Marion Visits San Antonio
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.
The Collection Begins
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.
Art of Architecture
The Atkinsons commissioned San Antonio architects Atlee B. and Robert M. 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.
At her death in 1950, Marion left her collection of more than 700 works of art, along with her home, the surrounding acreage, and an endowment to establish the first modern art museum in Texas.
Stieren CenterMcNay Art Museum
In 1954 the McNay opened its doors to the public. 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.
McNay MansionMcNay Art Museum
The McNay Today
Since Mrs. McNay’s original bequest in 1950, the Museum’s Collection has expanded to more than 22,000 works. The Museum's mission is to engage a diverse community in the discovery and enjoyment of the visual arts.
Today, 200,000 visitors a year enjoy works by modern masters including Deborah Butterfield, Margarita Cabrera, Paul Gauguin, Vanessa German, Vincent van Gogh, Edward Hopper, Joan Mitchell, Alice Neel, Georgia O’Keeffe, Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Deborah Roberts. The 25 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds include sculptures by Willie Cole, Robert Indiana, Luis A. Jiménez Jr., Alejandro Martín, George Rickey, Joel Shapiro, Kiki Smith, Tom Wesselmann, and more.
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McNay Art Museum Grounds
The McNay's grounds feature outdoor sculpture, fountains, and gardens.
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Sculpture Terrace
The sculpture terrace features a variety of objects from the McNay Permanent Collection.
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Interior Courtyard
The interior courtyard, known as the Blackburn Patio, features a koi pond and original architectural details.
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Outdoor Sculpture
Robert Indiana's LOVE sculpture is an iconic photo opportunity in San Antonio.
McNay Art Museum
