The Awakening is a monumental work of art composed of over 400 wood panels, carved and painted by international artist Jean-Claude Gaugy over a fifteen year period, to express his love of God. It was moved from its original home in West Virginia to Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 2000 and re-assembled to serve as a peaceful contemplative space in the busy historic district of Santa Fe, New Mexico in the United States.

The museum is operated by a not-for-profit foundation which also has educational and charitable outreach programs.

The Awakening fills the ceiling and walls of its new home, providing a powerful nondenominational spiritual environment which has been called "...a Sistine Chapel in a contemporary idiom."

The power of art to uplift, inspire, and enlighten is at the heart of the Awakening Museum. Established in 2002 in Santa Fe as a space for common ground, The Awakening serves as the permanent home for internationally renowned artist Jean Claude Gaugy's monumental painting of the same name; a haven where the individual can reflect, meditate and dream; and an active setting for ecumenical action promoting educational and charitable outreach programs. Dedicated to being both a source of spiritual nourishment and a catalyst to bring people together, The Awakening is a numinous space of deep meaning-a meeting place for quiet community efforts that empower the individual and transcend borders of all kinds-national, cultural, ideological, racial, and religious.

Inherent in museum's mission is "Awakening in Action," a series of programs based on an understanding of art as a visual language capable of conveying meaning and deepening the process of mutual understanding and responsibility. The museum's current "Awakening in Action" programs include special events celebrating cultural diversity; the Sophia Series, an ongoing lecture series exploring contemporary investigations of the search for wisdom; regularly scheduled meditations on peace led by The Awakening Ecumenical Council; educational activities for school children; and art therapy for special audiences.

With love and transcendence as its central themes, The Awakening is a reminder of the formidable capacity of art to express universal motifs that transform and elevate our lives.