Amarillo Museum of Art, Amarillo, TX

The Amarillo Museum of Art has been part of the local landscape since it was planned in 1967. A group of local community leaders felt there was a need for an art museum for the residents of Amarillo and surrounding communities. The mission statement of the museum is to see that the residents have quality visual arts programs. Not only do the residents of Amarillo enjoy these benefits, but so does the populace of the Texas Panhandle, eastern New Mexico, and Western Oklahoma. The museum offers displays of collections, temporary exhibits, educational programs, research and preservation.

The Board of Trustees joined forces with the two year Amarillo Community College in 1970 to raise the money for the building of the Fine Arts Complex. In 1972 the Museum, Concert Hall/Theater and Music building opened. Betty Bivins Childers, whose dynamic force and commitment to the Fine Arts Complex yielded results has been honored by the dedication to her of the Amarillo Museum of Art.

Visitors to the Amarillo Museum of Art will find that it is open Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Hours are extended on Thursday until 9:00 pm. Saturday and Sunday the museum is open from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm unless there is an exhibition that is being installed. There is no admission fee to visit the museum.

Parking for the Amarillo Museum of Art is off South Van Buren Street which is east of the museum. Visitors can get a parking pass on the first floor of the museum. Guests wishing to visit the museum can reach it from I-40 and take the Washington Street Exit 69B. Then they go south on Washington Street for about three tenths of a mile; this will take them to the light at W. 22nd Ave. They will turn left at the light and travel for two tenths of a mile to S. Van Buren Street. The museum is on the corner of W. 22nd and S. Van Buren on the right.

If guests are coming to the museum on I-27 they will take the Washington Street Exit 122B, go under the overpass, and turn north on to Washington Street. It will be about nine tenths of a mile to reach W. 22nd Ave where they will turn right until they reach the corner of W. 22nd Ave and S. Van Buren Street.

There are art catalogs and posters available for purchase at the Amarillo Museum of Art Shop. Southeast Asian and Indian artifacts are part of the items for sale as well as modern artists like Georgia O'Keeffe and John Marin.

Educational programs exist for interactive learning through the museum school, student and teacher programs and community programs. The museum school holds spring and fall classes, summer camps and workshops. There are docent guided tours, outreach programs, workshops and educational resources for students and teachers. Community programs happen on the third Thursday of the month. There is no charge and everyone is invited to view the current exhibits and participate in the activities.