Irving Archives and Museum News

History in Bloom at Bear Creek

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 17:05:17 GMT

History in Bloom is a family-friendly event at Jackie Townsell Bear Creek Heritage Center, 3925 Jackson St.

Join the Irving Department of Arts and Culture for free tours, lawn games, and historical education about one of Dallas County's oldest African American communities. Plus, the Irving-based coffee makers at Hudson Grounds Coffee Co. will be providing FREE coffee and matcha for all who attend!

The heritage center includes the Bear Creek Masonic Lodge, the Green House, and the J.O. Davis House. All three sties offer a way to connect with the ongoing story of Bear Creek and the people who helped shape Irving’s cultural landscape.

Tom Landry: A Life in Football

Thu, 09 Apr 2026 19:44:56 GMT

Over a 29-year career, Tom Landry led the Dallas Cowboys through 20 consecutive winning seasons, many of them during the team’s years at Texas Stadium in Irving. Experience Tom Landry: A Life in Football through August 9, 2026 at the Irving Archives and Museum!

School-boy football team; Landry in the center of the middle row.

Tom Landry (1924–2000) led an illustrious life in the world of football. An all-around athlete from an early age, he began playing as a youth in his hometown of Mission, Texas, and later became quarterback at Mission High School.

In 1946, after serving in the United States Army Air Corps, Landry attended the University of Texas and joined the football team. He played fullback, defensive back, and punter on the bowl-winning 1947 and 1948 teams. He was later drafted by the New York Yankees of the All-America Football Conference. After one year, the team folded, and Landry joined the New York Giants of the National Football League. After retiring as a player with the Giants, he became defensive coordinator for the team, a position he held until 1959.

In 1959, Landry became the first head coach of the newly established Dallas Cowboys. Over a 29-year career (1960–1988), he achieved 20 consecutive winning seasons (1966–1985). As head coach, he led the team to two Super Bowl championships, five NFC titles, and 13 division titles, many of them during the team’s years at Texas Stadium in Irving.

This exhibit presents photographs from Landry’s life in football, from his early years in Mission, Texas, to his college career at the University of Texas and his professional career with the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys. Together, these images trace the arc of a career defined by discipline, leadership, and a lasting impact on the game of football.

On view through August 9, 2026.

The Perfect Shot Opens at IAM

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 18:56:11 GMT

The Perfect Shot: Walter Iooss Jr., and the Art of Sports Photography Opens at IAM

The Perfect Shot: Walter Iooss Jr., and the Art of Sports Photography, will be on view from April 9, 2026 through August 11, 2026. From Muhammad Ali to Serena Williams, Walter Iooss Jr. has brilliantly photographed some of the greatest athletes of all time. As an artist, he captures on film carefully crafted moments of anticipation and triumph—universal emotions of athletes and non-athletes alike.

The Perfect Shot: Walter Iooss Jr., and the Art of Sports Photography takes visitors through some of the most inspiring moments in sports history and highlights the craft and talent that transformed these moments into art. The exhibition features athletes Michael Jordan, Arnold Palmer, Tiger Woods, Cathy Marino, and many more. The Perfect Shot is an adaptation of the original retrospective exhibit organized by the Oklahoma City Museum of Art (OKCMOA) and is drawn from their permanent collection.

“Iooss is a master at framing and discovering dynamic backdrops. Over the course of his career with Sports Illustrated, Iooss brilliantly photographed many of the greatest athletes of all time,” said curator Bryn Schockmel, PhD. “As an artist, Iooss has created carefully composed portraits, captured seemingly candid moments that were actually meticulously crafted, and taken dramatic shots at the center of the action.”

Iooss was born in 1943 and shot his first roll of film in 1959, at a New York Giants game with his father. Only two years later, he began working for Sports Illustrated, landing his first cover in 1963, when he was not yet 20 years old. He went on to become a prolific photographer for the magazine and photographed every Super Bowl from the first in 1967 through 2020, and shot over 300 covers.

This family-friendly exhibit enables viewers, regardless of if they have a background playing or watching sports, to relate to the emotions and drama unveiled in the photographs.

The Perfect Shot is an adaptation of the original retrospective exhibit organized by the Oklahoma City Museum of Art (OKCMOA) and is drawn from their permanent collection.

Smithsonian Curator to Speak on How Spaceflight Is Remembered

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 22:19:33 GMT

Innovation, Invention, and Memory: How the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum Preserves How Spaceflight Is Remembered

As part of its Making History, Making Change Lecture Series , Smithsonian Curator to Speak on How Spaceflight Is Remembered

Date: April 14, 2026

Time: 7:00 PM

Location: Irving Arts Center, 3333 N. MacArthur Blvd, Irving, TX 75062

What happens to the story of space exploration after the rockets launch and the astronauts return home? Who preserves the memories, the artifacts, and the human stories that define one of humanity’s greatest adventures?

Join us at the April 14th Making History Making Change event in Irving, TX, for an inspiring evening with space historian Dr. Margaret A. Weitekamp, chair of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum’s Department of Space History and the curator of the Museum’s social and cultural history of spaceflight collection, as she explores how the Smithsonian preserves the cultural memory of spaceflight.

Space exploration is often told through the lens of technology like rockets, satellites, and spacecraft. But it is also a human story of invention, ambition, and imagination. In this lecture, Dr. Weitekamp will highlight how the Smithsonian collects and preserves the artifacts that tell this larger story: from commemorative medals and mission patches to exclusive jewelry and space-age memorabilia. Dr. Weitekamp will also look toward the future, including the excitement surrounding Artemis II, which will return humans to the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years.

Whether you’re a lifelong space enthusiast, a history buff, or simply someone who remembers gazing up at the night sky and wondering what lies beyond, this lecture promises a fascinating look at how the story of spaceflight continues to evolve and how we remember it.

Come explore the human side of space exploration and rediscover the curiosity that inspires us to keep reaching for the stars.

The Irving Department of Arts and Culture is one of 25 Smithsonian Affiliate organizations nationwide to host the Smithsonian’s Making History, Making Change Lecture Series commemorating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. From January to July, Smithsonian curators, scientists, educators, and historians will visit communities across the country to share stories that reflect the richness and complexity of the American experience.

The Making History, Making Change Lecture Series is organized by Smithsonian Affiliations as part of the Smithsonian’s Our Shared Future: 250. It is supported in part by the Dreier Family, Johanna and Ken Kim Family, Vaishali Shah Chadha and Family, and Michael Vu & Meridel Bulle-Vu.

Second Saturdays at IAM!

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 16:15:40 GMT

Second Saturdays at IAM!

FREE Admission and FREE Activities for Everyone!

Irving Museums Closed Sunday, April 5, 2026

Thu, 26 Mar 2026 17:24:49 GMT

Spring Break at IAM!

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 10:49:51 GMT

FREE Docent-Led Tours - First Sundays at 2 pm!

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 18:44:41 GMT

Join Us at IAM for Docent-Led Tours on the First Sunday of Every Month at 2 pm! FREE ADMISSION & FREE TOUR!

GET YOUR ICONIC IRVING T-SHIRT—SUPPORT THE BIG STATE SIGN PROJECT!

Sat, 31 Jan 2026 21:33:21 GMT

Friends of the Irving Museum Launch

"Iconic Irving T-Shirt" Fundraiser to Support

Big State Sign Restoration Project

Friends of the Irving Museum is excited to launch the Iconic Irving T-Shirt Fundraiser! For a donation of $35 or more, you’ll receive your very own Iconic Irving T-Shirt—a wearable piece of hometown pride.

Every dollar raised goes directly toward giving the beloved Big State sign a permanent home in Heritage Park. This project preserves not just a sign, but a vital piece of Irving’s history and community identity.

Click here to learn how to get yours!

Talk with the Artist - January 31st at 1 pm!

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 17:47:07 GMT

Weather Closure January 2026

Fri, 23 Jan 2026 19:36:54 GMT

ALL Irving Museums Closed Due to Inclement Weather

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HOLIDAY CLOSURES - ALL IRVING MUSEUMS

Thu, 25 Dec 2025 20:41:51 GMT

Happy 122nd Birthday Irving!

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 22:45:27 GMT

TSHA Welcome

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 15:21:50 GMT

Welcome TSHA Attendees! Explore the rich history and historic sites in Irving!

Katseye 2025

Sun, 16 Nov 2025 21:30:30 GMT

KATSEYE Irving Fan Event

Check out the photos from our event!

Check out the AMAZING photos from the event!

KATSEYE Irving Fan Event Details

An EYEKON-ic celebration is coming to Irving!

Date: Sunday, November 16, 2025

Time: 1 - 3 p.m.

Location: Irving Archives and Museum, 801 W. Irving Blvd, Irving, TX 75060

Admission: Free | All ages welcome

Join us at the Irving Archives and Museum for a fun-filled afternoon celebrating music, creativity, and community! Dive into the excitement with hands-on activities , including a DIY craft station , a KATSEYE-inspired photobooth , and full access to our special museum exhibits.

Don’t miss your chance to win exclusive KATSEYE prizes in our fan raffle, featuring:

Official KATSEYE CDs
A Fujifilm Instax Camera
Official KATSEYE Light Stick
Grand Prize: Two tickets to the sold-out KATSEYE concert on November 30 at the Toyota Music Factory!

This free, all-ages event is the perfect way to connect with fellow fans and celebrate the power of pop culture and creativity. Raffle participants must be 18 years or older to win.

The KATSEYE Irving Fan Event is proudly sponsored by the Toyota Music Factory and hosted by the Irving Archives and Museum in partnership with the Irving Arts Center.

IAM CLOSING AT 2 PM DEC 6

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 14:31:14 GMT

IAM CLOSING EARLY SATURDAY DECEMBER 6

Illuminate Irving 2025

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 21:16:17 GMT

Original artwork by Irving Independent School District high school art students reflecting a message of hope and healing for those who have experienced domestic violence or know someone who has been impacted by it.

Fall into History at Bear Creek

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 17:34:12 GMT

Step back in time and fall into history at Bear Creek Heritage Center!

Fall into History at Bear Creek Heritage Center

Date: Sunday, October 26, 2025

Time: 1 - 4 p.m.

Location: Bear Creek Heritage Center, 3925 Jackson Street, Irving, TX 75061

Admission: Free | All ages welcome | Come and go

Step back in time and fall into history!

Join the Irving Department of Arts and Culture for a relaxed, come-and-go afternoon celebrating community, storytelling, and heritage at Bear Creek. Visitors are invited to explore the historic homes with staff on hand to share insight into the area’s rich history , enjoy lawn games on the grounds, and take part in a family-friendly scavenger hunt .

Event Highlights:

Signed Exhibition Catalog Giveaway: The first 15 guests will receive a signed copy of Through Darkness to Light: Photographs Along the Underground Railroad by Jeanine Michna-Bales. (One gift per group)
Legacy Kits for National Genealogy Month: In recognition of National Genealogy Month, guests can pick up a Legacy Kit, a thoughtfully designed set of prompts, archival envelopes, and guidance to help preserve family stories and memories. Staff will be available throughout the day to offer tips on documenting your family history. (Available only while supplies last.)

Fall into History offers an accessible, family-friendly way to connect with the ongoing story of Bear Creek and the people who helped shape Irving’s cultural landscape. Bring a friend, bring your curiosity, and spend the afternoon surrounded by history, conversation, and community spirit.

City of Irving Mourns the Passing of Ruth Paine

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 21:32:52 GMT

City of Irving Mourns the Passing of Ruth Paine

The City of Irving and the Irving Department of Arts and Culture are saddened to announce the passing of Ruth Hyde Paine, who died on August 31, 2025, just three days before her 93rd birthday.

Ruth Paine’s life became intertwined with one of the most pivotal moments in American history. In 1963, Marina Oswald and her children were living with Ruth in her modest Irving home when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Unknown to Ruth at the time, Lee Harvey Oswald had stored the rifle the Warren Commission determined was used in the assassination in her garage.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, Ruth provided crucial testimony to the Warren Commission, answering more questions than any other witness. Over the decades, she gave countless interviews and dedicated herself to clarifying her role in history. While her name became forever linked to the Kennedy assassination, Ruth Paine was also an educator, a linguist, a Quaker, and a woman of principle, whose life stretched far beyond November 22, 1963.

In 2009, the City of Irving purchased the Paine home on West 5th Street and restored it to its 1963 appearance. In 2013, the home opened as the Ruth Paine House Museum, a historic site that explores the events leading up to President Kennedy’s assassination. The museum also highlights Ruth’s friendship with Marina Oswald, which brought the Oswald family into her home during that pivotal time. After the opening, Ruth visited the museum several times, generously sharing her memories and insights, and offering her support for the city’s efforts to preserve this important chapter of history.

“The City of Irving is deeply grateful to Ruth Paine,” said Irving Mayor Rick Stopfer “Through her generosity and willingness to share her experiences, she helped us preserve a vital piece of history for future generations. Her life reminds us that history is often lived by ordinary people placed in extraordinary circumstances.”

Ruth Paine will be remembered not only for the history that unfolded around her but also for her lifelong commitment to education, peace, and service. The City of Irving extends its heartfelt condolences to her family and friends.

Information regarding a public memorial service has not been announced at this time.

To see our memorial page honoring Ruth Paine, please visit: https://www.irvingarchivesandmuseum.com/ruth-paine-memorial .

About the Ruth Paine House Museum

The Ruth Paine House Museum immerses visitors in the story of the events leading up to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy through a restored 1963 suburban home, multimedia exhibits, and projected vignettes featuring Ruth and Michael Paine and Marina and Lee Harvey Oswald. Period furnishings, family photographs, and archival media transport visitors back to a pivotal moment in American history while also exploring Ruth Paine’s civic and social justice work during the 1960s.

For more information about the Ruth Paine House Museum, please visit: https://www.irvingarchivesandmuseum.com/ruth-paine-house-museum.

Badge of Pride

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 19:23:27 GMT

Badge of Pride: From Silence…To Celebration!
On View at IAM Through September 28, 2025!

Irving Archives & Museum is honored to present a groundbreaking new exhibition, Badge of Pride: From Silence…To Celebration! , in partnership with the Dallas-based nonprofit Badge of Pride , with the organization’s Executive Director, Adrian Cardwell, serving as lead curator. Running from June 6 to September 28, 2025, this landmark exhibit offers one of the first and most comprehensive artifact-driven explorations of LGBTQ+ history in Texas.

Anchored by a powerful panel from the National AIDS Memorial Quilt , the exhibition weaves together personal artifacts, archival materials, and historical narratives to showcase over a century of LGBTQ+ history. Featuring items from Badge of Pride’s extensive collection, as well as artifacts on loan from private and institutional collections, this exhibition provides visitors with a rare opportunity to connect with history through the objects and stories of those who lived it.

A JOURNEY FROM SILENCE TO CELEBRATION

The exhibition’s title draws inspiration from the 1995 Pride theme, "From Silence to Celebration," honoring the LGBTQ+ community’s transformation from fear and invisibility to resilience, activism, and joy. It is a tribute to those who broke the silence, those who fought for visibility, and the generations who turned pain into pride, ensuring that LGBTQ+ stories are not only remembered but cherished and celebrated.

A CALL TO ACTION

Designed to educate, inspire, and empower, Badge of Pride: From Silence…To Celebration! invites visitors into a safe space for reflection and dialogue. A dynamic speaker series, Say It Loud: From the Shadows to the Mainstage, along with community-driven events, will deepen engagement and connection to the themes of the exhibit. By centering the voices and experiences of the LGBTQ+ community, this exhibition serves as a powerful reminder of how far we’ve come—and the work still ahead to build a more inclusive future.

Four Core Themes Guide the Experience:

Claiming Identity

Step back over a century to explore LGBTQ+ life before Stonewall, highlighting the resilience and determination of a community finding its voice.

