Founded in 1959, the El Paso Museum of Art (EPMA) is a major cultural and educational resource for West Texas, New Mexico, and Mexico. The Museum houses a permanent collection of over 6,000 works of art. In addition to displaying works from its holdings, the Museum offers a diverse schedule of temporary exhibitions, films, lectures, concerts, and other educational programs to the general public. EPMA has a steady record of accreditation by the American Association of Museums. The Museum was first accredited in 1972, then re-accredited in 1985 and, most recently, in 2001. Since the new downtown building opened in 1998, the Museum serves approximately 80,000 visitors per year.
The Museum is municipally funded and is under the jurisdiction of the City of El Paso, Texas. EPMA, the only accredited art museum within a 250-mile radius, is located both in the heart of downtown El Paso and blocks away from the U.S.- Mexico border; it is situated within the world's largest international border community with an approximate metropolitan population of over 2.6 million.