Our roots date back to the early 1950s, the start of a great economic, educational and cultural boom throughout the city of Arlington, Texas. At that time, Arlington was a small town of about 7,700 residents. Less than thirty years later, the population of Arlington would exceed 160,000.
In 1952, the Arlington Art Association was founded by civic leaders with the guidance of Howard and Arista Joyner. Howard was head of the art department of North Texas Agricultural College (now the University of Texas at Arlington). Arista was the first art teacher at Arlington High School. Later in her career, she went on to develop the art department at Tarrant County Junior College (now Tarrant County College). The Association was formed to promote and support visual arts in Arlington.
The Joyners worked closely with other city leaders, including longtime mayor Tom Vandergriff and Arlington Independent School District superintendent James Martin, to further the Association’s mission. Together they worked to ensure a long-lasting commitment to visual arts programming that would grow as the city grew.
The relationships that were built during the 1950-1970s between the Arlington Arts Association and the city’s biggest educational institutions continue today in the form of strong, active partnerships between the Arlington Museum of Art, UTA, and AISD.
In 1974, the Arlington Art Association incorporated itself as the Arlington Museum of Art (AMA). In early 1989, the AMA purchased the JCPenney building on Main Street in Downtown Arlington, renovated it, and opened in early 1991 with its first art exhibit. The organization envisioned the space as a permanent home for itself and its outreach and cultural programs.
At this same time, in response to a void within the larger museum community, the AMA revised its mission in 1991 to focus exclusively on Texas contemporary art. The first executive director was hired, and the organization began providing local artists a venue to showcase their work.
Unfortunately, starting in the mid-1990s, support for the museum declined significantly. By 2007, the AMA Board of Directors concluded that diminished interest was due, in large part, to the organization’s limited focus. Reliable and consistent revenue streams had not been established, and therefore the organization had no way to sustain itself.
In a future-defining vote, the Board redefined the mission of the museum. While maintaining a commitment to legacy programs with a successful and proven track record, the Board agreed to expand the organization’s scope well beyond Texas contemporary art and artists.
Christopher Hightower was appointed as Executive Director. His first order of business was to lead the Board in developing a new vision: to become a cultural partner and thought leader in Arlington focused on curating visual art exhibitions and educational programs that are engaging, diverse, accessible, and inclusive.
Under Chris’ leadership today as President and CEO, the Arlington Museum of Art presents art exhibits that attract visitors from all over the world. Because the organization does not have a complete permanent collection, the museum utilizes its entire venue creatively throughout the year for loaned collections, curated exhibits, and related activities including exhibit-specific lectures, art classes for adults, and diverse cultural programs. Annual children’s programs—such as Youth Art Month and Summer Art Camp—reflect the organization’s long-standing partnership with AISD as well as its commitment to nurturing life-long art lovers and the next generation of creatives.
In the last few years, the Arlington Museum of Art has honed its skills as a museum that embraces change. Every 3-4 months, it transforms its entire space by curating unique and compelling exhibitions that collectively unite the past, present and future of art.
By honoring the dreams of our founders and believing in the possibilities for our future, now the AMA has the opportunity to scale way up. In partnership with the City of Arlington and a community of supporters and collaborators, the Arlington Museum of Art transformed over 40,000 square feet inside the Arlington Expo Center into a world-class arts destination. Opening day was March 30, 2024.
The new AMA footprint in the Arlington Entertainment District was eight times its previous one, allowing the museum to blend traditional, immersive, interactive, and next generation art in ways that inspires, entertains, engages, and reflects our community and our world. Learn more >
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