Resisting Oppression

Divided into two parts, this section examines the Gay Liberation movement of the 1970s and the ongoing fight against discrimination, illustrating how collective action sparked social change.

AIDS: Surviving a Plague

This solemn yet powerful chapter honors the LGBTQ+ community’s strength and activism during the AIDS crisis, featuring a panel from the National AIDS Memorial Quilt with a special North Texas connection.

Celebrating Pride & Power

The exhibit culminates in a vibrant tribute to LGBTQ+ visibility, featuring a homage to Harvey Milk’s legacy and a call to continue the fight for equality.

This exhibition is more than a history lesson—it is a testament to the power of community, visibility, and pride. Join us as we honor the triumphs, struggles, and legacies that have shaped the LGBTQ+ experience, around the globe and right here at home in North Texas.

Caribbean Indigenous Resistance

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 19:15:24 GMT

Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition Exploring Indigenous Legacy of the Caribbean

Caribbean Indigenous Resistance / Resistencia indígena del Caribe ¡Taíno Vive!, an exhibition from the Smithsonian presents the history of the Taínos, the Indigenous peoples of the northern Caribbean islands, and how their descendants are reaffirming their culture and identity today. The bilingual (English/Spanish) exhibition was organized for travel by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) in collaboration with the National Museum of the American Indian and the National Museum of the American Latino and will be on view at IAM through August 10, 2025.

The exhibition explores the Taíno heritage of today and how their descendants are participating in a growing movement to reaffirm their Caribbean Indigenous identity and culture. The term Taíno refers to the diverse Arawak-speaking peoples of the Greater Antilles (Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico) and their descendants within and outside of the Caribbean. In 1492, the Taíno discovered Christopher Columbus, an encounter that set-in motion a Spanish invasion that devastated the Taíno civilization and decimated their population. However, the exhibition reveals that in places like Puerto Rico, Cuba and Jamaica, historical records and regional traditions point to Indigenous survival and rich cultural legacies within and outside the Caribbean.

Visitors will learn about the Taíno survival journey through stories, contemporary crafts, musical instruments, and utilitarian objects associated with aspects of Native day-to-day life. The exhibition includes a short video that showcases the impacts of colonial encounters in the Caribbean and the nexus of the first interactions between the new and the old world.

Audiences will discover examples of Indigenous musical instruments such as the maracas and the güiro, traditionally made from the dritas fruit of the Higuera tree, native to parts of Central America and Puerto Rico. Contemporary objects such as jícara bowls show the traditional eating and drinking utensils first used by the Taínos that were made from the fruit of the gourd tree.

The exhibition received federal support from the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the National Museum of the American Latino.

About Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES)

SITES has been sharing the wealth of Smithsonian collections and research programs with millions of people outside Washington, D.C., for more than 70 years. SITES connects Americans to their shared cultural heritage through a wide range of exhibitions about art, science, and history, which are shown wherever people live, work and play. For exhibition description and tour schedules, visit: sites.si.edu.

Irving Works, a photography exhibition highlighting City of Irving employees

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 16:10:14 GMT

Irving Works

A photography exhibition highlighting City of Irving employees at their jobs working to make and keep Irving such an enjoyable place to live.

On view at IAM through May 18, 2025.

Every day, the employees of the City of Irving dedicate their time, skills, and energy to keeping the city running smoothly. From maintaining parks and streets to providing vital services, their work ensures that Irving remains a thriving, welcoming community.

The photography exhibit Irving Works highlights city employees at their jobs working to keep Irving an inviting place to live.

Their efforts extend far beyond the tasks they perform, reflecting a commitment to excellence, pride in their work, and a shared vision of Irving’s future. From public safety to public works, from libraries to recreation centers, these employees represent the spirit of Irving: a community strengthened by teamwork, perseverance, and a passion for service.

Their stories highlight the dedication and expertise that power the city every day, shaping Irving into the vibrant and dynamic place so many call home.

The exhibit Irving Works is a companion to the national exhibition Working America. Both exhibits are on view through May 18.

Working America, a photography exhibition

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 15:57:37 GMT

Working America

A photography exhibition featuring American immigrants and first-generation Americans at work as icons of the American experience

On view through May 18, 2025.

In the photography exhibition Working America , artist Sam Comen presents American immigrants and first-generation Americans at work in the small, skilled trades as icons of the American experience. The subjects share stories of economic independence and struggle, belonging and exclusion, faith and fear, and service to both community and family.

A variety of themes are explored in the portraits and accompanying interviews, including the dignity of work, inequity among immigrant nationalities, the political relevance of labor migrants, the intergenerational legacies of inherited skills, the learning of new skills to adapt to the new land of opportunity, and the relationship between a nation’s identity and the identities of the individuals who comprise that nation.

This body of work has particular relevance today in a political landscape where anti-immigrant and pro-worker sentiments figure prominently. Comen has revisited some of his portrait subjects more recently, to update their stories in the extraordinary context of the global pandemic and subsequently devastating economic hardship, adding new dimensions and timeliness to the project.

Working America is a meditation on American belonging and American becoming, it poetically acknowledges the lives of and contributions that working men and women make as a part of our country and our collective experience. Working America is on view at Irving Archives and Museum through May 18, 2025.

About the Artist

As a native Californian, Sam Comen has used his home state as a muse throughout his career and often looks to the places that define us for inspiration. He has long focused on themes of American identity, community-building, immigration, democracy, and social justice in his photographic work.

His portrait Jesus Sera, Dishwasher (2019) from the Working America series was awarded Second Prize in the prestigious triennial The Outwin: American Portraiture Today at the National Portrait Gallery in 2019, and his work was on view there in the 2017–18 exhibition The Sweat of Their Face: Portraying American Workers.

His photographs are collected by the Library of Congress, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and private collectors, and he is regularly commissioned by brands and publications internationally.

About ExhibitsUSA

This exhibition is toured by ExhibitsUSA, a national program of Mid-America Arts Alliance. ExhibitsUSA sends more than twenty-five exhibitions on tour to over 100 small- and mid-sized communities every year. These exhibitions create access to an array of arts and humanities experiences, nurture the understanding of diverse cultures and art forms, and encourage the expanding depth and breadth of cultural life in local communities. For more about ExhibitsUSA, email MoreArt@maaa.org or visit www.eusa.org .

About Mid-America Arts Alliance

Mid-America Arts Alliance (M-AAA) strengthens and supports artists, cultural organizations, and communities throughout our region and beyond. Additional information about M-AAA is available at www.maaa.org .

All City Museums Closed Friday, July 4, 2025

Sat, 01 Mar 2025 21:02:16 GMT

HOLD FLOWERS IN BOTH HANDS: One woman's story of love, faith and fortitude

Fri, 03 Jan 2025 21:06:46 GMT

The Inspiring Legacy of Setsuko Nagasawa Kinslow and Her Journey from Wartime Japan to a New Life in Texas

Irving Archives and Museum is honored to host the exhibit, HOLD FLOWERS IN BOTH HANDS: One woman's story of love, faith and fortitude , a captivating exploration of one woman’s journey from postwar Japan to a new life in the DFW area of Texas. Featuring the story of Setsuko Nagasawa Kinslow, a Japanese war bride and beloved community member, this exhibit shines a light on her extraordinary life with themes of love, resilience, and cultural connection. On view at IAM through March 2025.

The exhibit delves into Setsuko’s remarkable life, tracing her path from her early years in Ashikaga City, Japan, to her performances with the Tokyo Rangers, and eventually to her life in the United States as the wife of Anthony Kinslow, an American servicemember. Highlights include photographs of her career as a singer, personal letters that reveal her courage in bridging two worlds, and artifacts that illustrate her role as a cultural ambassador in her adopted community.

"Setsuko Nagasawa Kinslow’s story is one of determination and grace,” said Jennifer Landry, Director of the Irving Archives and Museum. "Through this exhibit, we not only honor her legacy but also deepen our understanding of how global events shape individual lives and local communities. Her story adds a rich, personal dimension to the national themes explored in the Smithsonian’s Japanese War Brides: Across a Wide Divide. "

HOLD FLOWERS IN BOTH HANDS: One woman's story of love, faith and fortitude complements the Smithsonian traveling exhibition by offering a localized perspective. Together, these exhibits highlight the experiences of nearly 45,000 Japanese women who immigrated to the United States as war brides, reshaping American culture and communities.

A particular highlight of the exhibit is Setsuko’s connection to the Tokyo Rangers, a postwar Japanese music group known for their blend of traditional Japanese performance styles and Western music influences. Rare promotional materials and performance photos capture her vibrant presence as a singer and cultural trailblazer. Visitors can also explore touching moments from her life, such as letters exchanged with her mother-in-law and scenes from their family milestones, including their departure from Japan to start a new chapter in Texas.

This exhibit serves as a poignant reminder of how personal stories connect us to larger historical narratives, offering a deeper appreciation for the unique contributions of Japanese war brides to American society.

Japanese War Brides: Across a Wide Divide

Fri, 03 Jan 2025 17:50:46 GMT

Japanese War Brides: Across a Wide Divide

On view at Irving Archives and Museum December 14, 2024 through April 6, 2025

The experiences of the nearly 45,000 Japanese women who immigrated to the United States as wives of American military servicemembers after World War II are explored in the exhibition Japanese War Brides: Across a Wide Divide from the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES). These young women left their homes to build lives within the complexities of postwar American society. Their experiences reshaped communities by challenging immigration laws and race relations.

Japanese War Brides: Across a Wide Divide opens at IAM, a Smithsonian Affiliate on December 14, 2024. It will remain on view through April 6, 2025, before continuing to tour museums and cultural organizations across the United States through 2028.

An opening reception is planned for Saturday, December 14, 2024, 1 – 3 p.m. Reception open to the public.

The exhibition examines the lives of ordinary women living in extraordinary times, women who navigated the wide divide between the country of their birth and the country of their husbands. It was a divide of cultural, social and legal differences. The exhibition begins by examining how the lives of Japanese citizens and occupying American servicemen intertwined during the Allied Occupation of Japan between 1945 and 1952. It outlines the obstacles of U.S. laws banning Asian immigration and the push to change perceptions following WWII.

The exhibition highlights how these women learned to be mid-century American housewives while preserving their cultures. It is a story as varied as their circumstances from geography and the race of one’s husband, to religion, work and career military or civilian life.

Through touchscreen displays, visitors can explore a historical and cultural timeline highlighting significant dates relevant to Japanese war brides in both the U.S. and Japan. They can also hear personal accounts from Japanese women and their families that reflect on the themes of the bride schools, moving to the United States, marriage, parenting, identity and community. Videos showcase segments from 1950s films that helped shape expectations on both sides of the world. Films produced by Allied forces screened throughout Japan during the occupation period promoted American sentiments and values. While in the U.S., films and other media played a pivotal role in creating new stereotypes of Japanese people and Japanese women in particular.

The arrival of these brides marked the largest women-only immigration event in U.S. history and, by 1960, had increased the population of Asian Americans in the U.S. by 10%. In contrast to other waves of immigrants, war brides did not settle in established immigrant communities with strong Japanese cultural roots. They lived in cities and towns, big and small, across America, often without familial, linguistic or cultural support networks. Not all women lived happy lives or had intact marriages, but many carved out meaningful lives in their communities despite formidable challenges.

The exhibition draws upon the work of three daughters of Japanese war brides to better understand their mothers’ experiences. Through War Bride Experience Inc., Lucy Craft, Karen Kasmauski and Kathryn Tolbert collected oral histories of war brides and members of their families. Japanese War Brides features many of these voices that provide personal reflections on life in postwar Japan, their experience as new immigrants in the U.S. and their legacies.

_______________

Japanese War Brides: Across a Wide Divide is a collaboration between SITES , the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History and War Bride Experience Inc. The exhibition received federal support from the Asian Pacific American Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center. Additional funding was provided by the Sachiko Kuno Philanthropic Fund.

CLOSING SOON: Nature’s Blueprints: Biomimicry in Art and Design at IAM

Thu, 02 Jan 2025 00:46:23 GMT

Only on view through Sunday, January 5, 2025!

In an age of complex environmental challenges, why not look to the ingenuity of nature for solutions? The forms, patterns, and processes found in the natural world—refined by 3.8 billion years of evolution—can inspire our design of everything from clothing to skyscrapers. This approach to innovation, called biomimicry, is becoming increasingly popular. The exhibition Nature’s Blueprints: Biomimicry in Art and Design brings together art and design with environmental science using artifacts, artworks and photography, as well as interactive learning stations.

Biomimicry is not a novel idea; Gaudi and Da Vinci both took inspiration from nature. Modern science and technology, however, are rapidly expanding the types of materials and systems we can create. Bird wings. Spiderwebs. Rainbow Trout. These have inspired design improvements that enable faster travel, safer bridges, and more effective wind turbines. Similarly, biomimicry in art is a process that entails exploring the material properties, cycles, and dynamics of nature, and how whole biological systems are structured—and putting that into works of art. Artworks and designs that are rooted in the laws and forms of nature can address pressing issues, such as conservation, sustainability, and environmental justice. They can also spark an interest in, and connection with, nature.

This exhibition is aimed to encourage discourse among audiences of all backgrounds as our understanding of the natural world can lead to some extraordinary creations that improve lives and reduce our impact on the environment. Nature’s Blueprints: Biomimicry in Art and Design is an adaptation of the High Desert Museum’s Innovation Lab: Design Inspired by Nature, and is produced and toured by ExhibitsUSA, a program of Mid-America Arts Alliance.

On view at IAM through January 5, 2025.

This exhibition is toured by ExhibitsUSA, a national program of Mid-America Arts Alliance. ExhibitsUSA sends more than twenty-five exhibitions on tour to over 100 small and mid-sized communities every year. These exhibitions create access to an array of arts and humanities experiences, nurture the understanding of diverse cultures and art forms, and encourage the expanding depth and breadth of cultural life in local communities.

For more about ExhibitsUSA, email MoreArt@maaa.org or visit www.eusa.org.

The High Desert Museum in Bend, Oregon, brings together wildlife, cultures, art, history, and the natural world to convey the wonder of North America’s High Desert. The High Desert Museum opened in 1982, is a Smithsonian Affiliate, and was a finalist for the 2018 National Medal for Museum and Library Services.

Diptychs, Triptychs, and Other Experiments by Robert N. Batson

Wed, 01 Jan 2025 18:07:40 GMT

Artworks by Robert N. Batson

Discover Robert N. Batson’s latest exploration of abstract landscapes in Diptychs, Triptychs, and Other Experiments at Irving Archives and Museum through January 5, 2025!

This new exhibition features works created by Batson between 2022 and 2024. These pieces continue his exploration of vibrant color, rich textures, and abstracted landscapes. Batson skillfully layers paints and chalk pastels to evoke atmospheric, landscape-inspired abstractions, with each work inviting viewers to experience his unique interplay of material and meaning. A must see for art lovers!

About the Artist

Robert N. Batson has lived in Irving since the age of two. He can't remember when he first started drawing and painting, but art has been a constant presence throughout his life. He attended Irving High School, where he studied art, graduating in 1965. Batson then studied architecture at Texas Tech University, earning a Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1970. He became a licensed architect in 1974. The following year, in 1975, he received a Master of Arts degree from the University of Dallas, where he began exploring three central themes that continue to define his work: color, texture, and landscapes.

Throughout his career, Batson has balanced practicing architecture and teaching both architecture and art history. Now retired, he exhibits his art at the Taos Artists Collective gallery in Taos, New Mexico, and the Fine Arts New Mexico gallery in Arroyo Seco, New Mexico. He also volunteers at the Irving Arts Center as a docent and participates in their family, youth, and teen programs. Batson has previously exhibited at the Irving Arts Center.

SALES IN BOTH MUSEUM STORES

Fri, 15 Nov 2024 21:01:21 GMT

DON'T MISS THESE AMAZING STORE SALES

Irving Archives & Museum and Mustangs Museum Stores HOSTING BIG SALES!

