Birmingham Museum of Art

Profile

Founded in 1951, the Birmingham Museum of Art has one of the finest collections in the Southeast supported by a strong educational program designed to make the arts come alive for children and adults throughout the region. More than 24,000 objects represent a rich panorama of cultures, including Asian, European, American, African, Pre-Columbian, and Native American. Highlights include the Museum's collection of Asian art, considered the finest and most comprehensive in the Southeast, and its collection of Vietnamese ceramics, one of the finest in the world; a remarkable Kress collection of Renaissance and Baroque paintings, sculpture, and decorative arts from the late 13th century to the 1750s; the collection of 18th century European decorative arts, which includes superior examples of English ceramics and French furniture; and the Museum's world-renowned collection of Wedgwood, the largest outside of England.

The Museum connects with the community through educational programs and curated exhibitions that engage, entertain, and enlighten visitors. Programs are designed around the Museum's permanent collection and changing exhibitions, and provide opportunities for all ages and levels of experience to connect with art.

The Birmingham Museum of Art is located in the heart of the City's cultural district. Erected in 1959, the present building was designed by architects Warren, Knight & Davis of Birmingham, with a major renovation and expansion by Edward Larrabee Barnes of New York completed in 1993. The facility encompasses 180,000 square feet, including a splendid outdoor sculpture garden.

The generosity of the City of Birmingham and other private and municipal funders has allowed the Museum to remain free of charge to visitors since its opening.

represented artists

Berenice Abbott      Diane Arbus      Eugène Atget      William Baziotes      Fernando Botero      Dale Chihuly      William Christenberry      Salvador Dalí      Walker Evans      Helen Frankenthaler      Phillip Guston      Phillipe Halsman

Grace Hartigan      Käthe Kollwitz      Jacques Lipchitz      Louise Nevelson      Auguste Rodin      George Segal      Cindy Sherman      Frank Stella      Elyn Zimmerman