The Dishman Art Museum opened its doors to the Lamar University and Southeast Texas community on May 13, 1983. Herb and Kate Dishman, longstanding pillars of the community, spearheaded the campaign to expand the cultural breadth of Lamar University with the founding of a space dedicated to the research and exhibition of the visual arts.The Dishman Art Gallery offers a venue for Lamar Students to showcase their talents. The art museum also has a permanent collection which is comprised of more than 1500 objects. The permanent collection of the Dishman Art Museum actually began two years before the opening of the museum with the generous donation of African and Pre-Colombian art and artifacts by the Petrutsas family, a collection of shields from New Guinea, donated by the Nicklos family, and the donation of Caleb and the Spies (c. 1740), painted by Mattia Preti, from Heinz and Ruth EisenstadtWorks include non-western art, modern and contemporary art and more.