Museum Info: Message from the Director
Director BiographyWelcome to the web site of the San Antonio Museum of Art. We hope it will keep you in closer touch with us.
Our mission is to educate by collecting, presenting, and preserving the significant artistic achievements of the world’s cultures from ancient times to the present, and through aesthetic and educational experiences, to develop a deeper understanding of human cultures, values and traditions. Everything at SAMA -- from our curatorial staff, our acquisitions, our programming and our outreach efforts, reflect this mission.
As you may know, 2006 was our Silver Anniversary. We have come a long way since first opening our doors to the public in spring of 1981. Our campus has grown from seven to 15 acres, and our collections have experienced similarly spectacular growth. We now have exceptionally important permanent collections of Western Antiquities, Asian Art, Latin American Art, and contemporary American paintings, sculpture, and decorative arts---each curated by specialists with strong international reputations.
Our secondary collections include excellent representations of Oceanic Art, Islamic Art, Irish Silver, Wedgewood Ceramics, European paintings, Photography, and more. We have a dynamic Education Department that is working constantly on programming to complement our collections and changing exhibitions and to see that the richness of our collections is conveyed to local, regional, and national audiences. Please plan to join us at the Museum soon. I look forward to seeing you.
Best wishes,
Marion Oettinger, Jr.
The Betty and Bob Kelso Director of the San Antonio Museum of Art