Albuquerque Museum Breaks Ground on New Education Center
Project is part of the Museum’s long-term vision to expand opportunities to more audiences.
Today, the City of Albuquerque’s Department of Arts & Culture and Albuquerque Museum were joined by Mayor Tim Keller and local and state leaders to break ground on a new Education Center. The Albuquerque Museum’s Education Center will expand access to arts education, hands-on learning, and creative experiences for students, families, and the community.
The new facility will provide dedicated space for educational programming and activities, helping the Museum better accommodate school groups while creating more opportunities for families and community organizations to engage with art, history, and creativity.
“This project is an investment in how future generations will learn, explore, and connect with art and history,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “The Albuquerque Museum is a resource for our entire community, and the Education Center will create more opportunities for students and families to experience the value of creativity.”
Planned for the area in front of the existing Museum, the Education Center is part of the Museum’s long-term vision for meeting the needs of future audiences. The first phase is supported by $11 million in City and state funding and will include two classrooms. A planned second phase will add a classroom dedicated to clay and woodworking. Designed by DNCA Architects, the Center is designed to be one of the most inclusive and accessible public cultural amenities in the region.
“The Education Center builds on the Museum’s longstanding commitment to making art and educational experiences accessible to local students,” said Albuquerque Museum Director Andrew Connors. “We want to be very engaging to a lot of different community groups and make sure that people realize this city institution is a remarkable resource.”
Through the Albuquerque Museum Foundation’s Magic Bus program, established in 1994, students have been able to visit the Museum and Casa San Ysidro for educational experiences that connect classroom learning with art, history, and New Mexico’s cultural stories. By addressing transportation and admission barriers, the program has made Museum visits possible for generations of students.
“The new Education Center will build on the legacy of providing opportunities to students to explore and engage directly with art,” said Albuquerque Museum Foundation President & CEO Myers Godwin. “It will also create opportunities for families and other visitors to participate in drop-in experiences outside of scheduled school visits.”
The Albuquerque Museum Foundation is a nonprofit organization that supports the Albuquerque Museum through fundraising, educational programs, and community partnerships. The Foundation helps expand access to art, history and cultural experiences, including through its Magic Bus program.