Institute of Texan Cultures
Website | texancultures.utsa.edu |
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The Institute of Texan Cultures is a
It serves as the state's primary center for multicultural education, with exhibits, programs, and events like the Texas Folklife Festival, an annual celebration of the many ethnicities that make up the population of Texas. It has been held yearly since 1972.
The facility, established by the
The Institute of Texan Cultures, through its research, collections, exhibits and programs, serves as the forum for the understanding and appreciation of Texas and Texans. The 182,000-square-foot (16,900 m2) complex has 65,000-square-foot (6,000 m2) of interactive exhibits and displays. The library on the third floor contains manuscripts, rare books, personal papers, over 3 million historical photos and over 700 oral histories.
Funding for the museum comes primarily from three sources: biennial legislative appropriations; exhibit floor and special event admissions; grants, contributions, and other locally generated funds such as the rental of the museum's facilities, and the sale of its publications, audiovisuals, library services, and merchandise from The Museum Store. Major support is provided by the museum's Development Board. The Texas Legislature cut appropriations for the institute by 25% in 2011 causing the institute to rely more on private donations and corporate sponsorship.
The Institute of Texan Cultures fulfills its mandate as the state's center for multicultural education by investigating the ethnic and cultural history of the state and presenting the resulting information with a variety of offerings:
- Exhibits, programs, and special events designed to entertain, inspire, and educate
- A library focusing on ethnic and cultural history
- A historical photo collection of more than 3.5 million images
- An outreach program to schools and other groups
- Teacher-training workshops.
There are displays in the museum representing many cultures and their impact on the history and development of Texas.
In early 2010, the institute became an affiliate as part of the
The University of Texas at San Antonio announced via a press release on April 3, 2024 that the building housing the Institute of Texan Cultures would be demolished, museum operations would cease, and the facility would close in May 2024. The university additionally noted that the museum would reopen in early 2025 at a temporary location within the Frost Tower's first floor. At the time of the announcement there is no permanent museum location selected, and the temporary location is expected to operate through 2030 at which point a permanent location will have been selected, built, and be ready for opening to the public. Current contenders for a permanent museum are on the property of the UTSA Southwest Campus (Formerly The Southwest School of Art), and adjacent to The Crockett Hotel near The Alamo.[6]
See also
- List of museums in Central Texas
- Caudill Rowlett Scott (CRS)
- Texans All - A series of books organized by the institute
References
- ^ Sauers, Camille. "The Institute of Texan Cultures is having an identity crisis. How can it move forward?". Mysa.
- ^ "Handbook of Texas Online - Institute of Texan Cultures". Retrieved 2009-04-18.
- ^ Lewis, Marianne McBride (March 23, 2009). "UTSA adopts two new campus names". utsa.edu. UTSA Today. Retrieved 2009-04-18.
- ^ "Institute of Texan Cultures partners with Smithsonian Institution".
- ^ Flores, Camille (August 31, 2015). "Institute of Texan Cultures; Center's a cultural repository, a tool for scholastic research; Community outreach among its activities". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved February 12, 2020 – via NewsBank: Access World News.
- ^ "UTSA takes next strategic steps to ensure bold future for the Institute of Texan Cultures". www.utsa.edu. April 3, 2024. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
External links
- Institute of Texan Cultures
- A Guide to the University of Texas at San Antonio: Institute of Texan Cultures Records, University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries (UTSA Libraries)Special Collections.
- A Guide to the Institute of Texan Cultures Library Collection of HemisFair '68 Materials, University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries (UTSA Libraries)Special Collections.