Exhibitions

PLAN YOUR VISIT

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. Additionally, explore highlights from the prestigious Presidential Archives permanent collection, offering unique insights into American history.

On view March 7th - May 30th, 2025

40 Years, 40 Artists

An Anniversary Exhibition

In honor of our 40th Anniversary, we’re celebrating our Permanent Collection with a special exhibition! Showcasing 40 exceptional artists, this exhibit highlights the cultural and historical significance of our collection while featuring a timeline of key moments from the past four decades. Join us as we reflect on our history, revisit past exhibitions, and celebrate the art that connects our community.

Permanent Collection

Check out the Ellen Noël Art Museum’s

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. While our building is undergoing it’s renovations, Tom Lea’s Stampede mural is on display at the Museum of the Southwest in Midland, Texas.

Tom Lea (American, 1907-2001)

Stampede, 1940

Oil on Canvas

On loan and displayed with permission from the United States Postal Service

Upcoming Exhibitions

40 Years, 40 Artists: An Anniversary Exhibition

March 7 - May 30, 2025
In 2025, we proudly celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Ellen Noël Art Museum opening its doors to the public. To mark this milestone, we will unveil a special anniversary exhibition showcasing 40 artists from our permanent collection. As we reflect on our four-decade journey, we reaffirm our commitment to fostering conversations that deepen the understanding of artistic expression, highlight the connection of human experience and diverse perspectives. Join us in celebration of 40 years of art, culture, and community at the Ellen Noël Art Museum.
My Ancestors’ Memories Become My Creative Instincts: Doylene H. Land

June 6 - Aug 24, 2025
Doylene H. Land attributes her love for wide-open spaces to her lifelong residence in West Texas. The region's desert landscape, expansive sky, and ever-changing clouds have captivated her since childhood, with the flat, stark horizon holding a special fascination for her. This linear horizon frequently appears in her oil paintings, where she blends cherished everyday objects with natural elements to create personal visual narratives. She is most known for her oil paintings as well as her installation art, which feature her ancestral influences that have affected her life as an artist.
Cultural Currency: Contemporary Art from the Riemer Collection

Sept 4 - Nov 2, 2025 ON LOAN FROM THE BEDFORD GALLERY
Artists in this exhibition investigate the preconceived definitions of monetary value, meticulously repurposing bills and coins into exquisite, precise artworks. This collection is the passion of Louise Rothman-Riemer and Davis Riemer, who began collecting money-themed art in 1995 to encourage new attitudes toward money's intrinsic value. The constant exchange of money for goods and services is core to our daily lives. These artists use paper and coin currency with mixed media to engage in new ideas and considerations about what money means to us and how we assign material importance. "The point of it all is to provoke thought about why people want and use money and why they want more," collector Davis Riemer says. “Our hope is that people will see these works of art and walk away with questions about themselves and money.”
1968: A Folsom Redemption

Nov 13, 2025 - Jan 7, 2026 ON LOAN FROM EXHIBTS USA
Celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of a landmark event, 1968: A Folsom Redemption presents a W collection of photographs and memories captured by two fortunate journalists who bore witness to the historic Johnny Cash concerts at Folsom Prison. In January 1968, Cash, amid a career lull, seized the opportunity to record a live album within the confines of Folsom Prison. Freelance journalists Dan Poush and Gene Beley, were granted unprecedented access, offer firsthand accounts of their encounters with Cash and his entourage, shedding light on the backstage dynamics and Cash's connection with his incarcerated audience. For the first time ever, this travelling road show collection of thirty-one photos features a wide range of intimate photos with friends and family to a backstage meeting with country music legend Merle Haggard with the Man in Black.