History
In 1950, prominent Phoenix lawyer Oliver B. James gave a gift of 16 oil paintings by American artists to ASU. Over five years, James donated over 149 works by various American, Mexican, and European artists to the museum. The collection was originally included among the stacks at the university's first library building, the Matthews Library. Contributions from donors expanded the museum's collections, particularly of prints and American crafts. In 1977, the museum received a National Endowment for the Arts matching grant to purchase of contemporary American ceramics. By 1978, the museum occupied the entire second floor of the Matthews Center, with some 10,000 square feet (930 m2) of exhibition space. In April 1989, the ASU Art Museum moved into the newly-completed Nelson Fine Arts Center, designed by architect Antoine Predock, where the museum remains today.
Specialties
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