San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts

History

The San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts was formerly located in the Quartermaster Storehouse at Fort Concho National Historic Landmark. Exterior view shows installation of Paul Kittelson's "Mindless Competition," from the exhibition, A Century of Sculpture in Texas, 1889 - 1989.

In July of 1981, the Museum was chartered as a non-profit educational corporation and funds were raised to restore the former Quartermaster Building at Fort Concho National Historic Landmark. The Museum opened to the public in the spring of 1985 with major exhibits lent by the National Portrait Gallery, the Library of Congress and the Dallas Museum of Art. The museum has since featured over 280 exhibits, over half of which have been organized by the museum and most of which have included publications. The National Ceramic Competition organized by the museum was cited as "the premier clay show in America" by the editor of Ceramics Monthly. The National Ceramic Competition was initiated in 1986 and the 16th competition will be held in April of 2006.

The museum seeks to reach an audience in West Texas that covers 14 counties and whose total area is nearly 2/3 the size of the state of Ohio. The population in this region is 194,000 (15% rural) with San Angelo as the major trade center. San Angelo's population is 89,000 while most of the smaller surrounding towns have populations of 1,000-3,000. The nearest major metropolitan area is San Antonio, which is 230 miles away.

The expression "not just art on the walls, but art in our lives" has been a tenet of the museum that has been manifested in a series of exhibits (1986, 1992, 1996, and 2001) called Visions and Choices. These exhibits and related forums were comprised of ideas both written and in visual form from individuals, community groups and agencies. Everyone in the community was allowed to participate with their vision for the future. Through follow up efforts and specific planning processes, most of the ideas have become tangible. In 1992, the Director accepted on behalf of the museum, Citizen of the Year Award from the Chamber of Commerce for its leadership of a community redevelopment effort. In 1995, the museum was awarded the highest national recognition of the American Institute of Architects, The Community Service Award. In November of 2003 the museum received the National Award for Museum Service from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services. This award is recognized as the country's highest honor for extraordinary community service provided by museums. In 2005 the museum achieved accreditation by the American Association of Museums (AAM).AAM Accreditation signifies excellence within the museum community. It is a seal of approval and strengthens individual museums and the entire field by promoting ethical and professional practices.

The Membership Program of the museum is unique. Rather than the traditional strategy of using membership as a funding effort, our membership program strives to make the museum accessible to nontraditional audiences and creating a sense of proprietorship. We have two membership categories that make museum membership accessible to all: Individual at $10 and Family at $20. This has resulted in a diverse membership of just over 1200, which is large compared to other similar cities.

We have drafted docents and volunteers from minority neighborhoods and outlying towns. We have sent exhibits to outlying towns such as Ballinger (36 miles away), Sterling City (42 miles away), and Brady (80 miles away). We have an ongoing program of lending selected artworks to regional libraries and presenting programs related to the artworks in the outlying towns.

The museum's collection policy guides our collecting efforts. Because the museum sponsors a major national ceramic competition, we have focused on contemporary American ceramics. There are currently 180 pieces of contemporary American ceramics in the permanent collection. Additionally, there are 33 historical works of ceramics from Japan, Thailand, China, and Southeast Asia. The collection also includes 30 paintings, primarily by Texas artists, and several sculptures and mixed-media works. Our ceramics collection has been loaned to six other museums.

In 1994, the museum entered a dynamic period when the decision was made to build a new museum. The museum acquired an acre and a half site on the river opposite downtown. A campaign to raise $6,500,000 surpassed its goal by $700,000. The internationally known architectural firm of Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer was selected to design the new building. The new building opened to the public in September of 1999. The building is intended to be a true community center. For example, nearly 100 non-profit groups have used the meeting room since our opening. Museum offices and collection storage areas are accessible to the public.