Kimbell Art Museum

Kimbell Art Museum, collection of world art in Fort Worth, Texas, U.S., founded by Kay Kimbell, an industrialist and art patron.

(Read Sister Wendy’s Britannica essay on art appreciation.)

In 1936 Kimbell established the Kimbell Art Foundation and began collecting paintings with his wife, Velma, his sister, Mattie Carter, and her husband, Coleman Carter. Upon Kimbell’s death in 1964, his estate went to the foundation for the establishment of a museum. Designed by the architect Louis Kahn, the museum opened in 1972. Its 16 barrel-vaulted sections, arranged in parallel rows in three groups, take advantage of natural light to showcase the artworks. In 2013 the museum opened a second building, designed by Renzo Piano, to house its growing collection, an auditorium, and classrooms.

(Read Glenn Lowry’s Britannica essay on "Art Museums and Their Digital Future.")

The museum’s holdings include works representing many regions and time periods, from ancient to modern art. Its noted collection of Asian art includes sculpture, ceramics, and scrolls. Pre-Columbian, African, and ancient Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and Syrian works are displayed, and the extensive European collection contains primarily French, Italian, English, and Spanish pieces. The museum is located in Fort Worth’s Cultural District, which also includes museums of modern art, science and history, and art of the American West.