Opened in 1985 as the Art Institute for the Permian Basin, the Ellen Noël Art Museum of the Permian Basin is the culmination of years of grass roots fundraising efforts by Odessans to build a fine arts museum.The Museum was renamed in its tenth year to honor the leadership and philanthropy of Mrs. Ellen W. Noël. In the fall of 2005, the Museum celebrated its 20th anniversary and accreditation by the American Association of Museums.
With its expansion in 1998, the Ellen Noël Art Museum now features 22,120 square feet of gallery and office space, including a storage wing for the growing permanent collection. Its state-of-the-art climate control system creates an excellent environment for the many changing art exhibitions each year.The Museum has three impressive galleries of varying sizes and configurations that allow for exhibitions of varied works, each in it own unique setting. Admission to the galleries is free. The Museum is known for its very active exhibitions schedule and outstanding education programming for all ages.
In addition to the three galleries, the Museum has a storage wing with secured receiving area, collection storage vault and curatorial offices. Other sections include two classrooms, the Nancy Chambers Library, an administrative office wing and a Sculpture and Sensory Garden.As a non-profit organization, the Museum receives its funding from memberships, donations, grants, fundraising events and interest income from an endowment fund. Over 200 volunteers serve the Museum in many capacities, ensuring that the Museum's programming remains dynamic, vital and responsive to community needs.