60 Years of Irving Healthcare: Honoring Our Legacy, Building Our Future

Thu, 10 Oct 2024 21:13:16 GMT

Irving Archives and Museum Showcases Exhibit on Irving Hospital History

60 Years of Healthcare: Honoring Our Legacy, Building Our Future

IAM announces its new exhibit, 60 Years of Healthcare: Honoring Our Legacy, Building Our Future , which will be on display from through December 1, 2024. This exhibit tells the story of how the city of Irving transformed from a small farming community into a modern city and the parallel development of its healthcare system, starting with the opening of Irving Community Hospital in 1964.

In the 1950s, Irving was experiencing a period of rapid growth, expanding from a modest population of 2,500 to a bustling city of 50,000 residents. This growth spurred discussions about the need for local healthcare, as residents frequently traveled to Dallas hospitals for medical services. In response, city leaders formed the Irving Hospital Authority in 1959 and began working on plans to establish a community hospital.

A key moment in this journey came in 1961, when a door-to-door fundraising campaign led by the women of the Irving Hospital Auxiliary raised $350,000, which, combined with funds from hospital bonds, brought the community closer to achieving its vision. After years of planning and effort, Irving Community Hospital broke ground in 1962 and opened its doors in November 1964. The facility, initially designed with 100 beds, quickly became a vital part of the community, serving generations of Irving residents.

The exhibit will feature archival photographs, a timeline of important milestones in the hospital's history, and artifacts that highlight the community's grassroots efforts to fund the hospital. Visitors will also have the opportunity to view a TexasFest-themed quilt that honors the presidents of the TexasFest event over the years. Launched in 1980, TexasFest became an essential fundraising event for the hospital, raising over $11 million to support the hospital’s expansion and equipment needs.

Special Highlights Include:

A display of the groundbreaking ceremony in October 1962, featuring both a mule-drawn plow and a modern-day earthmover, symbolizing Irving’s transformation from a farm town into a modern city.
Photographs of Ben Carpenter and Carolyn Carpenter Williams, who donated the land for the hospital, at the dedication ceremony in 1964.
A timeline tracing the hospital’s expansion, name changes, and eventual affiliation with Baylor Scott & White.

The exhibit is free with museum admission and is open to all ages.

Cheer Couture: The Creation of an Icon

Tue, 08 Oct 2024 20:07:36 GMT

Cheer Couture: The Creation of an Icon

Irving Archives and Museum is proud to announce the opening of a new exhibition, Cheer Couture: The Creation of an Icon, celebrating the history and enduring legacy of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader uniform. The exhibit will run through December 8, 2024.

This exhibition takes visitors on a fascinating journey through the creation of one of the most recognized uniforms in sports history. Designed in 1972 by Paula Van Wagoner, a Dallas-based fashion designer, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader uniform revolutionized cheerleading with its sexy yet tasteful look, combining elements of western wear with the trends of the time. What began as a one-season design has become an enduring symbol of American pop culture, still in use more than 50 years later.

Cheer Couture: The Creation of an Icon highlights the pivotal role that Paula Van Wagoner, Lester Melnick, and Lorch Folzs played in transforming the image of cheerleaders from high school students in pleated skirts to a professional dance team in eye-catching uniforms. Visitors will learn how a casual conversation between Cowboys General Manager Tex Schram and Melnick led to the creation of a uniform that would not only define the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders but also shape the identity of cheerleading worldwide.

Exhibit highlights include:

The original sketch of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader uniform, donated to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in 2018.
A detailed backstory of Paula Van Wagoner’s role in designing the uniform.
Memorabilia from over the years, including items commemorating the Cowboys' Super Bowl XXX victory in 1996 and the 2007 limited-edition Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Barbie doll.
In addition, the exhibit features rare photographs and artifacts, such as the invitation to the Smithsonian donation event, where Paula Van Wagoner reunited with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders in 2016, alongside her niece Inga Van Wagoner, who was a Cowboys Cheerleader in 1995 and 1996.

Don’t miss this opportunity to explore the story behind an iconic piece of fashion history that has become synonymous with the Dallas Cowboys and American culture.

Celebrating 40 Years of Mustangs of Las Colinas

Thu, 29 Aug 2024 00:05:28 GMT

Mustangs of Las Colinas 40th Anniversary Celebration:

A 40-Day Tribute to an Iconic Masterpiece

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 29, 2024

Mustangs of Las Colinas 40th Anniversary Celebration: A 40-Day Tribute to an Iconic Masterpiece

Irving, TX – The City of Irving and the Irving Department of Arts and Culture are excited to announce the 40th Anniversary Celebration of the Mustangs of Las Colinas! This 40-day celebration is packed with events and activities to honor the legacy of this iconic sculpture and the life of its visionary creator, Robert Glen. The commemoration kicks off with a mayoral proclamation on August 29, 2024, and culminates in a grand finale celebration, "Sunset on the Plaza," on October 18, 2024, at 6 p.m.

Celebration Highlights Include:

August 29, 2024, 7 p.m. – Mayoral Proclamation

The celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Mustangs of Las Colinas will be officially announced with a special proclamation by the Mayor of Irving during the City Council meeting.

September 9, 2024 – Launch of “Mustangs Memories” Online Collection

To mark the beginning of "40 Days of Mustangs," beginning September 9, 2024 everyone is invited to experience the "Mustangs Memories" project. This meaningful endeavor features an online collection of 40 years of treasured memories submitted by people who have enjoyed the significance of this extraordinary work of art throughout their lives. Each day throughout the 40 days leading up to the event on October 18, 2024, new memories, photos, and stories highlighting the sculpture's impact over the past 40 years will be added to the “Mustangs Memories” online collection at www.mustangsoflascolinas.com and shared on social media.

We invite and encourage the public to contribute their own “Mustangs Memories,” which will be preserved in the Mustangs of Las Colinas archives. For details and to submit your memories, visit www.mustangsoflascolinas.com.

September 16 - October 5, 2024 – Horse Origami Street Art by Irving Public Library

In celebration of the Mustangs of Las Colinas' 40th anniversary, the Irving Public Library invites the community to experience a unique and creative tribute! Teens from the library’s Young Adult Action Council are crafting intricate horse origami art, which will be assembled into a striking street art installation spelling out the word "READ." This captivating artwork will be displayed by the South Irving Library’s drive-thru window. The installation aims to be completed by October 5, 2024 and will remain on view throughout the anniversary celebrations, adding a literary twist to the city's anniversary festivities. Don’t miss this opportunity to see art and literacy come together in a visually stunning tribute!

October 11, 2024, 2:30 p.m. – Equest Mini-Horse Ambassadors at South Irving Library

Join us at the South Irving Library for a special event featuring the Equest Mini-Horse Ambassadors, part of the 40th Anniversary Celebration of the Mustangs of Las Colinas. This heartwarming session will provide insight into Equest’s remarkable therapy work, showcasing how these gentle mini horses make a profound impact on the lives of those they serve. Following the presentation, attendees will have the unique opportunity to meet and greet these adorable ambassadors up close. It’s a perfect way to connect with the spirit of the Mustangs while learning about the incredible role these horses play in our community.

October 18, 2024, 6 p.m. – Sunset on the Plaza

The 40-day celebration culminates in a spectacular evening event at the Mustangs of Las Colinas Museum and Visitor Center. In commemoration of the 40th Anniversary of the Mustangs of Las Colinas, join us for "Sunset on the Plaza," a tribute to the spirit of Irving and the artistic genius of Robert Glen. This public event will feature live music, hors d’oeuvres, remarks from distinguished guests, and a special sunset toast on the Plaza.

About Robert Glen - The Artist

Robert Glen, the artistic genius behind the Mustangs of Las Colinas, passed away on October 28, 2023. Glen's extraordinary talent as a sculptor and his dedication to African wildlife conservation are celebrated through his monumental works. His partner, Sue Stolberger, will attend the anniversary events, providing a personal connection to Glen’s enduring legacy.

"Irving will forever cherish Robert Glen's contributions to our city's history, culture, and beauty," said Irving Mayor Rick Stopfer.

Media Contact:

April Baker

abaker@cityofirving.org

214-883-7421

Support the Friends of the Irving Museums at Corner Bakery

Mon, 26 Aug 2024 17:27:49 GMT

Ready for a mouthwatering meal that supports a great cause?

Join us at Corner Bakery Café (118 E John Carpenter Freeway)
Tuesday, September 17, 2024
7:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
You can make a difference!
25% will be donated to Friends of the Irving Museums with every order placed (online or in-person)
Be sure to use promo code 659 when ordering.
Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to dine for a purpose!
A minimum of 20 RSVPs are required in advance.
Get all the details and RSVP at: https://grouprai.se/s285524 .

A Tree Worth Celebrating

Fri, 23 Aug 2024 18:32:58 GMT

Sweet Mustang Memories: A Tree Worth Celebrating!

This holiday season, the Friends of the Irving Museums have decked the halls of the Irving Arts Center with our unique tree, Sweet Mustang Memories, for the 32nd Annual Holiday Tree Exhibition. Inspired by the "Sweet Dreams of Christmas" theme, our tree celebrates the cherished 40th anniversary of the iconic Mustangs of Las Colinas sculpture by Robert Glen, adorned with community memories, rustic, country-inspired décor, and horse-themed accents.

Catch the magic in person from Tuesday to Saturday, noon to 5 p.m., at the Irving Arts Center galleries. Or, view and vote for your favorite tree online via Irving Arts Center’s Instagram and Facebook pages. Every “like” on our tree brings us closer to winning a cash prize that will directly support the important work of the museums in Irving, including the

Irving Archives and Museum.

Don't miss this chance to revel in the holiday spirit and champion our museums!

Gather your friends, enjoy the beautifully decorated trees and help us turn Sweet Mustang Memories into a winner.

IAM to be Closed for Maintenance

Thu, 01 Aug 2024 18:48:21 GMT

BREAKING NEWS! Maintenance completed ahead of schedule! IAM will reopen Wednesday, August 28, 2024!

Thrift Style Exhibition Open at IAM

Mon, 13 May 2024 17:17:38 GMT

Irving Archives and Museum Opens Thrift Style Exhibition

Thrift Style explores the reuse of feed sacks to make clothing and other household objects and illuminates how the “upcycling” of these bags mutually benefitted twentieth-century consumers and businesses. With forty-one works from patterns to garments, it serves as an example of past ingenuity that can inform today’s efforts towards sustainability. Thrift Style is on view at Irving Archives and Museum May 15 through August 16, 2024.

The exhibition, organized by the Historic Costume and Textile Museum and the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art, both at Kansas State University, provides a nostalgic view into American ingenuity, sensibility, and optimism during a particularly challenging time of economic hardship and war—the period of the Great Depression and World War II. The reuse of feed, flour, and sugar sacks was a cost-saving and resource-saving approach employed by homemakers to make new items to meet their families’ needs.

In the 1920s and ‘30s, manufacturers began producing patterned and colored feed sacks to give home seamstresses more options. During World War II, the federal government limited fabric use for individual garments and homemakers were obligated to use thrifty approaches to repurpose what was available to them. As fabrics from feed sacks were not considered a limited resource, women turned to them as an accessible and patriotic option during the war effort. In response, trade organizations and manufacturers promoted the thrifty use of feed sack fabric by publishing how-to brochures and booklets with clothing designs, mending instructions, and other suggestions for restyling clothes.

The artifacts in the exhibition demonstrate a mutual goal of sustainability, with local businesses—mills and feed and seed operations—tailoring product design and marketing campaigns to attract customers; and consumers using their imaginations and practical skills to tailor clothing, aprons, quilts, dolls, and more out of the industry’s byproduct: feed sack cotton.

This exhibition offers a snapshot of domestic life during this time, when recycling was as critical as it is today, and it provides one of the best examples of upcycling in our nation’s history. It is organized by The Historic Costume and Textile Museum and the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art, both at Kansas State University, and ExhibitsUSA, a program of Mid-America Arts Alliance.

We are a Blue Star Museum!

Fri, 10 May 2024 18:04:46 GMT

IAM to offer free admission to military personnel and their families this summer!

Irving Archives and Museum has joined museums nationwide in the Blue Star Museums initiative, a program that provides free admission to currently serving U.S. military personnel and their families this summer. The 2024 program will begin on Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 18, 2024, and end on Labor Day, Monday, September 2, 2024. Learn more and find the list of participating museums at arts.gov/BlueStarMuseums.

Blue Star Museums is a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families, in collaboration with the Department of Defense and participating museums across America.

“We are grateful to Irving Archives and Museum for participating in this summer’s Blue Star Museums program and we hope military families will take this opportunity to create meaningful, lifelong memories,” said Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD, chair of the National Endowment for the Arts. “Whether you are traveling this summer, getting to know a new duty location, or exploring what your community has to offer, Blue Star Museums is a wonderful opportunity to create connection and find inspiration.”

"Military families love Blue Star Museums, and we couldn’t run this program without the National Endowment for the Arts and the museums across the nation who show they care by participating,” said Blue Star Families CEO Kathy Roth-Douquet. “Access to museums enriches military families, creates wonderful family memories, and helps us feel connected to our communities so that we can thrive and do the hard job we have to do for the country. I am delighted for us to launch the 14th year of this very special program."

In addition to IAM, the Blue Star Museums program includes children’s museums, art, science, and history museums, zoos, gardens, lighthouses, and more, and hail from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The current list of participating museums will continue to grow over the summer as organizations are welcome to register to be a Blue Star Museum throughout the summer.

About the National Endowment for the Arts

Established by Congress in 1965, the National Endowment for the Arts is the independent federal agency whose funding and support gives Americans the opportunity to participate in the arts, exercise their imaginations, and develop their creative capacities. Through partnerships with state arts agencies, local leaders, other federal agencies, and the philanthropic sector, the Arts Endowment supports arts learning, affirms and celebrates America’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, and extends its work to promote equal access to the arts in every community across America.

To learn more, visit arts.gov.

About Blue Star Families

Blue Star Families (BSF) is the nation’s largest Chapter-based military and Veteran family support organization. Its research-driven approach fosters strong communities with a focus on human-centered design and innovative solutions. Since its founding in 2009, BSF has delivered more than $200 million in benefits and impacts more than 1.5 million people each year. For more information, click here.

La Frontera: The Border On View at IAM

Mon, 29 Apr 2024 17:22:59 GMT

La Frontera: The Border Exhibition Showcases the Works of Twenty Artists from Around the World

Latino Arts Project is thrilled to announce La Frontera: The Border , an immersive exhibition featuring more than fifty pieces of artwork from twenty artists. On view at the Irving Archives and Museum through July 31, 2024, this groundbreaking exhibition offers a multi-sensory experience that sheds light on the human stories of immigration.

The exhibition features a diverse range of artistic perspectives, each providing a unique insight into the experiences of undocumented immigrants crossing the southern border into the United States. From Dallas to Oaxaca, from Paris to Nambia, these artists bring their own backgrounds and cultures to bear on the subject, creating a rich tapestry of voices and visions.

The artists featured in La Frontera: The Border include:

Anthony Lechuga, Dallas, TX
Alvaro Marquez, San Ysidro, CA
Baltazar Melo, Guerrero, Mexico
Chandrika Metivier, Houston, TX
Christian Rodriquez, Dallas, TX
Daniel Gonzalez, Los Angeles, CA
Gerardo Robles, Dallas, TX
Juan Fuentes, San Francisco, CA
Jesus Alba, Dallas, TX
Jose Cruz, Oaxaca, Mexico
Julia Ousley, Dallas, TX
JR, Paris, France
Lucas Edouard, Milan, Italy
Manuel Sarmiento, Dallas, TX
Natasha Lelenco, Chisinau, Moldavia
Petrus Amuthemu, Katutura, Nambia
Tina Medina, Dallas, TX
Viola Delgado, Dallas, TX

Jorge Baldor, Founder of Latino Arts Project, emphasizes the significance of this collaboration: "By bringing together artists from diverse backgrounds and locations, La Frontera: The Border amplifies the voices of those affected by immigration policies. Through art, we can bridge communities, foster empathy, and inspire dialogue towards more humane solutions."

