Ellen Noël Art Museum Reopens After $20M Renovation, Seeks Director
So, back in December 2025, the Ellen Noël Art Museum in Odessa, known as ENAM, reopened after a massive ten-year renovation that cost $20 million. They added an extra 8,000 square feet to the museum, which now measures a total of 24,000 square feet. The outside has a really cool silver oval look, drawing inspiration from the Guggenheim Museum and a bridge in Dallas designed by Santiago Calatrava. RJ Lopez was the architect for this new section, and Lissa Noël Wagner, the board president, took charge of the interior. Right now, they’re searching for a permanent director since Nicole Herden left in April 2025, and interim director Steve Patton will hold the position temporarily. Curator Daniel Zies is already planning exhibitions through 2026 and is expecting to add more staff soon.
Key facts
- ENAM reopened in December 2025 after a $20 million renovation.
- The renovation added 8,000 square feet to the existing 24,000-square-foot building.
- Architect RJ Lopez of Parkhill designed the addition, inspired by Calatrava's Dallas bridge and the Guggenheim Museum.
- Board president Lissa Noël Wagner designed interiors including restrooms, lobby, and board room.
- A new RGB lighting system provides flexible illumination throughout the museum.
- Nicole Herden was hired as executive director in April 2025 but left after the opening.
- Steve Patton serves as interim executive director for one to two years.
- Curator Daniel Zies has been at ENAM since 2013 and programmed exhibitions through 2026.
Entities
Artists
- Tom Lea
Institutions
- Ellen Noël Art Museum of the Permian Basin
- Parkhill
- Art Bridges Foundation
- Art Bridges Cohort Program
- Amon Carter Museum of American Art
- Glasstire
- Odessa Parks Foundation
- Texas Parks and Recreation Foundation
Locations
- Odessa
- United States
- Midland
- Dallas
- New York City
- Fort Worth
- Arkansas