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 Updated: 1/14/2010 
Amarillo Museum of Art
Amarillo, Texas
Description

Amarillo Museum of Art in Amarillo, TX is one of more than 15,400 museums in the MuseumsUSA directory. Find an exciting museum to visit where you live or vacation today.

History

For many years, people in the Texas Panhandle dreamed of a regional art museum that would satisfy the area's need for cultural enrichment. This need for cultural stimulation should be placed in the context of Amarillo, a city of 170,000 and the business and cultural center of a 26-county, 225,000 square mile area roughly the size of Illinois with a population in excess of 400,000. Before the establishment of the Amarillo Art Center, the nearest art museum was 260 miles to the west in Santa Fe or 344 miles to the southeast in Fort Worth. This data is provided, not as Texas braggadocio, but in an effort to communicate the isolation of the area.

In 1966, several art groups united their efforts and founded the Amarillo Art Center Association, which was incorporated in January 1967 as a non-profit organization for the purpose of creating and maintaining a fine art museum in Amarillo. In 1970, the Amarillo Art Center Association joined with Amarillo College, a two-year community college chartered in 1926, to raise funds for the construction of a community Fine Arts complex on the college campus to serve the Panhandle region. The Association raised private funds for construction of the Art Center, a facility designed by noted architect Edward Durrell Stone.

The Art Center opened to the public in September 1972. From the beginning, its purpose has been to encourage active participation in and appreciation of the visual arts. Over the years, the Center has served the Panhandle region through a variety of programs.

In 1979, the Board moved from its original positioning of the Amarillo Art Center as a non-collecting institution to establishing a collections policy emphasizing 20th-century American art. However, the primary focus continues to be on presenting a variety of quality temporary exhibitions. Through the leadership of its founders and trustees, the Art Center established a commitment to contemporary art by presenting five to eight contemporary art exhibitions yearly. Many of these exhibits feature artists working in Texas with the exhibits being organized by the Art Center.

The Amarillo Art Center was accredited by the American Association of Museums in 1979 and reaccredited in 1987 and 2002. In 1994, the institution underwent a name change to its current name, the Amarillo Museum of Art.

Artifact Collections

1340 objects in the collection: 500 are photographic holdings centered on the lifework of Russell Lee, a Farm Security Administration (FSA) photographer, and other FSA photography from the 1930s. The remainder of the photographs are contemporary with a small holding of pieces by important early photographers (Steiglitz, Strand, etc.).

There are approximately 600 works on paper (drawings, papers, prints, mixed media), primarily American pieces since 1900. Some pieces are modernist (O'Keeffe). The emphasis is post-1945.

The special collections contain 17th and 18th-century European paintings, including Guardi, and fifteen 18th-century French pieces.

There are 15 pieces or sculpture, mostly exterior large-scale pieces by contemporary artists.

The remainder are post-1945 American pieces.

Research Collections

(1) Julius Woeltz collection (muralist of 1940 Amarillo Post Office) (2) exhibit publications from the more than 600 exhibits presented at the museum in 30 years.

Programs

Art school for all ages (mostly children); three to four sessions all year long.

Docent program with 80 active docents with a weekly training session. New docents take an art history survey course. Docents give tours, assist in the education lab, and assist with the outreach program.

Workshops: eight full-day workshops for elementary, middle, and high school , Region 16 Education Service Center gifted and talented workshops, Teacher workshops

Tours: Regular tours for all types of groups, AISD gifted & talented tour every year, Expanded tours (tour and hands-on activity) for individual groups.

Other: Programs with Girl Scouts and Campfire, Public lectures, symposia; Films, Special programs, on request

Available for tour/loan; rental fee; brochures, books, video for purchase.

Street Address
2200 South Van Buren
Amarillo, TX 79109
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 447
Amarillo, TX 79178
phone: 806-371-5050
fax: 806-373-9235
e-mail: amoa@actx.edu
home page: www.amarilloart.org/
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Hours of Operation
Amarillo Museum of Art
Tuesday - Friday10 AM - 5 PM
Sunday, Saturday1 PM - 5 PM
Mondayclosed

Also open each month for Third Thursday from 6:30-9 pm. Join us for free Starbucks coffee & refreshments, live music, a short film, and an art activity!

