The Grace Museum
The Grace Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit museum in Abilene, Texas. In 1937, the culturally minded Art Unit of Women’s Forum in Abilene established the Abilene Fine Arts Museum in a small facility in Rose City Park. In 1987, a campaign was initiated to save the majestic Hotel Grace, an abandoned 55,000-square-foot building. The museum found a new home in this beautifully renovated structure. In 1992, the Abilene Fine Arts Museum changed its name to reflect the historic location of the Grace Cultural Center. Today, The Grace Museum serves as a cornerstone of Abilene’s cultural downtown center. The mission of The Grace Museum contains its vision for growth and outreach: “The Grace Museum builds multifaceted connections through new experiences in American fine art and history within the evolving Texas story through exhibitions, programs, and collections.” In 2021, The Grace Museum earned reaccreditation from the American Alliance of Museums, bringing national recognition and a reputation as an institution committed to excellence and the highest professional standards. The museum has five art galleries on three floors, an interactive art family space, a photography gallery, a history museum, six historical period rooms, and an education center with a research and children’s library. The Grace annually presents twelve to fifteen exhibitions that form the foundation for a robust outreach and programming schedule. Annually The Grace welcomes over 55,000 in-person visitors. More than 2,000 children participate in staff-led tours of the galleries. Admission is free every Thursday evening and visitors participate in free programs and events. The Grace Arts Outreach remains dynamic with its Distance Learning and Arts Outreach bringing art experiences and Texas Essential Skills and Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) instruction to 1st through 5th-grade students across local and rural school districts.
