Looking for things to add to your summer experiences? Make sure The McNay Art Museum is on your bucket list so you can experience transformation through art this season. McNay’s mission is to engage a diverse community in the discovery and enjoyment of visual arts and to be a place of belonging for a transformational experience. The museum values innovation, excellence, and equity to deliver outstanding and relevant artistic educational programs, offer financial resources, and broaden the visitor experience.
The McNay’s History
Marion Koogler was an Ohio-born heiress. She visited San Antonio for the first time in 1918 and shortly after, married Sergeant Don Denton McNay. Don McNay later died from the Spanish Flu and in 1926, Marion moved to San Antonio and remarried. In 1927, Marion collected her first oil painting by Diego Rivera entitled Delfina Flores. Marion and her second husband then commissioned two architects to design a 24-room Spanish Colonial-Revival house that would later become the McNay Art Museum.
Marion continued to collect art throughout her life including 19th and 20th century European and American Paintings, and Southwestern art from New Mexico. Upon her death in 1950, Marion left her art collection of over 700 pieces, the house, surrounding acreage and endowment to establish the first modern art museum in Texas.
Today
The museum’s collection has expanded to over 22,000 pieces of art including Medieval and Renaissance art, one of the finest collections of prints and drawings in the Southwest, Tobin Collection of Theater Arts, Jeanne and Irving Mathews Collection of Art Glass, Art of New Mexico and 19th and 20th century European and American paintings, sculptures, and photographs.
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Supporting the Museum
If you want to support, impact and inspire the McNay Art Museum, becoming a member is a great way to directly support the McNay’s mission to engage a diverse community in the discovery and enjoyment of the arts. The museum memberships help in serving the community, creating world-class exhibitions, and providing innovation programs for everyone to take part in. Your support is greatly appreciated and is the only way the McNay is cherished.