The Grace Museum
Encyclopedia
The Grace Museum is a museum
located in Abilene
, Texas
, USA. The museum is accredited by the American Association of Museums
(AAM). The Grace Museum houses five art galleries displaying temporary exhibitions and works from its permanent art collection; a children's museum; and a history gallery with rotating exhibitions, a recreated boot shop and period rooms.
of Abilene. During the 1990s, the collective of then-separate museums was housed together in the restored historic building at 102 Cypress Street, known initially as The Grace Cultural Center. The three museums eventually became known as one entity, The Grace Museum.
The Grace Museum is led by Executive Director Francine Carraro, Ph.D., who previously directed the National Museum of Wildlife Art
.
Mission statement
The Grace Museum builds connections through new experiences in art, science and history within the evolving Texas story through exhibitions, programs and collections. (adopted 2010).
. The collection originated with the Abilene Fine Arts Museum in 1937, and has grown since its inception to include recent acquisitions by James Surls
, Andy Warhol
, David Bates, Helen Altman
, Russell Lee
, Bob Stuth-Wade, Vernon Fisher and others.
and the immediate area. A particular strength of the history collection is the Texas and Pacific Railway
collection, made up of thousands of photograph
s, artifact
s, model
s and other records.
complete with sets, costumes, dressing room and lights.
. The Hotel Grace was built in 1909 by Col. W. L. Beckham of Greenville, Texas
and is located at the corner of Cypress Street and North First Street. The Mission Revival Style building was initially a three-story structure, but a fourth story was added in the late 1920s. A subsequent renovation removed the main portico
, bricked up several main story windows and changed the hotel's name to the Drake Hotel. The Drake Hotel eventually ceased operation and fell into disrepair. The Abilene Preservation League and the Abilene Fine Arts Museum banded together in the late 1980s to save the neglected structure and provide a new and improved home for the Abilene Fine Arts Museum. Following major restoration in the early 1990s, the structure was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
. The facade and portico were restored, as were the main lobby and ballroom. Additionally, one wing was restored to its original appearance as a hotel hallway and is used for administrative offices.
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
located in Abilene
Abilene, Texas
Abilene is a city in Taylor and Jones counties in west central Texas. The population was 117,063 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2006 estimated population of 158,063. It is the county seat of Taylor County...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, USA. The museum is accredited by the American Association of Museums
American Association of Museums
The American Association of Museums is a non-profit association that has brought museums together since its founding in 1906, helping develop standards and best practices, gathering and sharing knowledge, and advocating on issues of concern to the museum community...
(AAM). The Grace Museum houses five art galleries displaying temporary exhibitions and works from its permanent art collection; a children's museum; and a history gallery with rotating exhibitions, a recreated boot shop and period rooms.
Overview
The museum's history collection and children's museum were both founded by the Abilene Fine Arts Museum with assistance from the Junior LeagueJunior League
The Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc. is a non-profit organization of 292 Junior Leagues in Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom and the United States. Junior Leagues are educational and charitable women's organizations aimed at improving their communities through volunteerism and...
of Abilene. During the 1990s, the collective of then-separate museums was housed together in the restored historic building at 102 Cypress Street, known initially as The Grace Cultural Center. The three museums eventually became known as one entity, The Grace Museum.
The Grace Museum is led by Executive Director Francine Carraro, Ph.D., who previously directed the National Museum of Wildlife Art
National Museum of Wildlife Art
The National Museum of Wildlife Art, located in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, is a museum dedicated to presenting art about wildlife. Located on a bluff called East Gros Ventre Butte and amid real wildlife habitat, the sandstone structure overlooks the National Elk Refuge...
.
Mission statement
The Grace Museum builds connections through new experiences in art, science and history within the evolving Texas story through exhibitions, programs and collections. (adopted 2010).
Permanent art collection
The Grace Museum's permanent art collection primarily includes works by American artists with a focus on Texas and American RegionalismRegionalism (art)
Regionalism is an American realist modern art movement that was popular during the 1930s. The artistic focus was from artists who shunned city life, and rapidly developing technological advances, to create scenes of rural life...