In addition to the artwork, the exhibition includes educational programs and events aimed at engaging the community and facilitating dialogue about immigration.

La Frontera: The Border is a testament to the power of art to spark meaningful conversations and inspire social change. Don't miss this opportunity to experience the rich diversity of perspectives on this important issue.

About Latino Arts Project

Latino Arts Project is dedicated to bringing meaningful and unique art experiences to both traditional and innovative spaces. Founded in 2019 by Jorge Baldor, Latino Arts Project aims to promote a greater understanding of Latino art, history, and culture through exhibitions and community programs. For more information, visit https://latinoartsproject.org/.

Badge of Pride - A Pop-Up Exhibit - June 2024

Tue, 02 Apr 2024 20:58:58 GMT

On View Through June 30!

Badge of Pride LGBTQ+ History Exhibit

Through the end of June 2024, visitors to IAM get a sneak peek of an exhibition featuring artifacts from over a century of LGBTQ+ history.

The pop-up exhibit includes posters and some of the earliest protest buttons of the nascent Gay LIberation movement, some issued immediately after the Stonewall Uprising, including an artifact with a direct connection to Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera. Visitors can also view and listen to some of the earliest music records issued for and by the community, including those released by the Daughters Of Bilitis and the first recorded Gay Liberation anthem, "Stonewall Nation." Another highlight of the exhibit, items rarely ever seen outside of San Francisco, LA or New York, are artifacts from the life, assassination and legacy of Harvey Milk.

The limited-viewing, pop-up exhibit is just a sample of a larger project still in development. Of the project, Badge of Pride Executive Director Adrian Cardwell said, “We are developing a full-scale exhibition titled Badge Of Pride: From Silence…To Celebration! that will launch next summer, opening Pride Month 2025 and running thru October, LGBTQ History Month. “We will feature a panel of the National AIDS Memorial Quilt with a North Texas connection, and we will be including artifacts from local organizations like YesterQueer in Fort Worth, The Dallas Way, Uptown Players, and more.”

Badge Of Pride is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which aims to collect and activate artifacts from LGBTQIA+ history to inform, enrich and engage the power of the contemporary Queer experience. With a strong commitment to preserving and celebrating the rich legacy of the Queer community, Badge Of Pride seeks to create an inclusive and engaging environment which fosters understanding, inspiration, and social change.

Support Badge of Pride at: https://www.northtexasgivingday.org/organization/Badgeofpride .

80s Fashion Night Event

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 20:44:23 GMT

Strut Your '80s Style

on the

Fashion Show Runway

at Irving Archives & Museum's

'80s Fashion Night Celebration!

Click here for all the details!

Dust off those leg warmers and tease up that hair!

Get ready to pump up the jam in TOTALLY '80s style!

In celebration of our exhibition Thrift Style IAM is hosting an ALL-OUT '80s BASH!

Come on down to FUNKYTOWN dressed in your '80s best!

THE FASHION SHOW!

Exciting Raffle Prizes!

Dinner, dessert and drinks served all evening!

Proparazzi Photo Booths will be on-site capturing all the fun and creating

picture-perfect moments you can cherish forever. Strike a pose with

your crew and take home a smile-worthy photo booth picture!

Click here to purchase your tickets today!

Celebrating the First Woman in Space - Sally's Night at IAM

Tue, 12 Mar 2024 19:31:31 GMT

Join us for an out-of-this-world experience at

Sally’s Night at Irving Archives and Museum!

Celebrate the incredible Sally Ride!

Bring the whole family and dive into a galaxy of fun with these stellar activities:

�� Storytime: Discover the adventures of Sally Ride and other space stories.

�� Make a Star Wheel: Navigate the night sky with your very own star wheel.

�� Button Making Activity: Create and take home your custom astronaut-themed buttons.

�� Build a Wind Tunnel Rocket: Design and test your own rocket in our wind tunnel.

�� Lunar Phases Journal: Track the moon's phases with a personalized journal.

�� Astronaut Themed Activities and Challenges: Engage in exciting space missions and challenges.

��Mobiles: Craft your own solar system mobile to hang at home.

�� Learning Opportunities: Displays and presentations by the National Space Society of North Texas!

Don't miss this chance to celebrate the legacy of Sally Ride and

ignite your curiosity about space!

Reclaimed: The Art of Recology

Thu, 08 Feb 2024 21:32:59 GMT

Venture inside Recology, a 47-acre Recycling and Transfer Center located in San Francisco, CA, and you’ll be immersed in a churning, ever-changing landscape where detritus from all over the city is sorted, recovered, and processed. This metropolis of junk, otherwise known as “the dump,” is home to one of the most coveted Artist in Residence (AIR) programs since 1990. Operating with the belief that art plays a unique role in educating and inspiring the public, Recology offers artists an opportunity to make artwork from discarded materials. Armed with safety gear and a shopping cart, artists have scavenging privileges in the Public Reuse and Recycling Area — what most artists refer to as “The Big Store” — to recycle and reclaim the discarded waste as reimagined art objects.

Reclaimed: The Art of Recology, presents a fascinating survey of 33 artists who were selected to participate in Recology’s unique Artist-in-Residence program. This eclectic exhibition of work created from unwanted materials encourages viewers to perceive “trash” in a new light.

Featuring approximately 50 objects, the artwork in Reclaimed is varied, unusual, yet familiar: from paintings produced with recycled house paint to tapestries made from used ties, shirts, and other fabrics, to sculptural vases crafted from Ethernet and coaxial cables. The hybrid concoctions are highly creative and mind-blowing in execution and form. Through introspective, playful, and highly original explorations, these artists reveal the hidden stories our rubbish tells us about ourselves and our relationship with the world.

On view at Irving Archives and Museum February 18 through April 28, 2024.

Reclaimed: The Art of Recology was organized by Bedford Gallery at the Lesher Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek, CA.

Photo credit: Courtesy of Recology San Francisco Artist in Residence Program.

Andrew Junge, Pandora's Box, 2005, neon, toolbox, 13.75 x 19.25 x 11.5 in.

Books, Bark and Beeswax by VET

Wed, 07 Feb 2024 21:38:57 GMT

Books, Bark and Beeswax featuring the artwork of Dallas-based artist VET is on view February 18 through April 28, 2024. This exhibition includes a collection of relief sculptures that combine fiber, wood and wax. VET is a native Texas artist who incorporates environmental recycling awareness through her artwork, commissions, and workshops. Her murals and art installations combine the aesthetics of fine art with an inventive application of found and re-purposed objects. VET has been touring nationally and regionally for over 25 years.

On view February 18 through April 28, 2024.

Learn more about the artist at: https://www.artcycleclubtx.com/.

Big State Sign Save

Mon, 22 Jan 2024 18:47:49 GMT

Help save the Big State Sign!

Popol Vuh Tour With Jaime Arredondo

Fri, 12 Jan 2024 22:20:16 GMT

Join us for a special tour of Popol Vuh: The Sacred Book of the Quiché through Illustration With Artist Jaime Arredondo

Video Recording: An Evening With Ruth Paine and Thomas Mallon

Thu, 21 Dec 2023 21:51:21 GMT

Honoring the Life of Robert Glen

Tue, 14 Nov 2023 23:15:17 GMT

Famed Mustangs of Las Colinas Sculptor, Robert Glen, Dies at 83

The City of Irving and the Mustangs of Las Colinas Museum and Visitor Center mourns the passing of world-renowned sculptor, Robert Glen, who passed away at age 83 following a short illness in Cork, Republic of Ireland on Saturday, October 28, 2023. A dear friend to the City of Irving and maker of the City’s most recognizable landmark, the Mustangs of Las Colinas, Robert was an incredibly gifted artist and champion of African wildlife conservation.

“Robert Glen designed and crafted the most iconic sculpture in Irving and will forever be a part of the city’s history, culture and beauty,” said Irving Mayor Rick Stopfer. “His active involvement in the recent refurbishing of the Mustangs of Las Colinas in 2021-2022 demonstrated his commitment to Irving, and he will be missed by everyone who knew him.”

In 1976, Glen was commissioned by Ben H. Carpenter, developer of Las Colinas, to create a large sculpture as the signature piece for the new development in Irving, Texas. This project would span eight years and require work on three continents. Unveiled on September 25, 1984, the Mustangs of Las Colinas feature nine bronze mustangs galloping through a creek in Williams Square Plaza, 5221 N. O'Conner Blvd. The sculpture has become internationally renowned and welcomes thousands of admirers every year.

Reflecting on Robert Glen’s life, longtime Mustangs Museum guide Mary Higbie recalled, “Recognized around the world as an outstanding wildlife artist, Robert Glen’s talent is superbly reflected in our beautiful Mustangs of Las Colinas. They are such an important part of Irving’s identity, and we are fortunate to be able to see them every day. I feel honored to share Robert’s memory and accomplishments with the many visitors who come to see the horses and explore the museum to learn of the making of the monument, the Mustangs of Las Colinas.”

Our hearts go out to all those who loved Robert Glen including his family and friends.

A celebration of life will be held by the museum at a later date with details forthcoming.

Background

Born in Nairobi, Kenya on May 24, 1939 to Scottish parents, Robert Glen lived in Africa for most of his life. He left school at the age of 14 with two overriding interests: natural history and art. Finding he could combine both in the study of taxidermy, he left Kenya for an apprenticeship in Denver, Colorado, with the Coloman Jonas Studios.

Returning home in 1959, he devoted the next ten years to becoming a sculptor in the style of European Animaliers while also continuing his taxidermy work. He created scientific collections of birds, small mammals and reptiles for various North American museums, a task which took him across Africa from Cameroon to Madagascar.

In 1970 he decided to take up sculpting full-time, and he never looked back. Concentrating at first on his familiar field of African wildlife, Glen later branched out into the African people and their domestic animals with equal success. Recognition soon followed, and his bronze sculptures are held in the collections of various sportsmen, museums and others throughout the world interested in wildlife and its preservation, including the private collections of the late Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of England and the late Kenyan President Jomo Kenyatta.

Glen spent the last several decades living in Tanzania’s Ruaha National Park with his partner, the accomplished painter and writer Sue Stolberger. They lived in a simple camp studio that included a tent for living and a trailer that served as his studio.

Sculpting from life to capture the true essence of the animals was his passion, and it is reflected in his work, many of which can be seen at the Mustangs of Las Colinas Museum and Visitor Center at 5221 N. O’Connor, Ste. 110 in Irving, Texas. The museum is open Wednesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (closed Nov. 18, 2023).

For expressions of condolence to the family, click here .

Popol Vuh Guided Tours

Mon, 09 Oct 2023 20:17:51 GMT

First & Third Fridays & Saturdays

October - December

2:00 PM

Guided tour free with purchase of museum admission.

Reservations required.

Ballet Folklórico – Vestuarios de Ballet Folklórico /Fashion of Ballet Folklorico: Expressing Mexican Culture through Dance

Tue, 03 Oct 2023 19:44:38 GMT

A special exhibition featuring traditional outfits used for Ballet Folklórico, courtesy of Alegre Ballet Folklórico, will premiere at Irving Archives and Museum (IAM). Curated by long-time Folklórico dancer and IAM Apprentice, Dominique Avila Fleming, the exhibition highlights several states across Mexico and the regalia used in the dances. The exhibition is presented in bilingual (English – Spanish) text and offers a variety of educational activities and resources.

With roots tracing back to the Indigenous peoples of Mexico, Ballet Folklórico is highly varied in style and dress, and reflects the traditions, cultures, and beliefs of people in a particular geographic region or state in Mexico. Through its movement and music, Folklórico expresses the life and spirit of a people.

From the Curator

“Growing up in a diverse environment in Dallas encouraged the cultivation of my Mexican roots through the influence of my mother’s family and my involvement with Alegre Ballet Folklórico. One of my core childhood memories is my mother dragging me to a class early one Saturday morning because my sibling wanted to dance, and she insisted they not go alone. What began as a hobby many Mexican children are forced to attempt, has transformed into an integral part of my life that I am deeply passionate about. I am grateful to the incredible talents of my director, Pedro Perez, and lead female dancer, Jessica Garcia. Their guidance and shared avid love for dance are the reason I made it through that first class twenty years ago, and why this exhibit exists today. When I decided to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology, my goal was to find ways to cultivate connections between people by highlighting the universal threads that run through our distinct customs worldwide. While every culture possesses its own unique identity, there exists a tapestry of interrelated aspects that often go unnoticed. My intention is that this exhibition will not only reflect my passion for studying and celebrating culture but will invite patrons to expand their appreciation for Mexican heritage as well as inspire them to explore other unfamiliar traditions from around the globe.” – Dominque Avila Fleming

About the Curator

Born and raised in the Dallas neighborhood of Oak Cliff, Dominique Avila Fleming has always been involved with the community through volunteering and interning at the Oak Cliff Cultural Center. She is an ensemble member and group assistant of Alegre Ballet Folklórico, with whom she joined at the age of six, and has since danced across Texas, Mexico, and Oslo, Norway. Her passion for exploring cultures outside of her own led her to obtain a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of Texas at Arlington. Currently, Dominique is an apprentice at the Irving Archives and Museum, a teaching artist for Cara Mia Theatre Company, and continues her work with the Oak Cliff Cultural Center as well as with Latino Arts Project.

This exhibition will be on view September 16, 2023 through February 4, 2024.

Ruth Paine and Thomas Mallon

Mon, 02 Oct 2023 17:33:19 GMT

Forever connected to the difficult days of November 1963, Ruth Paine will talk with author Thomas Mallon about her life before and after the assassination of President Kennedy as well as her relationship with Lee Harvey and Marina Oswald.

Ticket proceeds support the preservation of the Ruth Paine House Museum.

Get your tickets HERE .

The Art of Quilting

Thu, 31 Aug 2023 19:57:13 GMT

A exhibition featuring twenty-five years of quilting by the Irving Quilt Guild will be on display at Irving Archives and Museum (IAM). The exhibit is curated by IAM in partnership with the Irving Quilt Guild. The wide variety of quilts to be on display were created by members of the guild and feature a myriad of quilting techniques, fabrics, and designs. Accompanying the quilts is a display of old and new quilting tools.

The Irving Quilt Guild was established in September 1998 by four local quilting friends. The four had no idea if anyone would attend the first meeting. To their delight over 50 people showed up. Those who signed up at the first two meetings were made charter members. As a reflection of the group’s immediate appeal, the Irving Quilt Guild has 71 charter members.

The Mission of the Irving Quilt Guild is to - Promote fellowship among persons interested in all aspects of quilt-making. Preserve our quilt-making heritage and traditions. Participate in quilt-related projects that are of service to our community.

The guild contributes money, time, and talent to local organizations such as the Scottish Rite Hospital’s Angel Quilt Program and the Quilts of Valor Program for U. S military personnel.

This exhibition will be on view September 17, 2023 – January 7, 2024.

An Evening of Storytelling

Thu, 24 Aug 2023 20:48:31 GMT

An Evening of Storytelling at Irving Archives and Museum

The Friends of the Irving Museums invite you to An Evening of Storytelling with artists Jaime Arredondo & Dominique Avila Fleming, a fundraiser supporting our mission to bring essential support to Irving’s cultural institutions, the Irving Archives & Museum, Jackie Townsell Bear Creek Heritage Center, Ruth Paine House Museum, and the Mustangs of Las Colinas Museum.

Held at the award-winning Irving Archives & Museum, this event will showcase Latin-American culture and cuisine through Ballet Folklórico performances, Guatemalan poetry readings, an Artist Talk, and an exciting raffle! The funds raised from this event will directly support our mission to provide educational and cultural opportunities to the community.

