Angelo State University to Build a New Museum

SAN ANGELO, TX -- (Press Release)  The Texas Tech University System Board of Regents recently approved a new building for Angelo State University that will house the West Texas Collection.  

According to ASU, the approximately $14.2 million, 31,000-square-foot facility will be located at 1825 S. Johnson St. in the center of the ASU campus. The two portable buildings that have occupied that site since 2009 will be removed to make room for the new construction.

A primary function of the museum will be as the new home of the ASU West Texas Collection that is currently housed on the second floor of the Houston Harte University Center. The facility will also support ASU student art programs with classrooms, specialized labs for graphic design, sculpture and ceramics, and student gallery space, along with faculty and staff offices and support spaces. The project also includes landscape enhancements, parking and the installation of public art.

“We are looking forward to having a much more accessible location where the campus community and the public can view and utilize the West Texas Collection,” said ASU President Brian J. May. “The ASU Museum will be a place where everyone can visit to experience the colorful history of Angelo State and our entire region. Plus, it will provide a single central location for our art faculty and student artists to collaborate and to display their artworks. It will be the jewel in the heart of the ASU campus.”

Construction of the new ASU Museum is being funded completely from private resources, including a generous gift from long-time ASU benefactors Richard and B.J. Mayer.

“This is just another example of the wonderful partnership that exists between Angelo State and our incredibly generous private donors,” said Jamie Akin, vice president for development and alumni relations. “Their monetary support not only enhances the academic and personal growth opportunities available for our students, but also allows us to improve our campus and continue the vision of higher education in West Texas that led to the establishment of Angelo State nearly a century ago.”

A firm date for groundbreaking on the new ASU Museum is yet to be determined. The next step in the process is to award a design contract.