The Mexican community has been an important part of this city’s development and this place showcases its contributions through its displays and art.
The Mexican border is only over a couple of hundred miles (over 300 kilometers) away from Austin, so the Mexic-Arte Museum is well situated to provide a cultural center for this race of people. Visit to see works of art from established and emerging Mexican artists, as well as others from Latin American countries and the United States.
The museum began in 1984 with an information display about Mexico’s Day of the Dead festival that happens in the fall. Four years later the museum opened in the downtown area and is one of a small number of Mexican art museums in the U.S.
View over 1,500 works in the permanent collection including Mexican dance masks and over 5,000 books and periodicals in the museum’s library. Young artists also exhibit their work that includes sculptures, murals and photographs.
The museum is the official archive of serigraph prints from the Serie Print Project and also features lithographs in the Ernest F. de Soto Collection. Trace Mexico’s social changes through art in the Taller de Gráfica Popular Print Collection that often shows historical figures, cultural heroes and significant political events.
Admire the visiting exhibitions that constantly use the museum’s main and annex galleries as their venues and, if required, a portable pop-up gallery in the form of an art vending cart.
Mexic-Arte Museum has an admission fee and tours are available. Located on Congress Avenue, the museum is open most days and includes a store selling unique items. Park at street meters that are free on Sundays, while additional parking is available at garages and lots in the area.
When in Austin, be sure to visit this museum to learn about the vibrant artistic and cultural components of a people who have been an integral part of the city’s social and cultural fabric since the late 1800s.