Tickets are on sale now. Purchase yours HERE before they sell out!

October 28, 2023

6pm - 9pm

801 W. Irving Blvd, Irving, TX 75060

Use #IAMaStoryteller2023 to keep up with us on social media!

Popol Vuh: The Sacred Book of the Quiché through Illustration

Wed, 23 Aug 2023 19:29:40 GMT

An exhibition, Popol Vuh: The Sacred Book of the Quiché through Illustration, featuring 65 original artworks by artist Jaime Arredondo is coming to Irving Archives and Museum. The exhibition is curated by the artist, in partnership with Irving Archives and Museum. In addition to the artwork, the exhibition features the story of the Popol Vuh in the artist’s words and an audio tour by the artist, in both English and Spanish.

Around 1000 CE, in the present-day country of Guatemala, a highland Mayan people called the Quiché created a pictographic creation myth of the universe known as Popol Vuh, or Book of the Community, in which a pair of hero twins must descend into the underworld to save the next and final generation of humanity. Shortly following the arrival of the Spanish, multiple Indigenous literary codices, including the Popol Vuh, were ordered to be burned in 1524. The stories in the Popol Vuh were later retold in 1721 to Father Francisco Ximenez, a sympathetic Dominican priest who translated the text from the Native Quiché language to Spanish. The earliest known surviving body of literature in the Americas, Popol Vuh is an invaluable source of knowledge of ancient Mayan mythology and culture.

It is Arredondo’s hope that these works will restore the former glory of the Popol Vuh and its authors to its deserved place in human history. In turn, this will lead to a greater interest and defense of it, and the art and culture of Native and Indigenous peoples. In the exhibition premiering at Irving Archives & Museum, Jaime Arredondo has recaptured the vitality of the Popol Vuh and recreated the storytelling nature of this important work.

Jaime Arredondo was born in Dallas, Texas to Mexican American Tejano parents. His mother was a direct descendant of the original land granted to Spanish families in Texas dating back to the 1600s, and his father was Otomi, a large Native American nation originating from Central Mexico. He is a graduate of MacArthur High School and the University of Dallas both in Irving.

Arredondo has had numerous solo gallery and museum shows in the Southwest and in New York City, and is the recipient of numerous awards. In 2009, his paintings were published as stamps by the United Nations, and in 2015 he was commissioned to create a permanent art project for the Manhattan Transit Authority at the Zerega Station in the Bronx.

After graduating from Yale University in 1989 with a Master of Fine Arts in Painting, Arredondo moved to New York City and began teaching his course, “Of Fire and Blood: Art and Mythology of Mexico” at New York University and The New School. He continues to teach at both universities and live in New York City with his wife and daughter.

This exhibition will be on view September 16, 2023 through February 4, 2024.

Bear Creek Exterior Renovations Update

Mon, 21 Aug 2023 16:49:39 GMT

Exterior Renovations Complete at Jackie Townsell Bear Creek Heritage Center

The museum team continues a multi-year $726,000 project to restore the Jackie Townsell Bear Creek Heritage Center. Phase 1, improvement of site drainage, and Phase 2, exterior restoration of the Masonic Lodge, the J.O. Davis House, and the Green House, are complete and the historic structures are looking great! Phase 3, interior and exhibition work is approximately 25% complete with new exhibitions and exterior interpretive signage currently in the design phase. Join us at the Jackie Townsell Bear Creek Heritage Center on June 17 ^th from 4pm – 7pm for the annual Juneteenth celebration to see the progress to date and hear about upcoming work on the project. Enjoy these photos of the completed renovations!

Opening Weekend Events!

Fri, 18 Aug 2023 18:51:01 GMT

Join us for a weekend of Special Exhibition openings and events!

Friday, September 15, 2023

6 - 9 p.m.

Be among the first to view Popol Vuh: The Sacred Book of the Quiché through Illustration AND Ballet Folklórico – Vestuarios de Ballet Folklórico/Fashion of Ballet Folklórico: Expressing Mexican Culture through Dance!

Visitors will have the opportunity to meet both of the artists behind each exhibition and enjoy Ballet Folklórico performances throughout the evening.

Light food and drinks will be served.

Event is free, but space is limited. CLICK HERE to reserve your tickets now.

Saturday, September 16, 2023

2 p.m.

Join artist Jaime Arredondo for an IAM Artist's Talk as he discusses the significance of the Popol Vuh, its place in world culture, literature, and the history of the Americas. Hear about what inspired him to create the series of illustrations on the Popol Vuh and the story’s continued relevance today. Artist's reception included.

Event is free, but space is limited. CLICK HERE to reserve your tickets now.

Sunday, September 17, 2023

12 - 4 p.m.

Don't miss the opening day of The Art of Quilting! Delight in a diverse array of quilts showcasing various techniques, fabrics, and designs, alongside essential tools of the trade.

Admission is free. Reservations are not required.

Dolores Huerta: Revolution in the Fields / Revolución en los Campos

Tue, 18 Jul 2023 21:01:16 GMT

Dolores Huerta’s Leading Role in the Farm Workers’ Movement Featured in Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition at IAM

The story of Dolores Huerta and her skills as a contract negotiator, publicist, organizer, strategist, teacher and mother will be shared in the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service’s new bilingual (Spanish and English) exhibition, “Dolores Huerta: Revolution in the Fields / Revolución en los Campos.” The exhibition will be on view at Irving Archives and Museum May 27 - August 20, 2023.

“Dolores Huerta” will feature reproductions of historic and personal photographs, and graphic elements as well as a free, user-friendly, mobile tour smart phone app featuring interviews with Huerta, and a short bilingual documentary video.

The exhibition will detail Huerta’s life from her early influences—such as her mother Alicia and mentor Fred Ross who led to her groundbreaking time as the female voice in the traditionally male-dominated farm workers’ movement—through the United Farm Workers’ grape boycotts and landmark agreements with the grape-growing conglomerates. The exhibition will also feature many of the people who worked with Huerta on the farm workers’ movement, including fellow organizers Larry Itliong and César Chávez and artistic contributors like Xavier Viramontes and El Teatro Campesino.

Before the movement, the California grape laborers faced open discrimination, below-poverty wages and dangerously unsafe working and living conditions. Huerta and her colleagues sacrificed their own well-being to challenge the system and galvanize solidarity for a better life for them. Yet often Huerta’s name and impact are overlooked, including the misattribution of her coined phrase, “Yes, we can! / ¡Si, se puede!” to other historical figures. When most women were still expected to play primarily domestic roles, Huerta introduced new models of womanhood as an energetic picket captain, persuasive lobbyist and unyielding negotiator.

Dolores Huerta: Revolution in the Fields / Revolución en los Campos is organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service in collaboration with the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. This exhibition received Federal support from the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center.

The Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) has been sharing the wealth of Smithsonian collections and research programs with millions of people outside Washington, D.C., for more than 65 years. SITES connects Americans to their shared cultural heritage through a wide range of exhibitions about art, science and history, which are shown wherever people live, work and play.

The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery tells the history of America through the individuals who have shaped its culture. Through the visual arts, performing arts and new media, the Portrait Gallery portrays poets and presidents, visionaries and villains, actors and activists whose lives tell the American story.

Not Alone: Working Together in the Fight Against Human Trafficking

Tue, 18 Jul 2023 20:54:51 GMT

New Exhibition, Not Alone: Working Together in the Fight Against Human Trafficking, at Irving Archives and Museum Educates Visitors About Human Trafficking

An original exhibition produced by the Bullock Texas State History Museum is now on view at Irving Archives and Museum. Not Alone: Working Together in the Fight Against Human Trafficking provides visitors with the tools to identify human trafficking and the resources to find help and support survivors. On view through August 5, 2023.

Although underreported, recent statistics suggest there are hundreds of thousands of people being trafficked in Texas at any given time. Geared toward teens and adults and presented in both English and Spanish, the exhibition seeks to prevent further exploitation of vulnerable individuals in the state.

Not Alone centers on a series of questions that guide visitors to understand what human trafficking is, who can be a target, the tools and techniques traffickers use to target individuals and keep them captive, and the roles healthy relationships and social media play in tracking. In each exhibition section, a QR code allows visitors to view original videos featuring survivors and advocates who answer the exhibition's guiding questions.

“Inspired by the governor’s initiative against human trafficking, we recognized an opportunity to use our platform as an educational institution," said Bullock Museum Director Margaret Koch. "We hope this exhibition inspires everyone to understand that as individuals we are not powerless to assist in the prevention of human trafficking. One person can make a difference."

Not Alone: Working Together in the Fight Against Human Trafficking is produced by the Bullock Texas State History Museum.

Lead Sponsorship by Nancy Ann and Ray L. Hunt.

Major funding from the Texas Bar Foundation. Major support provided by the Texas Trucking Association.

Special thanks to Scopelitis, Garvin, Light, Hanson & Feary P.C. and Mondics Insurance Group, Inc.

The Bullock Texas State History Museum is a division of the State Preservation Board. Additional support of exhibitions and programs is provided by the Texas State History Museum Foundation.

Irving Archives and Museum in Collaboration with the Irving Black Arts Council Wins Prestigious 2023 AASLH Award of Excellence

Tue, 18 Jul 2023 16:31:58 GMT

The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) congratulates Irving Archives and Museum (IAM) and the Irving Black Arts Council (IBAC) for receiving an Award of Excellence for “A Local Green Book.” The Award of Excellence is part of the AASLH Leadership in History Awards, the most prestigious recognition for achievement in the preservation of state and local history.

The award-winning project developed by Irving Archives and Museum in collaboration with the Irving Black Arts Council produced a comprehensive suite of programming in conjunction with the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service’s The Local Negro Motorist Green Book exhibition that provided insights and understandings into the challenges and hardships the Black community encountered in travel, education, entertainment, and services during the Jim Crow era. Through Scholar’s Talks, film screenings, panel discussions and a locally curated exhibition, the exhibition and programming of IAM and IBAC’s project reached a broad audience. Of particular note was a panel discussion of eyewitnesses to history headlined by Dr. Opal Lee and Judge L Clifford Davis. The exhibition and programming ran from October 16, 2022 – January 8, 2023.

This year, AASLH is proud to confer fifty-one national awards honoring people, projects, and exhibits. The winners represent the best in the field and provide leadership for the future of state and local history.

The AASLH awards program was initiated in 1945 to establish and encourage standards of excellence in the collection, preservation, and interpretation of state and local history throughout the United States. The AASLH Leadership in History Awards not only honor significant achievement in the field of state and local history, but also bring public recognition of the opportunities for small and large organizations, institutions, and programs to make contributions in this arena. For more information about the Leadership in History Awards, contact AASLH at 615-320-3203, or go to www.aaslh.org.

About Irving Archives and Museum

The Irving Archives and Museum (IAM) excites visitors with its permanent exhibition on the history of Irving, temporary exhibitions, and a Smithsonian Spark!Lab where adults and children alike create, collaborate, explore, test, experiment, and invent. Also housed at IAM is the city’s archives, allowing the discovery of Irving’s history through access to documents, photographs, maps, films, and more.

About Irving Black Arts Council

The Irving Black Arts Council’s (IBAC) mission is to “showcase African American art and artists, enrich our community, and inspire audiences by providing quality art programming. IBAC is an organization that promotes and encourages cultural enrichment and activities for individuals and families. The types of activities includes: Art Shows, Musical Concerts, Poetry Readings, Theatrical Productions, Literary Scholarship Contests, Lectures, Seminars and Youth Programs.”

About AASLH

The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH), a national nonprofit association, provides leadership and resources to help the history community thrive and make the past more meaningful for all people. AASLH serves the tens of thousands of history organizations, professionals, and volunteers around the country who help people of all ages develop critical thinking skills and understand how learning history helps society make progress toward justice. Through research, advocacy, and our field-leading professional development program, AASLH advances public history practice and connects history practitioners to critical issues in the field and to one another. For more information about AASLH visit www.aaslh.org .

Recent Acquisitions

Wed, 17 May 2023 14:53:42 GMT

Uncle Scooter Reads the Funnies - An Excerpt From a Combined Family Album From 1941 For Local Radio Stations

Irving Archives and Museum recently acquired a Combined Family Album for the WFAA, KGKO, and WBAP radio stations from 1941. WFAA is produced by the Dallas Morning News and WBAP is produced by the Fort Worth Star Telegram.

KGKO was a local radio station from Wichita Falls. We thought we'd share this excerpt of “Uncle Scooter Reads the Funnies” because it is such great picture and we thought you might enjoy it as much as we do!

The history of WFAA and WBAP is really interesting because they shared a radio frequency from 1929 to 1970 . (Click the link to read more about it.) They even had a schedule where they would switch off programing so that the other station could utilize the air space.

Here is an article about Uncle Scooter as well as an article discussing the history between WFAA and KBAP .

Enjoy!

Observing With NASA Kiosk Comes to IAM!

Fri, 12 May 2023 15:08:58 GMT

Come check it out now through May 28, 2023!

Irving Archives and Museum (IAM) is hosting Observing With NASA, an exhibit kiosk from the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory that engages visitors in the art and science of NASA imagery.

“Observing With NASA” offers an introduction to the tools, data, and skills that NASA space scientists and data visualization experts use to create the images of deep space objects that we all know and love.

On display at IAM from January 24 to May 28, 2023, “Observing With NASA” features a range of NASA’s most iconic images to explore and opportunities for visitors to put their own artistic spin on these images through image analysis and processing.

The Observing With NASA project is a partnership between the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and Smithsonian Affiliations, supported by NASA award number 80NSSC19M0158.

Mark Your Calendar! Saturday, May 13, 2023!

Fri, 28 Apr 2023 14:59:31 GMT

Bring the kids! Have fun creating space images with NASA kiosk! Get a free gift!

Upcoming Book Talk and Signing with Author Bob Beatty

Thu, 02 Feb 2023 19:45:56 GMT

Play All Night! Duane Allman and the Journey to Fillmore East

Fighting for the Right to Fight: African American Experiences in WWII - Schedule of Programs and Events

Wed, 25 Jan 2023 21:50:31 GMT

Schedule of Upcoming Programs and Events

IAM Scholar’s Talk with Ron Abram

Saturday, February 11, 2023

2 p.m.

Ron Abram, Calvin Littlejohn’s grandson, will share some of Littlejohn’s photographs. Abram will show a wide variety of scenes from the African-American experience in North Texas. Mr. Abram manages the Littlejohn Photo Archive in association with the Briscoe Center for American History at the University of Texas, Austin. The Littlejohn archive is the most comprehensive photo documentation of urban Texas African-American life and culture in the post-World War II segregation era.

IAM Film Screening

Saturday, February 25, 2023

2 p.m.

Double Victory Documentary

As World War II threatened the United States, young African-Americans took a new opportunity to become military pilots. From their training in Tuskegee, Alabama and combat missions over Africa and Europe, to the continued fight for equality at home, Double Victory is the story of the Tuskegee Airmen in their own words.

IAM Film Screening

Saturday, March 4

2 p.m.

Double Victory Documentary

IAM Scholar’s Talk

Saturday, March 18

2 p.m.

Brigadier General Leon Johnson

Leon Johnson retired from the U.S. Air Force with the rank of brigadier general after 33 years of service. During his AF career, General Johnson commanded a fighter squadron, fighter group, was the Vice Commander of 10th Air Force at the Joint Reserve Base in Ft. Worth, TX and served as Mobilization Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force.

Fighting for the Right to Fight: African American Experiences in WWII

Wed, 18 Jan 2023 18:58:46 GMT

On view through April 14, 2023!

Fighting for the Right to Fight: African American Experiences in World War II

Opens at Irving Archives & Museum

New exhibit explores challenges and triumphs of African Americans during war era

Irving, TX January 27, 2023 – On January 27, 2023, Irving Archives & Museum will open a new special exhibit called Fighting for the Right to Fight: African American Experiences in World War II. Produced by The National WWII Museum, the exhibit features artifacts, photographs and oral histories to highlight some of the extraordinary achievements and challenges of African Americans during World War II, both overseas and on the Home Front.