. The collection originated with the Abilene Fine Arts Museum in 1937, and has grown since its inception to include recent acquisitions by James Surls
James Surls
James Surls is an American modernist sculptor. He earned a BS from Sam Houston State University and an MFA from the Cranbrook Academy of Art. In 1998, he moved from Splendora, Texas to Carbondale, Colorado....
, Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol
Andrew Warhola , known as Andy Warhol, was an American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art...
, David Bates, Helen Altman
Helen Altman
Helen Altman is an artist based in Fort Worth, Texas. Altman received both her BFA, in 1981, and MA, in 1986, from the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa...
, Russell Lee
Russell Lee (photographer)
Russell Lee was an American photographer and photojournalist.Lee had trained as a chemical engineer, and in the fall of 1936 became a member of the team of photographers assembled under Roy Stryker for the federally sponsored Farm Security Administration documentation project...
, Bob Stuth-Wade, Vernon Fisher and others.
History collection
The history collection was initiated in the 1970s and is populated by artifacts and records covering the history of AbileneAbilene, Texas
Abilene is a city in Taylor and Jones counties in west central Texas. The population was 117,063 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2006 estimated population of 158,063. It is the county seat of Taylor County...
and the immediate area. A particular strength of the history collection is the Texas and Pacific Railway
Texas and Pacific Railway
The Texas and Pacific Railway Company was created by federal charter in 1871 with the purpose of building a southern transcontinental railroad between Marshall, Texas, and San Diego, California....
collection, made up of thousands of photograph
Photograph
A photograph is an image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic imager such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are created using a camera, which uses a lens to focus the scene's visible wavelengths of light into a reproduction of...
s, artifact
Artifact (archaeology)
An artifact or artefact is "something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, esp an object of archaeological interest"...
s, model
Model (physical)
A physical model is a smaller or larger physical copy of an object...
s and other records.
Children's Museum
The children's museum on The Grace Museum's Second Floor is a hands-on discovery-based learning center for children and families. The space underwent renovations in 2007 and 2009, including addition of a child-size replica of Abilene's Paramount TheatreParamount Theatre (Abilene, Texas)
The Paramount Theatre is located in downtown Abilene, Texas at 352 Cypress Street.thumb|200px|left|The Theater's LobbyThe Parmount was built in 1930 by H. O. Wooten, adjacent to his Hotel Wooten. Opening night was May 18, 1930, with the film, Safety in Numbers starring Carole Lombard...
complete with sets, costumes, dressing room and lights.
Facility
The Grace Museum is a 55000 square feet (5,109.7 m²) museum complex contained in the historic Hotel Grace, located in downtown Abilene, TexasAbilene, Texas
Abilene is a city in Taylor and Jones counties in west central Texas. The population was 117,063 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2006 estimated population of 158,063. It is the county seat of Taylor County...
. The Hotel Grace was built in 1909 by Col. W. L. Beckham of Greenville, Texas
Greenville, Texas
Greenville is the county seat, and the largest city, of Hunt County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 25,557....
and is located at the corner of Cypress Street and North First Street. The Mission Revival Style building was initially a three-story structure, but a fourth story was added in the late 1920s. A subsequent renovation removed the main portico
Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
, bricked up several main story windows and changed the hotel's name to the Drake Hotel. The Drake Hotel eventually ceased operation and fell into disrepair. The Abilene Preservation League and the Abilene Fine Arts Museum banded together in the late 1980s to save the neglected structure and provide a new and improved home for the Abilene Fine Arts Museum. Following major restoration in the early 1990s, the structure was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. The facade and portico were restored, as were the main lobby and ballroom. Additionally, one wing was restored to its original appearance as a hotel hallway and is used for administrative offices.
External links
- The Grace Museum website
- The Grace Museum, FacebookFacebookFacebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
- The Grace Museum, LinkedInLinkedInLinkedIn is a business-related social networking site. Founded in December 2002 and launched in May 2003, it is mainly used for professional networking. , LinkedIn reports more than 120 million registered users in more than 200 countries and territories. The site is available in English, French,...
- Texas Fort Trail
- Handbook of Texas: Online
- Texas Association of Museums: Member Links