EXHIBITIONS

Our engaging exhibits offer a unique blend of art and history, sure to captivate and inspire visitors of all ages. Enjoy our rotating traveling exhibit, showcasing diverse and exciting art from various artists and collections.

Now on View

Halston: Inventing American Fashion

“You are only as good as the people you dress.”
With this simple yet powerful philosophy, Roy Halston Frowick, known to the world as Halston, redefined American fashion and left an indelible mark on global style. The Ellen Noël Art Museum is proud to present Halston: Inventing American Fashion, a landmark exhibition celebrating the designer’s groundbreaking legacy.
On View December 6, 2025 - March 22, 2026

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1968: A Folsom Redemption

Featuring stunning photographs from Johnny Cash’s iconic performances at Folsom State Prison, 1968: A Folsom Redemption captures one of the most transformative moments in American music history. In January of 1968, Johnny Cash walked into Folsom Prison in Folsom, California with his guitar and an idea that would change his life and the landscape of country music forever.
On View December 6, 2025 - March 15, 2026

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Our Collection, Our Story

Since the Museum first opened its doors in 1985, building, preserving, and collecting art has been central to our mission. Our Collection, Our Story celebrates the many individuals and families who have supported the Museum over the years through their generosity and belief in the power of art. Without their vision and commitment, the Museum’s collection would not exist as it does today.
Permanently Located in the Keith Family Gallery

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STAMPEDE

In 1940, artist Tom Lea created the mural Stampede for the Odessa, Texas Post Office as part of the New Deal, under a U.S. government contract. Measuring 5 1/2 feet by 16 feet, the mural was originally glued to the wall above the postmaster’s office door. In 1970, it was moved, framed, and displayed in the new post office until 2013. As part of a pilot program with the USPS, the Ellen Noël Art Museum and Odessa Arts restored and housed the mural, which now resides in the Museum's Gallery under a 25-year renewable loan. Inspired by his work illustrating Frank Dobie's book on longhorns and the song Little Joe the Wrangler, Lea chose a cattle stampede as the mural's theme.

Tom Lea (American, 1907-2001), Stampede, 1940, Oil on Canvas, On loan and displayed with permission from the United States Postal Service.

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UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS

Exhibition Opening Soon: Home, Love, and Loss

Bringing together more than 66 works from the collection of Art Bridges, the Amarillo Museum of Art, Art Museum of South Texas, Amon Carter Museum of American Art, and the Ellen Noël Art Museum, this exhibition features family lifecycles from aging to death.
On View April 2 - July 26, 2026
Exhibition Opening Soon: Shifting Subjects: Heroes of the West

Though early depictions of cowboys and Native Americans were often flawed in interpretation and depiction, it is the heroic moments of perseverance within a harsh landscape that made them worthy of immortalization through art. These subjects has created visual lessons on what the West is, was, and how it has changed today.
On View April 2 - May 31, 2026
UTPB Student Senior Show Juried Art Exhibition

The Ellen Noël Art Museum invited submissions from UTPB senior Art students for a solo or group exhibition opportunity. This exhibition experience offers students the chance to showcase their work in a museum setting and learn more about how artwork is reviewed and selected for exhibition. Artists will be announced on March 10, 2026.
On View April 9 - 26, and May 7 - 31, 2026
Sanctuary

Sanctuary by artist Benjamin Muñoz showcases new artworks that explore the places and people in his life who provide comfort and refuge, what happens when those spaces are disrupted, and the unexpected places where he has found shelter along the way. Muñoz is a Dallas-based multidisciplinary artist whose practice spans painting, installation, and monumental printmaking.
On View June 5 - August 30, 2026
Latinos on Wheels: Lowrides of Tejas

An Exhibition Experience by Al Rendon
Al Rendon is a photographer known for documenting Latino culture in Texas. Latinos on Wheels: Lowrides of Tejas celebrates the artistry, pride, and community surrounding lowrider culture, presenting these customized vehicles as powerful expressions of identity, heritage, and self-expression.
On View August 6 - November 29, 2026