A national advisory committee, including the late Dr. Clement Alexander Price of Rutgers University, was commissioned to help frame the exhibition. The committee, led by co-chairs Dr. John Morrow of the University of Georgia and Claudine Brown of the Smithsonian Institution, helped advise on the exhibition’s narrative arc and content.

In the years before World War II, African Americans in many parts of the country were treated as second-class citizens. Discriminatory practices were condoned by the government, and African Americans were systematically denied many rights and liberties by laws that kept them in positions of inferiority. Due to the landmark Plessy v. Ferguson Supreme Court decision in 1896, the United States was a nation where “separate but equal” was law in many states. In addition, many military leaders declared African Americans unfit to serve in combat. However, once the war began, thousands rushed to enlist, determined to fight for freedom, while still being denied equality at home.

On display through April 14, 2023, Fighting for the Right to Fight illustrates how hopes for securing equality inspired many to enlist, the discouraging reality of the segregated non-combat roles given to black recruits, and the continuing fight for “Double Victory” that laid the groundwork for the modern Civil Rights Movement.

Through a myriad of interactive experiences, visitors will discover the wartime stories of individual servicemembers who took part in this journey of extraordinary challenge, from unheralded heroes to famous names, including Alex Haley (US Coast Guard); Sammy Davis Jr. (US Army); Benjamin Davis, Jr. (US Army Air Forces); Medgar Evers (US Army) and more.

The centerpiece of the exhibit is an original eight-minute video about the famed 332 ^nd Fighter Group (better known as the Tuskegee Airmen), who in many ways became the public focus of African American participation during the war. The piece is narrated by television personality Robin Roberts, whose own father flew with the Tuskegee Airmen during the war.

Including personal accounts from members of the 332 ^nd Fighter Group, the video provides an overview of how their success in battle became a great symbol of bravery, helping refute notions that African Americans were inferior performers in the military, especially in roles requiring advanced training. Lieutenant Colonel William Holloman III recalls his leader Colonel Benjamin O. Davis, Jr.’s encouragement: “He said, ‘America’s watching you.’ He instilled in us a pride that I don’t think was there before we went in the service.”

Additionally, Fighting for the Right to Fight will feature two medals representing the seven African Americans who were awarded the Medal of Honor in 1997, the bittersweet result of a long investigation by the US military on discriminatory policies in the awarding of combat medals. The exhibit will also provide in-depth coverage of lesser-known events and service, such as that of the USS Mason, the first American ship to have a predominately African American crew.

See artifacts and images from the exhibit and learn more at righttofightexhibit.org .

Advisory Committee for Fighting for the Right to Fight: African American Experiences in World War II

Co-chair Dr. John Morrow

History Department Chair, University of Georgia

Co-chair Claudine Brown

Assistant Secretary for Education and Access, Smithsonian Institution

Dr. Dan Haulman

Chief, Organizational History Division, Air Force Historical Research Agency

Dr. Clement Alexander Price (deceased)

Former Director of the Institute on Ethnicity, Culture, and the Modern Experience, Rutgers University

Dr. Raphael Cassimere

Professor Emeritus, Department of History, University of New Orleans

Dr. Charles Teamer

Director Emeritus, The Amistad Research Center, Tulane University

Scholar's Talk With Leslie Wolfenden

Thu, 29 Dec 2022 21:13:16 GMT

Moorland YMCA Building, Dallas, Texas

Saturday, January 7, 2022 at 2 p.m.

Free Event

Join us for A Scholar’s talk about the Green Book and Historically Black Colleges and Universities with Leslie Wolfenden. Leslie Wolfenden is the Historic Resources Survey Coordinator for the Texas Historical Commission where she manages the Historic Texas Highways and Historic Resources Survey programs. Leslie has a Master’s in Historic Preservation, a Bachelor’s in Architecture from the University of Texas system. THC’s Historic Resources Survey Coordinator Leslie Wolfenden has been researching and documenting over 780 sites based on 34 African American travel guides that includes 43 Texas communities. You will not want to miss this discussion.

Hole in the Roof: Book Signing and Authors' Talk

Tue, 29 Nov 2022 21:45:18 GMT

Hole in the Roof: The Dallas Cowboys, Clint Murchison Jr., and the Stadium That Changed American Sports Forever

by Burk Murchison and Michael Granberry, foreword by Drew Pearson

Book Signing and Authors' Talk

IAM Museum Store 2022 Holiday Gift Guide

Mon, 14 Nov 2022 16:50:17 GMT

Download and View IAM's 2022 Holiday Gift Guide!

Click here to download and view IAM's Holiday Guide!

Holiday Schedule

Tue, 01 Nov 2022 18:07:21 GMT

We will be closed on the following holidays:

Thursday, November 24, 2022

Saturday, December 24, 2022

Sunday, December 25, 2022

Saturday, December 31, 2022

Sunday, January 1, 2023

The Negro Motorist Green Book Events and Programs

Wed, 28 Sep 2022 18:44:26 GMT

Upcoming Events and Programs for

The Negro Motorist Green Book Exhibition

Saturday, October 15, 2022

Friends of the Irving Museum Sneak Peek and Pasta Dinner

Food served 5:30 – 7 p.m.

Exhibition open 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Get your tickets here!

Sunday, October 16, 2022

Exhibition Grand Opening

12 – 4 p.m.

Free Museum admission

Saturday, October 16, 2022 through January 8, 2023

The Irving Black Arts Council (IBAC) exhibition "A Local Green Book" is on display at IAM and runs concurrently with the Green Book Exhibition

Regular Museum Hours

This multi-media presentation will feature selected works of the late photographers R.C. Hickman and Calvin Littlejohn. From the cameras of these legendary gentlemen, visitors will observe life in the Black Dallas community during segregation, the Jim Crow era and in the segregated military. Other pictures and video will be presented that report the Bear Creek community’s experience.

This special programming is offered in collaboration with the City of Irving and will enhance patrons’ understanding of the period which ran from the 1920s to the 1960s. Insights will be gained into the challenges and hardships the Black community encountered in travel, education, entertainment, and services at a time of “so-called separate but equal."

Sunday, October 16, 2022 – Sunday, January 8, 2023

Free Museum Admission Every Sunday

Open 12 – 4 p.m.

Thursday, November 3, 2022

Film Screening “The Green Book: Guide to Freedom”

7 p.m. (in auditorium)

Free event

See how The Negro Motorist Green Book helped African Americans navigate the roads of a segregated nation.

Saturday, November 5, 2022

Remembering Black Dallas, Green Book Bus Tour

DUE TO UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES, THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED

10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Free Event

This bus tour takes travelers around the often-hidden history of Black Dallas. A tour guide will point out the sites, sights, and stories of Dallas' African American history, including locations of Green Book sites, Freedman Towns, and other places of interest. Tour will end at the Green Book exhibition at Irving Archives and Museum.

Sunday, November 6, 2022

Irving Black Arts Council Panel Discussion

2:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Free Event

The Irving Black Arts Council will host a facilitated panel discussion of Bear Creek, Dallas and Fort Worth residents who lived during the Jim Crow era.

The star-studded panel will be headlined by the Honorable Judge L. Clifford Davis (retired) and and Ms. Opal Lee, Grandmother of Juneteenth, along with three other notable local citizens who resided in the area during the segregation and Jim Crow era. Rounding out the panel will be Mrs. Imogene W. Rogers from the Bear Creek community in Irving, Texas, Mrs. Gloria O. Sights from the Bear Creek community in Irving, Texas and Dallas, Texas and Ms. Mary Ann Turner Blackmon from the Lake Dallas area of Dallas, Texas. The panel discussion will include personal stories from each of the participants and a period for questions and answers. WATCH THE RECORDING HERE!

Saturday, November 12, 2022

Scholar’s Talk with Dr. William Dulaney Event is free

2 p.m.

Join us for A Scholar’s talk about the Green Book with Dr. W. Marvin Dulaney. Dr. Dulaney is President of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), the nation’s oldest African American historical association and the founders of Black History Month. For the past two years, he has also served as Deputy Director and Chief Operations Officer for the Dallas African American Museum. He is also an Associate Professor of History Emeritus, former Interim Director of the Center for African American Studies, and the former Chair of the Department of History at the University of Texas, Arlington. Dr. Dulaney has published and edited four books and is currently completing a history of African Americans in Dallas for Texas A & M University Press.

Saturday, December 10, 2022

Remembering Black Dallas, Green Book Bus Tour

DUE TO UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES, THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED

10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Free Event

Saturday, December 17, 2022

Remembering Black Dallas, Green Book Bus Tour

DUE TO UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES, THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED

10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Free Event

Wednesday, January 4, 2022

Virtual screening of “The Green Book: Guide to Freedom”

7 p.m.

See how The Negro Motorist Green Book helped African Americans navigate the roads of a segregated nation.

Send an email to chulfish@cityofirving.org to register and receive the link to the virtual screening.

Saturday, January 7, 2022

Scholar’s Talk with Leslie Wolfenden

2 p.m.

Join us for A Scholar’s talk about the Green Book and HBCUs with Leslie Wolfenden. Leslie Wolfenden is the Historic Resources Survey Coordinator for the Texas Historical Commission where she manages the Historic Texas Highways and Historic Resources Survey programs. Leslie has a Master’s in Historic Preservation, a Bachelor’s in Architecture from the University of Texas system. THC’s Historic Resources Survey Coordinator Leslie Wolfenden has been researching and documenting over 780 sites based on 34 African American travel guides that includes 43 Texas communities.

Sunday, January 8, 2022

Last day of the exhibition

12 – 4 p.m.

ON VIEW NOW! The Negro Motorist Green Book

Tue, 30 Aug 2022 15:19:47 GMT

Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition Exploring “The Green Book” History Coming to Irving Archives and Museum

The history of “The Green Book,” the annual guide created in 1936 by Harlem postman Victor Green that provided African American travelers with information on restaurants, gas stations, department stores and other businesses that welcomed Black travelers during the era of Jim Crow, will be highlighted in the “The Negro Motorist Green Book”, a new exhibition developed by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) in collaboration with award-winning author, photographer and cultural documentarian, Candacy Taylor. The exhibition, made possible through the support of Exxon Mobil Corporation, will be on view at Irving Archives & Museum from October 16, 2022 – January 8, 2023.

“The Negro Motorist Green Book” will offer an immersive look at the reality of travel for African Americans in mid-century America and how the annual guide served as an indispensable resource for the nation’s rising African American middle class. The exhibition will include artifacts from business signs and postcards to historic footage, images and firsthand accounts to convey not only the apprehension felt by African American travelers, but also the resilience, innovation and elegance of people choosing to live a full American existence. It will bring focus to a vibrant parallel world of African American businesses, the rise of the black leisure class in the United States and the important role “The Green Book” played in facilitating the second wave of the Great Migration.

“The Green Book” was published and distributed nationwide until 1967, providing African American travelers with information on restaurants, gas stations, department stores and other businesses that welcomed black travelers. In an era of Jim Crow laws and “sundown towns”—communities that explicitly prohibited African Americans from staying overnight— “The Green Book” offered critical, life-saving information and sanctuary.

ExxonMobil predecessor Standard Oil Company of New Jersey played a significant role in the distribution of “The Green Book” through its U.S. network of Esso stations, helping to provide motorists and their families opportunities for safer and more comfortable travel. Esso stations were the only major retail distributors of “The Green Book.” Esso also employed many African American engineers, scientists and marketing executives, and welcomed African American motorists at its stations.

This exhibition was made possible with funding from Humanities Texas and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the federal ARP Act.

Darshana: A Glimpse into the Hindu Civilization

Fri, 19 Aug 2022 20:40:45 GMT

On view through September 3, 2022.

“Darshana: A Glimpse into the Hindu Civilization” presents a colorful overview of Hindu concepts and practices, offering an opportunity to learn about one of the oldest civilizations in the world with continuing global presence today. The exhibition features a variety of topics, ranging from yoga and divinity to mathematics and administration, demonstrating how Hindu knowledge has manifested in all aspects of human endeavor.

The Exhibition is created to raise awareness on Hindu thinking, contributions, and common practices. Compiled by a group of Hindu-Americans, it aims to clear misconceptions, introduce some key terms, and inspire further research into the rich culture that has found its home in the United States and globally.

On view through September 3, 2022.

Women, Aviation, and WWII

Fri, 24 Jun 2022 15:12:58 GMT

On view through August 12, 2022

This exhibit honors the women who served our country during World War II, overseas and on the home front. While thousands of men were fighting for their country, the people back home were engaged in an extensive war effort of their own. We cannot forget the women who stepped up to meet the demands of the home front. Women were essential to the American War Effort. They worked in defense industries, joined the military, and completed countless other tasks to move the Allies closer to victory. In many cases, they made these contributions while meeting family obligations at home. This exhibit features the WASP’s, Rosie the Riveters, and famous aviatrix Jackie Cochran.

Funded by the FASH Foundation (original exhibit) and the Summerlee Foundation (printing of traveling exhibit) The exhibit is managed by the Texas Lakes Trail Region.

Research by Chuckie Hospers and Debra Myers

FREE Second Saturdays

Thu, 16 Jun 2022 17:17:28 GMT

Every Second Saturday FREE Through December 2022

The Irving Archives and Museum (IAM) will be hosting Second Saturdays.
On the second Saturday of each month, free admission along with special programming will be offered.
Follow us at @IAMIrvingTx on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for upcoming monthly events.

Irving Archives and Museum is a Blue Star Museum

Mon, 23 May 2022 18:08:21 GMT

IAM offering free admission to military personnel and their families this summer

Irving Archives and Museum (IAM) will join museums nationwide in the Blue Star Museums initiative, a program that provides free admission to currently-serving U.S. military personnel and their families this summer. The 2022 program will begin on Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 21, 2022, and end on Labor Day, Monday, September 5, 2022. Find the list of participating museums at arts.gov/bluestarmuseums .

Blue Star Museums is a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families, in collaboration with the Department of Defense and museums across America.

“Museums educate and inspire, cause us to wonder and imagine, dream and remember,” said Dr. Maria Rosario Jackson, chair of the National Endowment for the Arts. “By participating in the Blue Star Museums program, IAM is offering military personnel and their families an opportunity to feel connected to the Irving community and to explore the world through the power of arts, culture and design, contributing to each person being able to live an artful life.”

Blue Star Museums include children’s museums, art, science, and history museums, zoos, gardens, lighthouses, and more, and hail from all 50 states, District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The current list of participating museums will continue to develop over the summer as organizations are welcome to register to be a Blue Star Museum throughout the summer.

"Our military community looks forward to the Blue Star Museum program each year and I am excited to celebrate the 2022 season along with them!” said Kathy Roth-Douquet, CEO of Blue Star Families. “Thank you IAM for participating in this impactful program and offering military families the opportunity to enjoy the arts with you this summer.”

The free admission program is available for those currently serving in the United States Military—Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, and Space Force, members of the Reserves, National Guard, U.S. Public Health Commissioned Corps, NOAA Commissioned Corps, and up to five family members. Qualified members must show a Geneva Convention common access card (CAC), DD Form 1173 ID card (dependent ID), DD Form 1173-1 ID card or the Next Generation Uniformed Services (Real) ID card for entrance into a participating Blue Star Museum.

Follow #bluestarmuseums on Twitter @NEAarts and @BlueStarFamily.

¡Pleibol! In the Barrios and the Big Leagues / En los barrios y las grandes ligas

Fri, 25 Mar 2022 17:27:51 GMT

The history and culture of Latinos and their impact on American culture and society through the lens of baseball will be shared in the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service’s (SITES) new bilingual (Spanish and English) exhibition, “¡Pleibol! In the Barrios and the Big Leagues / En los barrios y las grandes ligas.” The exhibition will be on view at Irving Archives and Museum, a Smithsonian Afliliate, March 26, 2022 through June 19, 2022.

