum a new home. After a lot of restoration work in the early 1990s, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It opened to the public as The Museums of Abilene in 1992.
