We recently spent an afternoon visiting the McNay Art Museum. So, I thought I would share some of the background with you. Just a personal comment to begin: I have always LOVED the original architecture and grounds, However (in my opinion) the ultra modern expansion makes it a bit more challenging to explore the Marion’s original space and vision. When you have a chance to visit, be sure to take time to explore the older section as well as the beautiful new galleries.
Marion Koogler McNay
(extracted from their website) For anyone not familiar with the background the McNay’s founder Marion Koogler McNay, it’s worth mentioning she had an unyielding soft spot for both sharing her love and knowledge of the visual arts with her community, as well as supporting local military personnel and their families.
Ohio-born heiress Marion Koogler first visited San Antonio in 1918, shortly after her marriage to Sergeant Don Denton McNay, who was called to active duty in Laredo, Texas. Later that year Don McNay died from the Spanish flu.
In 1926, Marion moved to San Antonio, where she met and married prominent ophthalmologist Donald T. Atkinson. The following year, she purchased her first modern oil painting, Diego Rivera’s Delfina Flores.
The Atkinsons commissioned San Antonio architects Atlee and Robert Ayres to design a 24-room Spanish Colonial-Revival house that would one day become the core of the McNay Art Museum.
Marion continued to collect 19th- and 20th-century European and American paintings, as well as Southwest art from New Mexico. When her marriage to Atkinson ended in 1936, she returned to using her first husband’s name.
1954 McNay Opened its Doors
At her death in 1950, Marion left her collection of more than 700 works of art, along with the house, the surrounding acreage, and an endowment to establish the first modern art museum in Texas. In 1954 the McNay opened its doors to the public.
2008 Expansion
The Jane and Arthur Stieren Center for Exhibitions, built in 2008 and designed by French architect Jean-Paul Viguier, added 45,000 square feet to the Museum and created gallery space for major exhibitions, a sculpture gallery and garden, a lecture hall, and classrooms for the Museum’s many educational programs.