Last updated: 4/28/2011
Claude, Texas
Street Address
120 N. Trice StreetClaude, TX 79019
Mailing Address
P.O. Box 450Claude, TX 79019
phone: 806-226-2187
fax: 806-226-3111
e-mail: armctymus@windstream.net
web: www.searchtexas.com

Admissions

Museum and Art Gallery Free

Museum Type(s)

Staff

Roy M. Rutherford
phone: 806-226-2451
e-mail:
Description

The Armstrong County Museum is one of a few museums in the state of Texas that owns and operates a theater. This theater is a part of the historic six building complex that makes up the main museum area. The theater is equipped with a VHS video projector, a satellite, and Dolby surround-sound equipment. The museum uses the theater to show "Portraits of the Past," an introduction to the history of Armstrong County which has been awarded special recognition by the Texas Historical Commission in 1995.

While the stage is small, it is used for live productions. In addition to various shows from the roster of the Texas Commission on the Arts Touring Roster, the museum has presents each year several productions of A Soliloquy of Charles Goodnight, written by Montie Goodin whose father was the foster son of Charles Goodnight. A second soliloqiy of Mrs. Goodnight titled, "My Molly" is also presented annually and is available for touring to other theaters schools etc. The Gem Theatre is also in process of developing a community theater group who will present various plays as Community Heritage Theatre.In short, the museum is attempting to preserve and present in this theater the sights and sounds of yesteryear and today.

The Armstrong County Museum is almost entirely a volunteer effort. There are no full time staff positions at the museum, however, we now have an Exhibit Designer Curator/Trainee provided by a grant from the Amarillo Area Foundation and a director for Community Heritage Theatre productions in part funded by Texas Commission on the Arts and several local area foundations. Through its "Green Thumb" program, the Department of Labor provides two part-time positions which can best be classified as Museum Aides, and whose duties are largely clerical in nature.

History

Since 1990, many of the people of Armstrong County have been giving their time and effort to establish and operate a museum which preserves the heritage of Armstrong County and the Texas Panhandle. The museum is viewed by the Board as having significance for all the people of Texas and especially the Panhandle area. In addition to the usual artifacts to be found in a museum, visual arts and audio visual technology are being utilized to provide a unique program of educational and entertainment activities which constitute a special attraction for all who visit this museum.

The museum complex is made up of six buildings that includes a one-room country school, which may be the last in existence in the Texas Panhandle; a theater; and an art gallery which was also a part of the original complex of historic buildings, in addition to the three main buildings of the museum. With recent purchase of another historic three building complex across the street from the museum the campus is now made up of nine buildings. The additional buildings now house a Gift Shop, a display area for large items such as a fire truck, a printing press etc. The other building is a storage building.

The three original buildings in the Armstrong County Museum complex were donated by the heirs of the B. C. Wooldridge Sr. estate to the museum Board of Directors in 1991. These buildings were built in 1915/16 by T. S. Cavins, founder of the First National Bank of Claude and father of Mrs. B. C. Wooldridge Sr. The fourth building, the long-vacated Lake Center School, has been placed across the street from the main museum buildings where it is being renovated to serve as a memorial to the schools, the teachers, and the educational administrators who have had an impact on the life and culture of Armstrong County.

At the September 1992 meeting, the board approved the plan to purchase the fifth building, the Gem theater, which first opened on October 8, 1915. Immediately adjacent to and part of the original complex of buildings that make up the museum, the Gem theater has been completely renovated with the aid of a grant from the Meadows Foundation and many hours of volunteer labor. The theater reopened with a presentation by Amarillo Opera on May 21, 1995. Live entertainment is scheduled each month and the screen is used to provide a video orientation to the museum via the award wining " Portraits of the Past."

The sixth building, or Art Gallery, was in part donated and in part purchased by the Board in 1994. Also a part of the complex of buildings built in 1915/16, this building has been renovated and is now providing both a concession area for the Gem Theater and a gallery in which the works of local artists and traveling art works are displayed. This building provides an additional program area for board meetings, museum programs, lectures, etc. An effort is being made to have works of a different artist on display each month.

Artifact Collections

7 Structures, 42 Furnishings, 58 Personal artifacts, 82 Tools and equipment: materials,63 Tools and equipment:science and technology, 52 Tools and equipment:communication,16 Tools and equipment: distribution and transportation, 566 communication artifacts,13 recreation artifacts, 90 unclassified, 6 natural history artifacts.

At this time, the museum has more than 900 items catalogued with summary classifications available.

Research Collections

Archival collection includes letters, photographs, books, manuscripts, and maps. While these items are available for limited research, the facility for such research is still in the formative stages of development and will be completed in 1999.

Educational Programs

Docent training equips the docents with the information to provide gallery tours. Exhibits include paintings, oil, watercolor, etc., and photographs by area artists. Further, the museum presents various educational programs on-screen in its theater through its satellite. At the moment, it is working with several sources to make such programming available to the citizens of the Texas Panhandle.

Programs are not available for tour/loan.

Publications

A public relations brochure and a newsletter which is free to those who place their name on the mailing list.

Exhibitions
Museum Events
DISCLAIMER
This information, including business hours, addresses and contact information is provided for general reference purposes only. No representation is made or warranty is given as to its content or the reliability thereof. User assumes all risk of use. Stories USA, Inc. and its content suppliers assume no responsibility for any loss or delay resulting from such use. Please call ahead to verify the dates, the location and directions.

MUSEUM CONFERENCES

Museum Trustee Association Spring Forum 2024

April 10 - 14, 2024

Atlanta, Georgia

Texas Association of Museums 2024 Lubock Annual Conference

April 14 - 17, 2024

Lubbock, Texas

2024 Colorado-Wyoming ANNUAL MEETING

May 1 - 4, 2024

Worland, Wyoming

West Virginia Association of Museums 2024 Conference

June 6 - 8, 2024

Shepherdstown, West Virginia

RECENT UPDATES

Museums

03/07 The Mariners' Museum and Park

Newport News, Virginia

Museum Vendors

02/18 Tessellate

New York City, New York

10/30 Museum Fabrication Group, LLC

Denton, Texas

03/07 ConservArt Inc.

Boca Raton, Florida