Founded in 1947, the museum is a major cultural and educational resource for the surrounding region. Located downtown in a 104,000-square-foot facility, it houses a permanent collection of 5,000 works, including the multimillion-dollar Kress Collection of 13th- and 18th-century European art, American art from the 18th and 19th centuries, Mexican colonial art and retablos. The museum also has an impressive contemporary art collection from the Southwest and Mexico. In addition to these holdings, the museum presents a diverse schedule of temporary exhibitions, films, lectures, and other educational programs for the public.