NAMOS celebrates 50th anniversary in 2009

In 1959, 50 years ago, artist-sportsman Germain G. Glidden of Norwalk, Conn., was inspired by bringing people together for better understanding through two universal languages: sport and art.

Today the private, not-for-profit Museum fulfills that mission by acquiring, preserving, and presenting sport art through exhibits, educational materials and outreach programs.

As its collection of sport art was built, the Museum's first home was Madison Square Garden in New York City. In 1979 it moved to the University of New Haven and, in 1990, to Indianapolis, the "Amateur Sports Capital of the World." Since being in Indianapolis, the collection has nearly tripled in size. It is a national treasure NAMOS shares with the 136,000 who attend 1300 conferences each year at University Place Conference Center and Hotel.

The Museum receives support from the Arts Council of Indianapolis, the City of Indianapolis, and the Regional Art Partnership of the Indiana Arts Commission.

Hours and Location

One of the nation's largest collection of sport related art hangs in the lobbies and corridors of University Place on the campus of Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis. Over 40 sports are represented in the over 900 paintings, sculptures and works on paper.

The Museum is open to the general public free of charge from 8 am to 5 pm weekdays. It will be open from 8 am to Noon, Saturday, November 21, and closed, Sunday, November 22, 2009.  NAMOS also will be closed Thursday, November 26, through Sunday, November 29, 2009. Call 317.274.3627 or email Ann Rein for group tours.

We are located at 850 West Michigan Street in Indianapolis, IN 46202.  Entrance is one block north at 875 West North Street.

MapQuest

Why Sport Art?

"Sport art helps us understand our relation to sport, and the sport of life..."

News

  • Roger W. Schmenner, chief-of-staff for the chancellor of the IUPUI campus and Randall L. Tobias Chair at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, has been elected to the Board of Governors of the National Art Museum of Sport.
  • NAMOS cards, books and prints now available in Artisans, University Place's new boutique and coffee bar.
  • Peyton Manning limited edition giclees available.
  • More News

Exhibition

“Landmarks in 50 Years of Sport Art” exhibit celebrates NAMOS founding.

New additions to the collection during its anniversary year are featured as well as "landmarks" that trace NAMOS' history from its first exhibit in New York in 1962 of loaned work to its first gallery that opened in 1968 in New York's Madison Square Garden, from a move to the University of New Haven (Conn.) in 1979 arrival in Indianapolis in 1990 and on to University Place in 1994. . It will run until December 15, 2009.

Anniversary year gifts include a watercolor of swimmer Michael Phelps by James Fiorentino; sculpture groupings of polo, football and basketball by the late George Gach, and a carved mahogany sculpture by Benjamin Blackburn of Oscar Robertson whose basketball career started in the neighborhood of University Place.

Poems about National Art Museum of Sport art matched with paintings in Sporting Words exhibit.

Go to Exhibits