San Antonio Museum of Art

Purpose: Sustaining Cultural Heritage The mission of the San Antonio Museum of Art (SAMA) is to educate by collecting, presenting, and preserving the significant artistic achievements of the world's cultures from ancient times to the present and, through aesthetic and cultural experiences, to develop a deeper understanding of human cultures, values, and traditions for visitors of all ages. Educating audiences in the community and visitors from around the world by increasing access to the museum's comprehensive collection of fine art objects is a primary goal of museum trustees and staff. To enable staff to manage the museum's encyclopedic collection of more than 20,000 fine art objects more efficiently and effectively and to maximize accessibility, SAMA will migrate the current card cataloging system and object database to an electronic collections management system. This system will enable the collection to be better catalogued and digitized, so that it will be more accessible for exhibition, interpretation, and research by SAMA staff. Ultimately, this collection information will be shared with an international audience of students, scholars, and visitors via the museum's Web site.