GET EXCITED
SAVE THE DATE FOR THE ELLEN NOËL ART MUSEUM’S GRAND OPENING ON DECEMBER 6, 2025
After two years of construction, we invite you to join us for a day filled with art, music, and creativity as we officially reopen the doors to your Museum!
Events
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Activities for the Whole Family
1:00 - 3:30 PM
Explore our reimagined galleries, filled with vibrant exhibitions and stunning new spaces that bring art to life like never before. Enjoy a day of festive fun with hands-on activities, including ornament-making, coloring stations, and photo spots perfect for capturing this historic occasion!
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Special Talk with Lesley Frowick
4:00 - 5:00 PM
Gather in the FMH Community Room for an inspiring talk with Lesley Frowick, niece and biographer of the iconic fashion designer Halston, as she discusses the Museum's inaugural exhibition, Halston: Inventing American Fashion.
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Gingerbread House Making Workshop
Several Time Slots Available
Build your own wooden gingerbread house in our fun, family-friendly workshop! Spots are $20 with limited availability—reserve your time slot for either 1:15–2:15 PM or 2:30–3:30 PM to join in on the festive creativity.
This day has been years in the making, and we can’t wait to share it with you. Come celebrate this milestone moment with us as we open the doors to a bright new chapter at the Ellen Noël Art Museum!
To kick off this exciting day, we invite you to join us for our Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at 12:30 PM, followed by live music from the ECISD Harp Ensemble starting at 1:30 PM, filling the Museum with the sounds of the season until 3:30 PM.
Each year ENAM welcomes over 35,000 visitors. We host almost 300 different events and programs. Our team has offers over 30,000 instructional hours for visitors. This is no easy feat! Additionally, we are proud to present between ten and twenty exhibitions annually. Before our renovations began, the Museum had four galleries, two classrooms, a self-directed family space, and our Sculpture and Sensory Garden.
ABOUT THE
CAPITAL ENHANCEMENT PROJECT
Enhancing Art and Opportunity in the Permian Basin
For nearly 40 years, the Ellen Noël Art Museum of the Permian Basin (ENAM) has been a dedicated cultural hub, enriching our community with diverse art experiences. We've connected people with art through a variety of engaging exhibits, classes, summer camps, and cultural programs.
As a key cultural institution in Odessa and the broader Permian Basin, we aim to enhance the quality of life and the learning environment in our region. However, our growing community and expanding programs have outgrown our current facilities. To continue our Mission and better serve the people of the Permian Basin, we are excited to announce the renovation and expansion of our building.
This expansion project is essential to accommodate the increasing number of visitors and enhance our educational offerings. By creating more space for exhibitions, classes, workshops, and community events, we will be able to provide even more opportunities for artistic engagement and cultural enrichment. Our new facilities will feature state-of-the-art galleries, expanded studio spaces, and modern amenities designed to inspire creativity and foster learning.
The renovation will also include improved accessibility features, ensuring that everyone, regardless of ability, can enjoy the enriching experiences we offer.
This project is not just about expanding our physical space; it's about broadening our impact and reaching more individuals with the transformative power of art.
Much To Look Forward To
Expanding to Serve
We are expanding the Ellen Noël Art Museum to better serve our community and the residents of the Permian Basin. This project is driven by three main goals.
We are working to eliminate any barriers to entry. When the Museum was designed 40 years ago, museums were primarily seen as stewards of cultural preservation. Today, they are vibrant gathering spaces for social and educational engagement. However, our building's solid brick façade and hidden entrances created both physical and psychological barriers to entry, often leaving visitors confused about where to go. With our new design, a glass-front entry and revolving door will clearly establish the main entrance, creating a more welcoming and accessible experience for all.
Additionally, maintaining ever-evolving industry standards is critical to our continued success. Our Museum's AAM accreditation and Smithsonian Affiliation depend on our ability to meet these standards as they advance. While our building’s mechanical systems have served us well for four decades, many of them remain original to the initial construction and require upgrades to align with current best practices.
Finally, we aim to enhance how our facility is used. Our vision includes versatile, configurable spaces that can serve as classrooms and meeting rooms or combine to create a large venue capable of hosting sit-down dinners for up to 500 people. This multi-functional facility will be a valuable community asset, supporting cultural programming by local organizations and meeting corporate needs for signature events. A flexible, modern space is essential to fulfilling our mission and serving our community's evolving needs.
Photo taken August 5th, 2025.
Photo taken August 2nd, 2025.