Art Museum of the Americas

The story

Art Museum of the Americas (AMA), located in Washington, D.C., was the first art museum in the United States primarily devoted to exhibiting works of modern and contemporary art from Latin America and the Caribbean. The museum was formally established in 1976 by the Organization of American States (OAS) as the Museum of Modern Art of Latin America. Artists represented in the AMA's permanent collection include Carlos Cruz-Diez, Candido Portinari, Pedro Figari, Fernando de Szyszlo, Amelia Peláez, and Alejandro Obregón.

The art collection of the OAS was initiated under the organization's Visual Arts Unit, beginning with the first donated artwork by the Brazilian neo-realist artist Portinari, in 1949. In the 1957 the Permanent Council of the OAS establish an acquisitions fund, in order to build up a permanent collection of artworks by significant contemporary artists from the member states of the OAS. A number of works were also purchased from or donated directly by artists, after the temporary exhibitions periodically held at the OAS gallery. The Art Museum of the Americas itself was established in 1976 by OAS Permanent Council resolution, on the occasion of the United States Bicentennial. The museum opened in what was formerly the official residence of the OAS Secretary General, a Spanish Colonial-style structure designed in 1912 by the architect Paul Cret on October 14th, 1976. Initially the permanent collection held some 250 artworks, expanding over the next quarter-century to over 2000 items of painting, sculpture, installations, photography, and drawing, from the early 20th century and onwards. In addition to its permanent collection of mainly Caribbean and Latin American art, AMA hosts temporary and special exhibitions from across the region, and provides educational seminars and lectures from invited speakers. The Art Museum of the Americas has also expanded its programs to include evening events, such as Art After Dark, with cutting edge music, video, performance, and installation art. In February 2025, the Trump administration canceled an exhibition featuring Black and LGBTQ+ artists due to it being identified as a "DEI program and event." The Trump administration's goal was to withdraw all funding that supported diversity, equity, and inclusion.

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Dates from 1976.

Wikidata Q4796989, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.

What to expect

Fee

No

Step-free access

Limited

How to reach it

Named places within 25 miles

Summits around it

The highest named summits within 25 miles of Art Museum of the Americas. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.

When to go

Light through the year

Local time (America/New_York).

Climate normals

Months averaging 50–80 °F: Apr–Jun, Aug–Oct.

1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Washington Reagan Natl AP, 3 mi away.

Where this comes from

OpenStreetMap element way/65780890