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Recent Acquisitions Releases Press Release Archive )
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Tyler Museum of Art Announces Property Purchase Tyler, TX—Tyler Museum of Art officials today announced they have purchased land on the southeast corner of the intersection of University Boulevard and Lazy Creek Drive. The announcement follows many months of planning by TMA board and staff members to select the most appropriate available real estate for the Museum's long-term expansion goals. "I am very pleased today to announce to our members, benefactors and to all East Texans that we are about to embark on a wonderful growing experience for the Museum and the visual arts," said Steve Manley, TMA board president. "The Museum's board and staff have taken this action only after the most careful planning to insure that this endeavor will be a great success. We are confident a new, larger and more accessible art museum will be a major asset for our community." Manley said the Museum finalized purchase of approximately 13 acres of heavily wooded land, and plans are to retain as much of the natural setting of the property as possible. The Museum's site selection committee, led by Cynthia Riter, reviewed many proposed locations before selecting the University-Lazy Creek Drive site. "This is a long-term commitment for this Museum," Mrs. Riter said. "We took our time to be sure we found an optimum location in terms of adequate space, costs, natural beauty and easy access for visitors." "This is really just the first step in the building process," Manley added. "The real key to the success of this project will be determined by the support we gather from the community, both new and long-term supporters, who want Tyler to have the best art museum possible." The current facilities for the Tyler Museum of Art are located in a 15,000 square foot building adjacent to the Tyler Junior College campus. The building was completed in 1971 with funds raised by the Junior League of Tyler, and sits on land owned by Tyler Junior College. The Junior League donated the building to the Museum, but with lease terms stipulated by TJC. The building contains two galleries, one classroom, a small kitchen, four offices, a gift shop area, a shared art library/conference space, and very limited collection storage space. The building is land-locked for expansion on the north, west and east sides by the TJC campus and by real estate owned by Fifth Street Presbyterian Church to the south. "This is an architecturally award-winning and very beautiful building," said Kimberley Tomio, TMA director. "Unfortunately, its design and location make it very difficult to expand. We are forced to make really hard choices as demands for space increase for more tours by area school children and our growing permanent collection." Ms. Tomio said that Tyler Independent School District student art tours continue to increase in numbers of students and groups, as well as requests from other area schools, both public and private. She said the Museum's only classroom is barely large enough to accommodate 24 students at a time. Scheduling various groups has become a significant problem, and for the past several years there has been inadequate room for college classes to meet in the facility. In addition to the increase in demand for school tours, recent exhibitions have brought in more tour groups from outside Tyler. The Museum's small café, kitchen and gift shop have been limited in the services they could provide these audiences. Similarly, Ms. Tomio said Tyler Museum of Art has been unable to pursue certain significant traveling exhibitions because of the lack of gallery space to show larger exhibits, and limited public lecture space. She also noted that the Museum's permanent collection now stands at more than 800 pieces, although the vault space has not expanded since the Museum opened with no permanent collection. Ms. Tomio noted there are some significant private collections that might be donated to the TMA, but these gifts have to be considered based on whether storage space or gallery space can be arranged for the art. Manley commended the Tyler Museum of Art board of directors for their foresight and commitment to "accomplishing the Museum's mission of serving as an educational and cultural center to enrich the lives of East Texans and visitors by collecting, preserving, studying, exhibiting, interpreting and celebrating the visual arts." He cited Mrs. Riter and her site selection committee, Beryl Cobb and her building project committee, and Betty Summers, immediate past president, for their many volunteer hours to help the Museum reach this point in its expansion goals. For more information about current and future exhibitions, hours, special tours, events and services available at the Tyler Museum of Art, please call 903-595-1001 |