Institute of Texan Cultures

UTSA Institute of Texan Cultures
Established	1968
Location	San Antonio, Texas
Visitor figures	229,237 (1999)
Director	Dr. John Davis (interim)
Website	www.texancultures.com

UTSA Institute of Texan Cultures is a museum and library located in HemisFair Park in downtown San Antonio, Texas. 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. The Folklife Festival has been held yearly since 1972.

The facility, established by the Texas Legislature on May 27, 1965, originally served as the Texas Pavilion at HemisFair '68 before being turned over to the University of Texas System. It is now part of the HemisFair Park Campus of the University of Texas at San Antonio.

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. It is a short walk from the Alamo and the San Antonio River Walk. The 182,000-square-foot (16,900 m²) complex features interactive exhibits and displays.

The institute plays a role in the university’s community engagement initiatives by developing quality, accessible resources for educators and lifelong learners on topics of cultural heritage. It strives to develop a rich and vibrant culture in the arts and humanities that will expand the community’s awareness and appreciation of Texas through an engaging series of exhibits, programs, and special events. A special artists series, the Texas Contemporary Artists Series, focuses on the work of contemporary artists who call Texas home. The selected artists cover a broad spectrum of artistic styles and mediums. Common to all of their work, however, is the bold vision and unbridled exuberance that is the quintessence of Texan culture.

The institute 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.

In early 2010, the institute became an affiliate as part of the Smithsonian Affiliates program. Affiliate status grants the institute access to the Smithsonian’s artifacts, education, and performing arts programs, expert speakers, teacher workshops, and resources to complement and broaden exhibitions. The Affiliation agreement marks a new era for the institute. A series of upgrades are planned to revitalize main exhibit floor. As The University of Texas at San Antonio strives to achieve national research university status, the museum strives to become a cultural institution of equal caliber.

There are displays in the museum representing the following cultures and their impact on the history and development of Texas:

• African-American
• Belgian
• Chinese
• Czech
• Danish
• Dutch
• French
• German
• Greek
• Hungarian
• Italian
• Japanese
• Jewish
• Lebanese
• Native American
• Norwegian
• Polish
• Swedish
• Swiss
• Tejano The Tejano exhibit is currently under renovation.
• Wendish

Funding for the museum comes primarily from three sources: (1) biennial legislative appropriations; (2) exhibit floor and special event admissions; and (3) 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.

See also

• List of museums in Central Texas

External links

• [1]
• Institute of Texan Cultures
• A Guide to the University of Texas at San Antonio: Institute of Texan Cultures Records, 1965-2006
• A Guide to the Institute of Texan Cultures Library Collection of HemisFair '68 Materials, 1965-1994