“¡Pleibol! In the Barrios and the Big Leagues / En los barrios y las grandes ligas” was organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service in collaboration with the National Museum of American History. The exhibition received generous support from the Cordoba Corporation and Linda Alvarado, and federal support from the Latino Initiatives Pool, administered by the Smithsonian Latino Center.

The exhibition captures the excitement of the game, from community baseball teams to the Major League, highlighting how the game can bring people together regardless of race, class, and gender. It will feature reproductions of historic and personal photographs, and graphic elements as well as a short bilingual video produced by “La Vida Baseball” team at TeamWorks Media. QR codes throughout the exhibition will provide visitors with more information on relevant objects, included in a virtual gallery developed as part of the 3D digitization project in collaboration with the Smithsonian Latino Center and the Smithsonian Digitization Program Office.

Throughout the 20th century in the United States and Latin America, baseball provided a path for a better future. Workers in agriculture and industry in the United States used baseball to make ends meet and as a socially acceptable space to find community and organize for rights and justice.

“¡Pleibol! In the Barrios and the Big Leagues / En los barrios y las grandes ligas” has been made possible through close collaborations with over 30 partners in 14 states, Washington, DC and Puerto Rico to help bring visibility to Latino community histories through baseball. Smithsonian curators collaborated with partners and local communities across the country to document and preserve baseball stories at the heart of Latino communities. The traveling exhibition will visit 15 cities through 2025.

Through incomparable collections, rigorous research and dynamic public outreach, the National Museum of American History seeks to empower people to create a more just and compassionate future by examining, preserving and sharing the complexity of our past. The museum's building is currently closed but its online exhibits and learning resources can be accessed at http://americanhistory.si.edu .

This exhibition is made possible with funding from Humanities Texas and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the federal ARP Act.

Celebrating Women's History Month

Wed, 02 Mar 2022 16:47:16 GMT

Every Saturday in March is Free!

New Paragraph

Honoring Black History Month

Tue, 01 Feb 2022 19:26:13 GMT

Every Saturday in February is FREE!

I AM A MAN: Photographs of the Civil Rights Movement, 1960–1970

Tue, 25 Jan 2022 19:07:48 GMT

Irving Archives and Museum opens I AM A MAN: Photographs of the Civil Rights Movement, 1960–1970

The 1960–1970 decade was a momentous time for the civil rights movement in the American South. It was an historic decade that unleashed both hope for the future and profound change as public spaces were desegregated and as African Americans secured their right to vote. I AM A MAN: Photographs of the Civil Rights Movement, 1960–1970 displays a wide range of photographs taken by amateurs, local photojournalists, and internationally known photographers. Together, they provide a vivid visual story of the evolution of the civil rights movement and shed light on the movement’s integration in daily living in the American South. I AM A MAN: Photographs of the Civil Rights Movement, 1960–1970 opens January 28, 2022 at Irving Archives and Museum.

Southern folklorist, author, and curator William Ferris and his research team sought out photos taken in the heat of the civil rights movement, by activists or local news photographers, who documented history taking place before their eyes. Viewers of the exhibition will recognize the photographs of protestors who carried signs with messages like “I Am A Man” or sat at segregated lunch counters as iconic images associated with the movement, while numerous other photographs presented in the exhibition have rarely been seen until now. Key events include James Meredith’s admission to the University of Mississippi, Ku Klux Klan gatherings, the Selma Montgomery March in Alabama, the sanitation workers’ strike in Memphis, Martin Luther King’s funeral, the Poor People’s Campaign, and the Mule Train.

The decade was a pivotal moment that both marks change, and also reminds us how far we have to go. The photographs in I AM A MAN: Photographs of the Civil Rights Movement, 1960-1970 remind us of their enduring resonance today and beyond as future generations continue to fight for justice for all humankind.

This exhibition has been adapted from an exhibition, originally produced for the Pavillon Populaire in Montpellier, France, by the Center for Study of the American South at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The French exhibition was funded by the City of Montpellier and administered by Gilles Mora, director of the Pavillion Populaire.

Spirited: Prohibition in America

Tue, 26 Oct 2021 16:40:25 GMT

Nationally Touring Exhibition, Spirited: Prohibition in America Opens November 2021 at Irving Archives and Museum

During the era of Prohibition, Americans no longer could manufacture, sell, or transport intoxicating beverages from 1920 until 1933. Spirited: Prohibition in America, a temporary exhibition at Irving Archives and Museum (IAM) explores this tumultuous time in American history, when flappers and suffragists, bootleggers and temperance lobbyists, and legends, such as Al Capone and Carry Nation, took sides in this battle against the bottle.

Organized by the National Constitution Center, Philadelphia, PA, in partnership with Mid-America Arts Alliance, Kansas City, MO, Spirited: Prohibition in America explores the era of Prohibition, when America went “dry.” Visitors will learn about the complex issues that led America to adopt Prohibition through the 18th Amendment to the Constitution in 1919 until its repeal through the 21st Amendment in 1933. Through the exhibition, visitors will learn about the amendment process, the changing role of liquor in American culture, Prohibition’s impact on the roaring ‘20s, and the role of women, and how current liquor laws vary from state to state.

In 1830, the average American consumed 90 bottles—or about four shots a day—of 80-proof liquor each year. Saloons gained notoriety as the most destructive force in American culture, where men would drink away their families’ money. Following extensive campaigning and lobbying by the Anti-Saloon League along with groups representing women’s suffrage and the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, on January 16, 1919, the 18th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, and beginning January 17, 1920, Americans could no longer manufacture, sell, or transport intoxicating beverages. However, the Volstead act, the law enforcing the amendment, made exceptions for sacramental, medicinal, and industrial purposes as well as allowing families to “preserve fruit” through fermentation.

In the years following, the country was split between “wets” and “drys,” speakeasies flourished, legal authorities gave chase to gangsters, and many created inventive ways to circumvent the law. Governmental agencies, including the Prohibition Bureau and the Justice Department, charged with enforcing the Volstead act were ill equipped to deal with the flood of illegal booze. Along with rampant law breaking, Prohibition brought unexpected cultural and societal shifts from the development of mixed-gendered speakeasies to the growth of organized crime syndicated into national enterprises.

The exhibition draws on the histories told from both sides of this divisive issue that riled passions and created volatile situations. In the end after a decade of wide-spread corruption, wavering public opinion, and the need to generate revenue from an alcohol tax, the 18th Amendment became the first ever repealed. With the passing of the 21st Amendment, Prohibition ended on December 5, 1933 to a very different America. Today, Prohibition’s legacy can be traced through state laws regulating alcohol, created to avoid the excesses before Prohibition and the corruption and lawlessness experienced during the roaring ‘20s.

To celebrate both the opening of the exhibition and the Irving Archives & Museum’s grand opening, IAM will host two events. A Prohibition-themed party will take place Friday, November 12, 2021 at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at www.irvingarchivesandmuseum.com. A ribbon-cutting ceremony and ice-cream social will be held Saturday, November 13, 2021 at 10:30. This event is free and open to the public.

Spirited: Prohibition in America is based on the exhibition American Spirits: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition, organized by the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, PA, in collaboration with Daniel Okrent, author of Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition. Spirited has been made possible through NEH on the Road, a special initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities. It has been adapted and toured by Mid-America Arts Alliance. Founded in 1972, Mid-America Arts Alliance is the oldest regional nonprofit arts organization in the United States. For more information, visit www.maaa.org or www.nehontheroad.org.

Two Minutes to Midnight and the Architecture of Armageddon

Mon, 16 Aug 2021 14:52:58 GMT

Irving Archives and Museum opens Two Minutes to Midnight and the Architecture of Armageddon September 1, 2021

In 2018, the Doomsday Clock was set to two minutes to midnight, the closest it has ever been to striking midnight since the height of the Cold War in 1953 when both the United States and the Soviet Union tested thermonuclear weapons for the first time within ten months of each other. Today, while the Cold War’s lessons and fears have largely faded from our collective memory, it is critical to view a decidedly uncertain present through the lens of the past. Two Minutes to Midnight and the Architecture of Armageddon opens September 1, 2021 at Irving Archives and Museum.

Through two photographic essays, photographers Jeanine Michna-Bales and Adam Reynolds offer a calculated look at the “Architecture of Armageddon,” both the offensive and defensive implications of nuclear war. These quiet architectural spaces, devoid of people, allow viewers to come face to face with present nuclear realities while also offering a look into the collective psyche of the American people during the Cold War.

Reynolds’s project, No Lone Zone, documents the offensive side of the Cold War through nuclear missile silos in the United States. It provides a contemplated look at the nuts and bolts of Mutually Assured Destruction, the MAD logic behind nuclear deterrence. Michna-Bales’s project, Fallout, delivers typological documentation of the defensive side through various shelters and propaganda across the United States, both private and public. These fallout shelters, endorsed through Civil Defense programs, in reality offered little more than a government sponsored placebo to the American people, convincing them that something tangible was being done in the event of a nuclear holocaust.

This exhibition is aimed to spark curiosity, and encourage discourse among audiences of all backgrounds as the works seek out places that are often hidden in plain sight. Two Minutes to Midnight and the Architecture of Armageddon is organized by ExhibitsUSA, a program of Mid-America Arts Alliance.

About the Artists

Jeanine Michna-Bales is a fine artist working in the medium of photography. Her work explores the relationship between past events and their continued impact on contemporary society. She meticulously researches each topic—considering different viewpoints, causes and effects, and political climates—and often incorporates found or archival text into her projects. Her images have appeared in solo and group exhibitions around the United States.

Adam Reynolds is a documentary photographer whose work focuses on contemporary political conflict. He pursues visual research projects that balance photographic creativity with a journalist’s thematic fidelity. Reynolds has worked as a freelance photojournalist in the United States and the Middle East, where he lived in Israel/Palestine, Egypt, and Yemen. Reynolds’s photographs have been exhibited throughout the United States and abroad.

Exhibition: Two Minutes to Midnight and the Architecture of Armageddon

Host Organization: Irving Archives and Museum

Runs: September 1, 2021 through January 7, 2022

Gallery Hours: Wednesday – Friday, 10 am – 4 pm

Location: 801 W. Irving Blvd., Irving, Texas 75060

"A History of Walls: The Borders We Build" Temporary Exhibition Comes to IAM

Fri, 04 Jun 2021 18:47:32 GMT

For as long as there have been nations, those nations have built walls. Today, we’re asking why. “A History of Walls: The Borders We Build,” a traveling exhibition from Overland Traveling Exhibits, explores the history and future of several of the world’s major geopolitical barriers. The exhibition will be on display at Irving Archives and Museum from June 12, 2021 to August 14, 2021. The exhibit will tour the United States through 2022. Visit overlandexhibits.com/walls for more details.

“A History of Walls” features a closer look at four historically-signiﬁcant walls: the Great Wall of China, the Berlin Wall, the Israel/West Bank Barrier, and the US/Mexico Border Wall. Each wall is examined as a historical, political, and cultural phenomenon. The exhibit puts a special focus on the lives of people affected by these imposing and oftentimes dangerous structures. Visitors will ﬁnd themselves challenged to consider the role of walls in their lives, whether those walls are far away or right next door.

“A History of Walls” includes a striking artistic interpretation of a typical section of the US/Mexico wall, featuring the silhouette of the bollard-style construction favored by US Customs and Border Protection. Coming face-to-face with the wall gives a sense of just how imposing these structures can be, and how many resources and how much effort it takes to build a wall.

Driven in part by a renewed focus on wall-building and the rise of nationalism in the United States and abroad, “A History of Walls” features overviews of these imposing infrastructural elements, exploring each wall through words, images, video, and written interactives, as well as the central US/Mexico border wall recreation.

“A History of Walls” was developed, designed, built, and toured by Overland Traveling Exhibits. Founding institutions include the Chandler Museum in Chandler, Arizona and the Coronado Quivira Museum in Lyons, Kansas.

Ruth Paine House Museum Featured on KERA's Art&Seek.org

Tue, 18 May 2021 17:43:47 GMT

Irving Historical Site Gives Female Perspective To The Events Leading Up To JFK Assassination

by Therese Powell

On November 21, 1963, the night before John F. Kennedy was assassinated, Lee Harvey Oswald spent the night at a small, mid-century home in Irving.

Now, almost six decades later, the house is a multimedia museum run by the Irving Archives and Museum that tells the story of the events that occurred there.

Recognizing the historic significance of the house owned by Michael and Ruth Paine in 1963, the City of Irving purchased it in 2009. And in 2013, a museum was created within the home. Family photographs, Warren Commission photos, as well as assistance from Ruth Paine herself, were used to restore the 1,250-square-foot home to how it looked in November of 1963.

The story of the house begins with Ruth Paine, who befriended Marina Oswald, the wife of Lee Harvey Oswald. Paine was a Quaker and interested in US-USSR relations and had been learning Russian. She had been helping Russian émigrés and offered Marina and her children a temporary place to live while Lee Harvey was living in a rooming house in Oak Cliff to be near his job at the Texas School Book Depository. He would visit Marina and the children on the weekends at the Paine home and then return to Dallas for work on Monday.

“Marina was Russian and only spoke Russian at the time,” said Jennifer Landry, Museum Director, Irving Archives and Museum. “Ruth thought this was a good opportunity to practice and perfect her Russian speaking skills, and in the process, would also help Marina adjust. They were both young mothers and both were somewhat estranged from their spouses at the time, because Ruth’s husband was not living in the home. So they had some things in common.”

On the morning of November 22, 1963, Lee Harvey reportedly got up early and retrieved a rifle that was wrapped in a blanket from the garage and left the Paine home before anyone was awake. Five hours later, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated as his motorcade passed in front of the Texas School Book Depository.

Landry says those living in the Paine home would forever be defined by the events of that day.

“The story we tell at the house is: What happens when you are caught up in a historic moment where you’re an innocent bystander? You have no idea what’s happening, but you know it’s one of the most tragic events of a lifetime. So the museum captures a moment in time,” she said.

As visitors tour the home, they’ll encounter projected vignettes of actors who play the roles of Ruth and Michael Paine and Marina and Lee Harvey Oswald. Using words from historical records, these characters tell the story of the days leading up to the assassination.

Ruth and Marina were watching television while folding laundry together when they learned of the assassination.

“Marina was quickly moved into Secret Service protection, and Ruth tried to connect with her in the months afterwards, but Marina just did not want to connect,” said Landry. “In later years Ruth realized that what bound them together was probably the most tragic event in both of their lives. She says they were sisters bound by a tragedy. And so, the friendship just kind of dissolved after the assassination.”

Landry says the house is significant because Lee Harvey woke up there the day of the assassination, but it also tells a much bigger story.

“It’s a story told from a woman’s perspective of the assassination. And that’s not a story that we necessarily hear much,” she said.

View the full article here .

WW1 America Exhibition Featured in the Dallas Morning News

Mon, 26 Apr 2021 14:19:14 GMT

World War I art and culture exhibit opens in Irving

The exhibit uses art, artifacts and recreated settings to examines how the war transformed the U.S. into a global leader.

A new art exhibit in Irving explores a transformational period in U.S. history, World War I, and how the struggles of those days shape the country even today.

The exhibit, “WW1 America,” examines the years between 1914 and 1919, the war and the battles that raged in the U.S., including a racial firestorm, the women’s suffrage movement and sharp disagreements about immigration.

“Although it was fought thousands of miles away, the war transformed the United States from a relatively provincial power on the world stage to a full-fledged global, military-industrial leader,” a description of the exhibit reads . “The American stage during and just after World War I witnessed sharp challenges to virtually every familiar boundary — those of citizenship, gender, race, class, nationality, generation, culture, not to mention traditional assumptions about foreign entanglements.”

