The Tyler Museum of Art is located at 1300 South Mahon Avenue in the city of
Tyler Tyler may refer to:
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* Tyler (name), an English name; with lists of people with the surname or given name
* Tyler, the Creator (born 1991), American rap artist and producer
* John Tyler, 10th president of the United ...
, county of
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* Metalsmith, or simply smith, a craftsman fashioning tools or works of art out of various metals
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in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
. It is a private corporation accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, encouraging art education in the community. Its permanent collection includes Texas artists.
Background
The first half of the 20th century saw Tyler, Texas and its surrounding area grow in population as the flower industry and the oil exploration industry boosted the local economy.
Camp Fannin
Camp Fannin was a U.S. Army Infantry Replacement Training Center and prisoner-of-war camp located near Tyler, Texas. It was opened in May 1943 and operated for four years, before closing in 1946. It is credited with training over 200,000 U.S. sol ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, and later manufacturing plants, also attributed to the local economy and its resulting population growth.
A dedicated group of local citizens saw the need for an art museum to serve the expanding population. By 1952, no such museum existed within a radius of Tyler. In order to supplement art education in the local school system, the Community Arts Committee was formed by the Tyler Service League. For the next eight years, a group of volunteer League women who called themselves the Picture Ladies formed a type of mobile museum. They took pictures to classrooms on a weekly basis. From 1960 to 1965, the League's efforts took on a semi-permanence with the purchase of a local house to serve as the Tyler museum's first home. Proceeds from the 1965 sale of the house went towards what would become the structure that is today known as the Tyler Museum of Art.
In 1969, the Tyler Service League changed its name and was chartered as the non-profit Tyler Junior League.
Museum
The architectural firm of E. Davis Wilcox and Associates designed the new two-story museum, which had its grand opening on April 1, 1971, on the east side of the
Tyler Junior College
Tyler Junior College (TJC) is a public community college in Tyler, Texas. It is one of the largest community colleges in Texas, with an enrollment of more than 12,500 credit students each year with an additional 20,000 continuing education enroll ...
. Three galleries are contained within the building, two galleries and a smaller gallery.
Since 1971, the museum has acquired over 1,500 works for its permanent collection. Encouragement is given to local student artists through the museum's sponsorship of the annual high school art exhibition. Tours, workshops, lectures, films and talks are offered throughout the year. Past events include a Texas Writers' Series. Members of the public are encouraged to apply as Docents.
The museum is accredited by the
American Alliance of Museums
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
. A board of trustees oversees the activities of the museum. Funding comes from public contributions and some local municipality assistance. The local school district financially supports the educational endeavors at the museum.
Hours, admission
The museum is open Tuesday-Saturday:10 am-5pm, Sunday: 1pm-5pm, closed Mondays and holidays Admission fee applies. The on-site TMA Café serves lunch, and there is a museum shop.
See also
*
Carnegie History Center
*
Cotton Belt Depot Train Museum
The Cotton Belt Depot Museum is a museum located in the historic railroad depot in Tyler, Texas.
History
Tyler, Texas, had been a railroad hub since the Houston and Great Northern first came through the town in 1873. The depot was opened in 1905. ...
*
Goodman-LeGrand House
*
List of museums in East Texas
This article was split from List of museums in Texas.
The list of museums in Texas encompasses museums defined for this context as institutions (including nonprofit organizations, government entities, and private businesses) that collect and car ...
*
Whitaker-McClendon House
References
External links
Tyler Museum Official Site
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Art museums and galleries in Texas
Museums in Tyler, Texas
Art museums established in 1971
1971 establishments in Texas