Admission
Museum Type(s)
Art
University
Staff
DISCLAIMER
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MUSEUM CONFERENCES

2025 Tennessee Association of Museums Conference: HOPE

March 11 - 14, 2025

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2025 Tennessee Association of Museums Conference: HOPE

Tuesday, March 11 - Friday, March 14, 2025

Crowne Plaza hotel in Knoxville, TN

Knoxville, Tennessee

Hosted by: Tennessee Association of Museums

Tennessee museums are full of hope. But how are they turning hope into reality

With the Semiquincentennial quickly approaching in 2026, the state's museum community if approaching a turning point, and is now a great time to take stock and develop a vision for the future

The Tennessee Association of Museums' 64th Annual Conference in Knoxville will challenge the state's museums to think ahead and share their hopes, the best practices and strategies for turning those hoes into realities, and the rewards that come from aspirational thinking

The 2025 TAM Annual Conference will take place at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Knoxville, TN.

For more information, please call 615-495-3354 or email hawkins@aaslh.org.

Virginia Association of Museum's 2025 Annual Conference!

March 15 - 18, 2025

Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Association of Museum's 2025 Annual Conference!

Saturday, March 15 - Tuesday, March 18, 2025

The Inn at Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia

Hosted by: Virginia Association of Museums

2025 Conference Theme: Looking Back to the Future For the past several years, many museums have been deeply involved in planning programs and events to observe the 250th birthday of the United States of America. While this is certainly an occasion to celebrate, this anniversary also forces us as a society to reckon with ongoing inequities and challenges within the US that go back to its inception. As museums ask their audiences to look to the past to understand the present and shape a better future, perhaps now is a good moment in time for Virginia’s museum community to take pause and look back at its own history. We are excited to see you in Blacksburg in March 2025 as we take a moment in our hectic schedules to take pause and visit our diverse pasts. Let’s uncover and share our histories to build a more resilient Virginia museum community.

Ohio Museum Asociation 2025 Annual Conference - Athens

March 29 - 31, 2025

Athens, Ohio

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Saturday, March 29 - Monday, March 31, 2025

TBA

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Hosted by: Ohio Museums Association

"Innovation: Museums and Reaching our Potential

The heart of innovation is transformation – shaking up our established way of doing things by introducing new methods, new ideas, and new approaches to both obstacles and opportunities

Museums across Ohio are not just adapting, but innovating to reach their full potential and better serve their communities. No matter their role, museum professionals are introducing forward-thinking perspectives and initiating creative solutions to launch the field into a future where museums can remain trusted and relevant community cornerstones

How can your museum stay true to mission and serve your community in new and meaningful ways? How can we as museum professionals meet the challenges of the future with reinvigorated enthusiasm

Join us in Athens, March 29-31 as we explore these topics and more at the 2025 Ohio Museums Association’s Annual Conference: Innovation: Museums and Reaching our Potential.

For more information, please email oma@ohiohistory.org.

North Carolina Museums Council 2025 Annual Conference

March 30 - 31, 2025

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North Carolina Museums Council 2025 Annual Conference

Sunday, March 30 - Monday, March 31, 2025

TBA

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Hosted by: North Carolina Museums Council

Museums Unwalled: Expanding Horizon

This theme highlights the importance of museums as dynamic entities that engage with communities, foster education, drive cultural change and often go beyond the building itself. By focusing on areas such as community engagement, digital and virtual presence, interdisciplinary collaborations, sustainability, accessibility, and cultural diversity, we aim to provide a comprehensive and enriching experience for all attendees

The primary objective is to provide a platform for museum professionals and others working in the industry to share ideas, best practices, resources and innovative approaches that demonstrate how museums can reach audiences in and beyond our physical spaces. We aim to inspire attendees to think broadly about the potential of their institutions and to foster a spirit of innovation and community engagement.

By facilitating discussions, workshops, and networking opportunities, the conference will empower current and future museum professionals and to expand their impact, embrace new challenges, and create meaningful connections with their audiences and communities.

Arkansas Museums Association 2025 Conference

March 31 - April 3, 2025

Washington, Arkansas

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Monday, March 31 - Thursday, April 3, 2025

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Hosted by: Arkansas Museums Association

"From the Ground Up: Cultivating Essential Skills in Museums

This year, the AMA conference theme is "From the Ground Up: Cultivating Essential Skills in Museums" As museum professionals we learn and use a wide variety of tools and skills every day

The Arkansas Museums Association is planning its 2025 Annual Conference, which will be hosted by Historic Washington State Park on March 31-April 3, 2025.

The goal of the conference is to support and foster the museum community through a mix of speakers as well as workshops, practical and informative presentations, in-depth discussions, and examples of projects and initiatives that are relevant to museums in Arkansas. Arkansas Museum Association members take ownership in the conference experience as presenters, speakers, panelists, facilitators, and workshop leaders.

For more information, please email arkansasmuseums@gmail.com.

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