GERTRUDE BRUCE HISTORICAL CULTURAL CENTER

ODESSA, TX

H. Texas - Ector - Odessa - 2024 Title: Solar Eclipse, Odessa, Texas, 2024

Medium: digital, color — H. Texas - Ector - Odessa - 2024 Credit: Charles Henry (chuck4x5)

The Gertrude Bruce Historical Cultural Center is a museum located in Odessa, Texas. The museum is named after Gertrude Bruce, a prominent figure in the community who worked to preserve the history and culture of the area. The center is housed in a historic building that was once a school for African American students during segregation.

The museum's exhibits cover a wide range of topics related to the history and culture of Odessa and the surrounding area. Visitors can learn about the early settlers of the region, the oil boom that transformed the city in the early 20th century, and the contributions of African Americans to the community.

In addition to the exhibits, the Gertrude Bruce Historical Cultural Center also hosts a variety of events and programs throughout the year. These include cultural festivals, art exhibits, and educational programs for children and adults.

Overall, the Gertrude Bruce Historical Cultural Center is an important resource for anyone interested in the history and culture of Odessa and the surrounding area. Its exhibits and programs provide a fascinating glimpse into the past, while also celebrating the diverse cultures that have contributed to the region's rich heritage.

GERTRUDE BRUCE HISTORICAL CULTURAL CENTER is a Uncategorized or General Museum in ODESSA TX. US MID #8404801700

The museum is classed as GMU (Uncategorized or General Museums). It comes under American Alliance of Museums (AAM) region: Mount Plains (Colorado, Kansas, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Wyoming).

H. Texas - Ector - Odessa - 2020 Title: Odessa, Texas, 2020

Medium: digital, color

H. Texas - Ector - Odessa - 2024 Title: 1939 Post Office, Odessa, Texas, 2024

Medium: digital, monochrome

H. Texas - Ector - Odessa - 2024 Title: 1939 Post Office, Odessa, Texas, 2024

Medium: digital, color

Notes:

<b>1939 Post Office</b>

At the corner of W. 3rd and Texas in Odessa, Tom Lea installed <i>Stampede</i> inside the 1939 post office. In 2024, Ector County unveiled plans to build a new and much-needed public library there.

Dawn’s light was soft and almost warm on a clear day at 7 AM, early March. Colors changed minute to minute under pink clouds, golden at 7:20. The old post office faced east.

<i>Stampede,</i> an oil panoramic on canvas, shows cattle charging in a nighttime thunderstorm. A lightning bolt illuminates the scene’s figures. A helpless cowboy—flung off his horse—careens toward rocks and thorny vegetation, and a black longhorn lurches upward behind the rider’s ill-fated mount. The size envelops you, and you can almost walk right into it. It’s the painting I’ve seen the most because I grew up with it and saw it in our post office. The longhorn’s eyes follow you wherever you stand. Its pallet is gray and brown, punctuated by the red and green eyes of the cattle. Whenever I enter a room and see it, it’s an old friend, a masterpiece, sheer fright, and worth another look.

As El Paso artist Tom Lea completed his mural in 1940, the United States began to emerge from the Great Depression. World War II escalated in Europe, and the country elected Franklin D. Roosevelt to a third term. Rainfall on the high plains remained below average, and 9,500 people lived in Odessa. Picasso had painted <i>Guernica</i> in 1937, and America would enter the war in late 1941.

With the return of steel and an energetic workforce after the war, people moved to Odessa as fast as the oil gushed; its population swelled to about 80,000 within twenty years. Soon, a larger post office materialized across the street, and <i>Stampede</i> found itself there. The older post office went on to accommodate the county’s health department.

H. Texas - Ector - Odessa - 2023 Title: Odessa, Texas, 2023

Medium: digital, color

H. Texas - Ector - Odessa - 2023 Title: Odessa, Texas, 2023

H. Texas - Ector - Odessa - 2024 Title: Odessa, Texas, 2024

Medium: digital, color

Contact GERTRUDE BRUCE HISTORICAL CULTURAL CENTER

GERTRUDE BRUCE HISTORICAL CULTURAL CENTER
PO BOX 2814
ODESSA
TX
79760

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GERTRUDE BRUCE HISTORICAL CULTURAL CENTER Information

MID #	8404801700
Name	GERTRUDE BRUCE HISTORICAL CULTURAL CENTER
Alternate Name
Classification	Uncategorized or General Museums, , Mount Plains
Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN)	752652059
NTEECC
Tax period of the latest return filed (YYYYMM)
INCOME	0
REVENUE	0
LAT/LONG	31.857796, -102.358471
CODES	FIPS State Code: 48 FIPS County Code: 135 US Census Tract: 001600 US Census Block: 3030