City of Brownsville Seeking Partners to Envision New Uses for Former Art Museum

At the beginning of April, the City of Brownsville launched a call for proposals imagining “bold new uses” for the former Brownsville Museum of Fine Art (BMFA).

Brownsville Museum of Fine Art

Last August, BMFA announced a formal partnership with the City, which would provide operational support. From 2011 to 2013 and again from 2015 to 2022, the institution operated with a negative net income. Then, in November the City hired Dr. Candace Matelic to strategize ways to enhance its arts and cultural spaces.

At the time of publication, the BMFA website was still active and listed open hours as if the institution was still functioning. However, the “current exhibitions” listings on the site all closed on Wednesday, December 11. No upcoming exhibitions are listed. 

This recent call for proposals seems to be the first public suggestion that the museum is now closed. A Facebook post made by the City promoting the call for proposals garnered dozens of comments, many of which expressed disappointment in the closure of the museum and raised questions about the decision.

On Sunday, April 20, a petition to save the city’s “only art museum” was launched via Change.org. The petition states:

“Since the museum’s opening in 2006, renowned local and international artists, as well as students, alumni, and faculty from the local colleges, as well as the Brownsville Independent School District (BISD), have actively participated in exhibitions held at the museum each year. Despite this rich artistic talent, history, and community, the City of Brownsville is now considering repurposing the BMFA building. Without an art museum, our local artists and future generations of artists will be denied a prestigious space to showcase their talent, find inspiration, and come together as a community.”

At the time of publication, the petition had 477 signatures.

The City did not respond to Glasstire’s request for comment regarding the strategies Ms. Metallic arrived at via her contract work, the status of the museum staff, or the city’s timeline for reopening the building under a new use.

The City is accepting proposal submissions through Monday, April 28, at 4:00 p.m. The call notes that “Ideal proposals could include cultural centers, performance venues, educational institutions, or creative industry hubs.”