Marion Koogler McNay
Encyclopedia
Marion Koogler McNay was an American
painter
and art teacher who inherited a substantial oil fortune upon the death of her father. She later willed her fortune to be used to establish San Antonio's first museum of modern art
, which today bears her name.
to Marion and Clara Koogler. A year after her birth, the family moved to El Dorado
, Kansas
, where her parents purchased a large tract of pasture land. This land later proved to contain substantial oil reserves, and made the family wealthy. This allowed Marion to attend the University of Kansas
and the Art Institute of Chicago
.
. Although Marion went on to marry (and divorce
) four more times, she eventually reverted to using the name McNay for the remainder of her life.
wrote that she
with her mother and married Dr. Donald Atkinson. On his property, she began to construct a Spanish Mediterranean style mansion (she designed some of the tilework and ceiling stencils herself), which was completed in 1927. She also began to accumulate a significant collection of artwork. The first oil painting she purchased was Diego Rivera
’s Delfina Flores. She collected a large number of French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works of art, early 20th-century modernists including Picasso, Matisse, and Chagall. She also bought a number of Southwestern santos
and retablos.
, where she made frequent trips. In 1943, Congress
proposed a bill providing for the exploration of Pueblo lands with the ultimate goal of building a dam on the Rio Grande
river. Marion, in conjunction with other conservationist
s, was instrumental in defeating this proposal.
and Renaissance
artwork and a larger collection of 20th-century European and American modernist work. A large theatre arts library and gallery were also added, as well as an art reference library and an auditorium. More recently, the McNay Art Museum
recently added the Stieren Center, built by internationally renowned architect Jean-Paul Viguier
, to display their Modern collection.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
and art teacher who inherited a substantial oil fortune upon the death of her father. She later willed her fortune to be used to establish San Antonio's first museum of modern art
Modern art
Modern art includes artistic works produced during the period extending roughly from the 1860s to the 1970s, and denotes the style and philosophy of the art produced during that era. The term is usually associated with art in which the traditions of the past have been thrown aside in a spirit of...
, which today bears her name.
Early life
Marion was born in OhioOhio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
to Marion and Clara Koogler. A year after her birth, the family moved to El Dorado
El Dorado, Kansas
El Dorado is a city situated along the Walnut River in the central part of Butler County, located in south-central Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 13,021. It is the county seat and most populous city of Butler County...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, where her parents purchased a large tract of pasture land. This land later proved to contain substantial oil reserves, and made the family wealthy. This allowed Marion to attend the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
and the Art Institute of Chicago
Art Institute of Chicago
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago is one of America's largest accredited independent schools of art and design, located in the Loop in Chicago, Illinois. It is associated with the museum of the same name, and "The Art Institute of Chicago" or "Chicago Art Institute" often refers to either...
.
Marriage
Marion married her first husband, railway manager Don McNay, in 1917. The marriage only lasted 10 months, ending with Don's death from influenzaInfluenza
Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
. Although Marion went on to marry (and divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
) four more times, she eventually reverted to using the name McNay for the remainder of her life.
Teaching
In 1915, while she was living with her parents, the superintendent of city schools of Marion, OhioMarion, Ohio
Marion is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Marion County. The municipality is located in north-central Ohio, approximately north of Columbus....
wrote that she
is one of the best qualified art teachers I have ever known. She teaches art in a manner that arouses and develops the child’s observation and enlarges his aesthetic nature.
Art collection
In 1926, after the death of her father, Marion moved to San AntonioSan Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
with her mother and married Dr. Donald Atkinson. On his property, she began to construct a Spanish Mediterranean style mansion (she designed some of the tilework and ceiling stencils herself), which was completed in 1927. She also began to accumulate a significant collection of artwork. The first oil painting she purchased was Diego Rivera
Diego Rivera
Diego María de la Concepción Juan Nepomuceno Estanislao de la Rivera y Barrientos Acosta y Rodríguez was a prominent Mexican painter born in Guanajuato, Guanajuato, an active communist, and husband of Frida Kahlo . His large wall works in fresco helped establish the Mexican Mural Movement in...
’s Delfina Flores. She collected a large number of French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works of art, early 20th-century modernists including Picasso, Matisse, and Chagall. She also bought a number of Southwestern santos
Santo (art)
Santo is a traditional New Mexican genre of religious sculpture. The word "santo" is also used to refer to individual works in this genre...
and retablos.
Pueblo Indian patronage
Marion was a significant patron of the arts among the Pueblo Indians of New MexicoNew Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, where she made frequent trips. In 1943, Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
proposed a bill providing for the exploration of Pueblo lands with the ultimate goal of building a dam on the Rio Grande
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande is a river that flows from southwestern Colorado in the United States to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way it forms part of the Mexico – United States border. Its length varies as its course changes...
river. Marion, in conjunction with other conservationist
Conservationist
Conservationists are proponents or advocates of conservation. They advocate for the protection of all the species in an ecosystem with a strong focus on the natural environment...
s, was instrumental in defeating this proposal.
Death and art museum establishment
Upon Marion's death, caused by pneumonia in 1950, she willed her fortune, her art collection, and her home to a trust to convert her home into a modern art museum. This was the first museum of its kind in San Antonio and the Southwest region of the United States. The museum was named after her, and has been expanded to include galleries of medievalMedieval art
The medieval art of the Western world covers a vast scope of time and place, over 1000 years of art history in Europe, and at times the Middle East and North Africa...
and Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
artwork and a larger collection of 20th-century European and American modernist work. A large theatre arts library and gallery were also added, as well as an art reference library and an auditorium. More recently, the McNay Art Museum
McNay Art Museum
The McNay Art Museum, founded in 1950 in San Antonio, is the first modern art museum in the State of Texas. The museum was created by Marion Koogler McNay's original bequest of most of her fortune, her important art collection and her 24-room Spanish Colonial Revival-style mansion that sits on ...
recently added the Stieren Center, built by internationally renowned architect Jean-Paul Viguier
Jean-Paul Viguier
Jean-Paul Viguier is a French architect. He is considered one of the world's leading architects and one of the few French ones to work extensively outside of Europe...
, to display their Modern collection.