Part of the National Endowment for the Humanities’ On the Road program, the exhibit includes large-scale photographs, artifacts, multimedia pieces and recreated settings such as a music shop and grocery store.

The exhibit runs through May 25 at the Irving Archives and Museum , 801 W. Irving Blvd. Reservations are required, but the Friends of the Irving Museums are covering admission costs while supplies last. When making a reservation online, visitors should enter the coupon code, “FRIENDS21.”

Call 972-721-3714 for more information.

For the full article, visit: https://www.dallasnews.com/arts-entertainment/things-to-do/2021/04/19/world-war-i-art-exhibit-opens-in-irving/

World War 1 America Exhibition Comes to Irving Archives and Museum

Tue, 30 Mar 2021 16:37:49 GMT

On view April 9 through May 30, 2021

WW1 America invites audiences into a nuanced understanding of World War I as a transformational event in American history, a compressed and convulsive time of social, economic, and political change, a lens through which to understand what it means to be “modern.” WW1 America is on view April 9 through May 30, 2021 at Irving Archives and Museum.

Although it was fought thousands of miles away, the war transformed the United States from a relatively provincial power on the world stage to a full-fledged global, military-industrial leader, held together by a newly powerful federal government and charged with confident patriotism. This is the America that dominates popular memory: the saturated hues of patriotic posters, jubilant crowds at Liberty Loan rallies, the ranks of manly Doughboys, and hearty choruses of “Over There.”

And yet there were darker sides of the American experience during the years 1914 to 1919: entire swaths of US cities engulfed in racial conflagrations; workers striking by the millions; women demonstrating in the streets demanding the right to vote; immigrants harassed and deported; dissenters and “hyphenated” Americans pursued, surveilled, jailed, or lynched; and violent disagreements about the nature of civil liberties.

The American stage during and just after World War I witnessed sharp challenges to virtually every familiar boundary—those of citizenship, gender, race, class, nationality, generation, culture, not to mention traditional assumptions about foreign entanglements. As the war came to an end, making the “world safe for democracy” may have actually seemed easier than making democracy even possible for millions of Americans at home.

And if the war did not have a precisely causal effect on social change during the period—for issues such as woman suffrage, African American migrations, Prohibition, labor struggles—it was nonetheless always in dialogue, sometimes violently, with the day’s upheavals, shaping the nation in profound and lasting ways. Indeed, so many issues from this period cascade down the years to our own time.

WWI America explores vitally important stories of a transformational and divisive era, for a broad, multi-generational audience. The exhibition is visually dynamic, with large-scale photographs, moving images, multimedia environments, and re-created settings such as a music shop and grocery store. It is also a socially interactive forum, with stories and many period artifacts supported by authentic voices expressing competing views.

From the brutal realities of war to the vivid delights of popular culture, WW1 America offers visitors an engaging and compelling evocation of the many dimensions of this period, as well as an entry point into thinking about and making sense of our own times.

WW1 America is made possible by NEH on the Road, a special initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities, which provided major funding support. It is adapted from the Minnesota History Center’s exhibition WWI America, and toured for NEH on the Road by the Mid-America Arts Alliance.

The original WW1 America exhibition was created by the Minnesota History Center in partnership with the National Constitution Center, the National World War I Museum and Memorial, the Oakland Museum of California, and the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, and was supported by major grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

About NEH on the Road

NEH on the Road (NEHOTR) is a fully funded initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities, designed to create wider national access to the ideas, themes, and stories explored in major grant-funded NEH exhibitions. Mid-America Arts Alliance has provided the curatorial adaptation, design, production, and tour management of the NEHOTR program since 2002. Each exhibition is designed to fit within 2,000 square feet and features abundant artifacts, integrated didactic panels, banners, and other supporting materials that best reflect the content and scholarship of the original large-scale exhibitions. Learn more at www.nehontheroad.org .

About the National Endowment for the Humanities

Created in 1965 as an independent federal agency, the National Endowment for the Humanities supports research and learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities by funding selected, peer-reviewed proposals from around the nation. Additional information about the National Endowment for the Humanities and its grant programs is available at: www.neh.gov .

About Mid-America Arts Alliance

Mid-America Arts Alliance (M-AAA) strengthens and supports artists, cultural organizations, and communities throughout our region and beyond. We believe in more art for more people. Additional information about M-AAA is available at www.maaa.org .

Irving Archives and Museum to host Smithsonian American Women's History Initiative Series with virtual scholar talks for Women's History Month 2021

Tue, 09 Mar 2021 14:47:51 GMT

These unique opportunities are a part of a grant program awarded to the Irving Archives and Museum by the Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative Series. This series of five lectures begins Wednesday, March 3, 2021 and concludes Wednesday, March 31, 2021. Registration is required. Participants should register through the associated links below.

1) Wednesday, March 3, 2021 at 7 PM EST

African American Women’s Activism in Historical Perspective

Register here

Highlighting objects related to African American women’s history in the Smithsonian collections, this event focuses on African American women’s activism and contributions in historical perspective. Each speaker will explore an interesting aspect of African American women’s activism through an extended discussion of one or two objects.

Featuring:

Nancy Bercaw, PhD, Chair, Division of Political and Military History, National Museum of American History
Aleia Brown, PhD, Assistant Director, Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities
Modupe Labode, PhD, Curator, National Museum of American History
Crystal Moten, PhD, Curator, National Museum of American History

2) Wednesday, March 10, 2021 at 7 PM EST

Lena Richard and Julia Child: Two Women Who Changed Culinary History

Register here

Through their cookbooks, teaching, and television programs, these extraordinary women inspired generations of people to take cooking seriously. They challenged perceptions and stereotypes of women in their respective eras and made lasting contributions to culinary history. Their stories, reflective of their very different backgrounds, reveal insights about women, race, food, and culture in 20th-century America.

Featuring:

Paula Johnson, Curator, National Museum of American History
Ashley Rose Young, PhD, Historian, National Museum of American History

3) Wednesday, March 17, 2021 at 5 PM EST

Women in Aerospace: Stories from the Smithsonian Collection

Register here

Dr. Margaret Weitekamp has researched and written on how a groundswell of support helped create a Lego set representing women’s contributions to aerospace. Join us for a discussion of how women have worked from the very beginning of aviation to innovate, and how museums have documented their stories.

Featuring:

Margaret Weitekamp, PhD, Curator and Department Chair, Space History Department, National Air and Space Museum

4) Wednesday, March 24, 2021 at 7pm EST

Ancient Worlds Contemporary Selves: Smithsonian Scholars Explore Intersectionality

Register here

In this discussion, scholars from the National Museum of the American Indian, Asian Pacific American Center and Smithsonian American Art Museum explore how artists integrate the ancient world within their contemporary artistic practice. In so doing, their works update and create new meanings, allowing them to pass on complex and layered cultural interpretations to future generations.

Featuring:

Michelle Delaney, PhD, Assistant Director for History and Culture, Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian Healoha Johnston, Curator, Asian Pacific American Women’s Cultural History, Smithsonian’s Asian Pacific American Center
Claudia Zapata, Curatorial Assistant, Smithsonian American Art Museum

5) Wednesday, March 31, 2021 at 5 PM EST

Women Artists Respond to Place

Register here

The significance of landscapes, places, and narratives of all kinds will be examined through the works of contemporary women artists in Smithsonian collections.

Featuring:

Tuliza Fleming, PhD, Curator of American Art, National Museum of African American History and Culture Rebecca Trautmann, Assistant Curator of Contemporary Art, National Museum of the American Indian

Moderated by:

Tricia Edwards, Deputy Director, Smithsonian Affiliations

Dallas Morning News Features Irving's Newest Museum!

Tue, 02 Mar 2021 21:33:20 GMT

Irving’s new museum lets you pilot a flight simulator, explore the city’s history and more

You’re invited to ‘bring your bubble’ to the museum, which is now open to groups who make a reservation. Read the full article on Dallas Morning News .

Dallas Morning News Covers "Away From Home" at Irving Archives and Museum

Tue, 02 Mar 2021 20:47:17 GMT

Irving exhibit explores tragic history of American Indian boarding schools

The traveling exhibit tells the stories of Native American children who were forced from their communities and into government-run schools.

Read the Dallas Morning News article

New Hours!

Thu, 25 Feb 2021 19:55:41 GMT

It’s a great time to explore at Irving Archives and Museum this week with rain in the forecast! Beginning this Saturday, February 27, we are open Saturdays from 10 AM – 1 PM. Reservations required.

For more information or to make your reservation head to our information page .

"Away from Home" Exhibit to open!

Thu, 07 Jan 2021 13:15:38 GMT

Irving Archives and Museum opens Away from Home: American Indian Boarding School Stories January 2021

Beginning in the 1870s, the US government attempted to educate and assimilate American Indians into "civilized" society by placing children-of all ages, from thousands of homes and hundreds of diverse tribes-in distant, residential boarding schools. Many were forcibly taken from their families and communities and stripped of all signs of "lndianness," even forbidden to speak their own language amongst themselves. Up until the 1930s, students were trained for domestic work and trade in a highly regimented environment. Many children went years without familial contact, and these events had a lasting, generational impact.

Away from Home: American Indian Boarding School Stories explores off-reservation boarding schools in a kaleidoscope of voices.

Away from Home opens January 28, 2021 at Irving Archives and Museum.

National Museum Store Sunday

Sun, 29 Nov 2020 23:14:48 GMT

Today is the day!

Our museum store is open today (11/29) from 12 – 4 PM for National Museum Store Sunday. Find awesome gifts to support our amazing museum.

The museum will be open starting next Wednesday, December 2.

Irving Archives & Museum receives 2020 Obelisk Award

Fri, 14 Aug 2020 22:00:15 GMT

In February and March 2020 the Irving Archives & Museum (IAM) was honored to partner with the ThinkIndia Foundation to showcase the rich artistic traditions of Indian culture through India a la Art, an exhibition funded through an Irving Arts Center Innovation Grant.

This effort resulted in IAM being named the recipient of a 2020 Obelisk Award, under the category of New Initiatives. The award is given by the North Texas Business Council for the Arts. The Obelisk Awards recognize “individuals and organizations who are pivotal in their support of arts and culture in North Texas.”

Thank you to the ThinkIndia Foundation, and if you haven’t already, please check out our Think India - India a la Art Exhibits Page where you can find a wonderful video capturing some of the beautiful poetry that was featured as part of the programming!

Irving Archives and Museum News

History in Bloom at Bear Creek

Tom Landry: A Life in Football

Over a 29-year career, Tom Landry led the Dallas Cowboys through 20 consecutive winning seasons, many of them during the team’s years at Texas Stadium in Irving. Experience Tom Landry: A Life in Football through August 9, 2026 at the Irving Archives and Museum!

The Perfect Shot Opens at IAM

Smithsonian Curator to Speak on How Spaceflight Is Remembered

Second Saturdays at IAM!

Second Saturdays at IAM!

FREE Admission and FREE Activities for Everyone!

Irving Museums Closed Sunday, April 5, 2026

Spring Break at IAM!

FREE Docent-Led Tours - First Sundays at 2 pm!

Join Us at IAM for Docent-Led Tours on the First Sunday of Every Month at 2 pm! FREE ADMISSION & FREE TOUR!

GET YOUR ICONIC IRVING T-SHIRT—SUPPORT THE BIG STATE SIGN PROJECT!

Friends of the Irving Museum Launch "Iconic Irving T-Shirt" Fundraiser to Support Big State Sign Restoration Project

Talk with the Artist - January 31st at 1 pm!

Weather Closure January 2026

ALL Irving Museums Closed Due to Inclement Weather

HOLIDAY CLOSURES - ALL IRVING MUSEUMS

Happy 122nd Birthday Irving!

TSHA Welcome

Katseye 2025

KATSEYE Irving Fan Event

Check out the photos from our event!

Check out the AMAZING photos from the event!

IAM CLOSING AT 2 PM DEC 6

IAM CLOSING EARLY SATURDAY DECEMBER 6

Illuminate Irving 2025

Fall into History at Bear Creek

Step back in time and fall into history at Bear Creek Heritage Center!

City of Irving Mourns the Passing of Ruth Paine

Badge of Pride

Badge of Pride: From Silence…To Celebration! On View at IAM Through September 28, 2025!

Caribbean Indigenous Resistance

Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition Exploring Indigenous Legacy of the Caribbean

Irving Works, a photography exhibition highlighting City of Irving employees

Irving Works A photography exhibition highlighting City of Irving employees at their jobs working to make and keep Irving such an enjoyable place to live. On view at IAM through May 18, 2025.

Working America, a photography exhibition

Working America A photography exhibition featuring American immigrants and first-generation Americans at work as icons of the American experience On view through May 18, 2025.

All City Museums Closed Friday, July 4, 2025

HOLD FLOWERS IN BOTH HANDS: One woman's story of love, faith and fortitude

The Inspiring Legacy of Setsuko Nagasawa Kinslow and Her Journey from Wartime Japan to a New Life in Texas

Japanese War Brides: Across a Wide Divide

Japanese War Brides: Across a Wide Divide On view at Irving Archives and Museum December 14, 2024 through April 6, 2025

CLOSING SOON: Nature’s Blueprints: Biomimicry in Art and Design at IAM

Only on view through Sunday, January 5, 2025!

Diptychs, Triptychs, and Other Experiments by Robert N. Batson

Artworks by Robert N. Batson

SALES IN BOTH MUSEUM STORES

DON'T MISS THESE AMAZING STORE SALES

Irving Archives & Museum and Mustangs Museum Stores HOSTING BIG SALES!

60 Years of Irving Healthcare: Honoring Our Legacy, Building Our Future

Irving Archives and Museum Showcases Exhibit on Irving Hospital History

60 Years of Healthcare: Honoring Our Legacy, Building Our Future

Cheer Couture: The Creation of an Icon

Cheer Couture: The Creation of an Icon

Celebrating 40 Years of Mustangs of Las Colinas

Mustangs of Las Colinas 40th Anniversary Celebration: A 40-Day Tribute to an Iconic Masterpiece

Support the Friends of the Irving Museums at Corner Bakery

Ready for a mouthwatering meal that supports a great cause?

A Tree Worth Celebrating

Sweet Mustang Memories: A Tree Worth Celebrating!

IAM to be Closed for Maintenance

BREAKING NEWS! Maintenance completed ahead of schedule! IAM will reopen Wednesday, August 28, 2024!

Thrift Style Exhibition Open at IAM

Irving Archives and Museum Opens Thrift Style Exhibition

We are a Blue Star Museum!

IAM to offer free admission to military personnel and their families this summer!

La Frontera: The Border On View at IAM

La Frontera: The Border Exhibition Showcases the Works of Twenty Artists from Around the World

Badge of Pride - A Pop-Up Exhibit - June 2024

On View Through June 30!

Badge of Pride LGBTQ+ History Exhibit

80s Fashion Night Event

Strut Your '80s Style

on the

Fashion Show Runway

at Irving Archives & Museum's

'80s Fashion Night Celebration!

Click here for all the details!

Friends of the Irving Museum Launch

"Iconic Irving T-Shirt" Fundraiser to Support

Big State Sign Restoration Project

Badge of Pride: From Silence…To Celebration!
On View at IAM Through September 28, 2025!

Irving Works

A photography exhibition highlighting City of Irving employees at their jobs working to make and keep Irving such an enjoyable place to live.

On view at IAM through May 18, 2025.

Working America

A photography exhibition featuring American immigrants and first-generation Americans at work as icons of the American experience

On view through May 18, 2025.

Japanese War Brides: Across a Wide Divide

On view at Irving Archives and Museum December 14, 2024 through April 6, 2025

Mustangs of Las Colinas 40th Anniversary Celebration:

A 40-Day Tribute to an Iconic Masterpiece