Building a Vision of Understanding Through Art and Sport

In founding the Museum in 1959, 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 800 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 8am to Noon Saturday, November 15, and closed Sunday, November 16,  2008. 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

Exhibition

"James Fiorentino and Friends" exhibit brings new sport art to the National Art Museum of Sport.

A new watercolor of Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps is included in an exhibit of new work by noted sports artist James Fiorentino and some of the sport artists

who inspired and mentored him and emerging sports artists among his friends.

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

 

Poems written by eight Central Indiana poets who were inspired by paintings in the National Art Museum of Sport (NAMOS) are now on exhibit with the art.

 

The long-term exhibit is a follow-up to the Third National Gathering of Poets Laureate in June 2007, organized by Indiana's 2002-2007 poet laureate, Joyce Brinkman, with the theme of “Sporting Words.”

 

Go to Exhibits