Kimbell Art Museum

Hours
Tuesdays through Thursdays, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Fridays, noon–8 p.m.
Saturdays, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Sundays, noon–5 p.m.

Closed Mondays, New Year's Day, July 4, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day

Current Exhibitions

Fiery Pool: The Maya and the Mythic Sea
Opening August 29, 2010 - January 2, 2011

Admission

Admission to the Museum’s permanent collection is always free.
There is a charge for special exhibitions.
Half-price exhibition admission is offered on Tuesdays (all day) and on Fridays from 5–8 p.m.

Parking

Free parking is available at the Museum, off Van Cliburn Way (formerly Arch Adams Street) and Darnell Street and at the Darnell Street Auditorium, across Van Cliburn Way from the Museum.
Accessibility
Barrier-free access to the Museum is at the Van Cliburn Way (formerly Arch Adams Street) entrance. A limited number of wheelchairs are available upon request.
General Policies

To ensure that all of our visitors have the most enjoyable experience possible and to help protect the art for future generations to enjoy, we ask you to kindly observe the following policies:

Backpacks, large purses, umbrellas, or other bulky items are not allowed in the galleries. Free parcel check is available.
Reasonably sized strollers are allowed in the galleries unless the galleries are crowded. Children must not push strollers.
Photography is not permitted in the exhibition galleries. Nonflash photography is allowed in the permanent collection galleries.
Unless prohibited during a special exhibition, visitors are allowed to sketch on sketchpads, in pencil, as long as it does not obstruct or interfere with other visitors.
No food or drinks are allowed in the galleries.
Unscheduled lecturing to groups is not permitted.
Weapons, including knives, are not allowed in the Museum (with the exception of law enforcement officers).
Please allow a 12 inches distance from artwork. Do not touch artworks, frames, or cases, or point with canes, pencils, or other objects.
Cell phones should be turned to silent mode while in the Museum.
Inclement Weather Policy
The Kimbell Art Museum follows the policy of the Fort Worth Independent School District regarding delayed openings or closure of the Museum during times of inclement weather. At these times, please check with your local radio or TV station for details, or call the Museum at 817-332-8451.
If the Museum closes due to inclement weather, advance-purchase tickets to special exhibitions open at that time will be honored any day before that exhibition closes.
Unless otherwise noted, all images are property of Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas. © 2008 Kimbell Art Museum

About the Museum

The Vision of the Founders

The Kimbell Art Foundation was established in the 1930s by Kay Kimbell – a successful entrepreneur in retailing, real estate, petroleum, and grain – his wife, Velma Fuller Kimbell, and Mrs. Kimbell’s sister and her husband, Dr. and Mrs. Coleman Carter. Mr. and Mrs. Kimbell had just purchased their first paintings. They continued to collect artworks, and when Mr. Kimbell died in 1964 he bequeathed his collection and entire personal fortune to the Foundation to establish and maintain a public art museum “of the first class” in Fort Worth. Shortly thereafter, Mrs. Kimbell contributed her share of their property to facilitate the full implementation of her husband’s wishes.

By 1966, the Kimbell Art Foundation board of trustees had appointed Dr. Richard F. Brown as the Museum’s first director and set the policy of forming “collections of the highest aesthetic quality, derived from any and all periods in man’s history, and in any medium or style.” They envisioned a small assembly of objects that exemplified the highest aspirations of past generations, displayed under natural light in modestly scaled galleries of fine materials that would charm as well as enrich the visitor.

A World-Renowned Building

“An architecture must have the religion of light.
A sense of light as the giver of all presences. Every building, every room must be in natural light because natural light gives the mood of the day.”—Louis I. Kahn, 1973

The Kimbell Art Museum is widely regarded as one of the outstanding architectural achievements of the modern era. Designed by the American architect Louis I. Kahn (1901-1974), this classic modern building has won wide acclaim since its opening in 1972. Kahn’s innovative use of natural light and subtle articulation of space and materials greatly enhance the experience of the art. Kahn envisioned a museum with “the luminosity of silver.” In his design, “narrow slits to the sky” (as he described the skylights) admit natural light, which perforated metal reflectors disperse onto the underside of cycloid – shaped vaults down the walls. Courtyards, lunettes, and light slots vary the quality and intensity of the light. The building’s gracious proportions, fine craftsmanship, and beautiful landscaping add further to the sense of serenity and restraint.

A Collection of Masterpieces

The Kimbell Art Museum’s small collection of about 350 works is the embodiment of quality and importance at the highest level. The holdings range in period from antiquity to the 20th century, including European masterpieces from Fra Angelico and Caravaggio to Cézanne and Matisse, and important collections of Egyptian, Near Eastern, Greek, and Roman antiquities, as well as Asian, Precolumbian, and African arts. The Kimbell possesses a core of works that not only epitomize their eras and styles, but also touch individual high points of beauty and historical importance that assure them a place among the masterpieces of world art.

Special Exhibitions

The Kimbell Art Museum provides an ongoing program of interpretative exhibitions and publications. Exhibitions initiated and organized by the Museum include The Impressionists: Master Paintings from the Art Institute of Chicago, Picture the Bible: The Earliest Christian Art, The Mirror and the Mask: Portraiture in the Age of Picasso, Gauguin and Impressionism, Stubbs and the Horse, and Monet and the Mediterranean, as well as important retrospectives dedicated to Murillo, Vigée Le Brun, Poussin, Tiepolo, and La Tour. The museum has also hosted major traveling exhibitions, such as Hatshepsut: From Queen to Pharaoh, Impressionist Masterpieces from the Barnes Collection, and Mondrian (1892 – 1914): The Path to Abstraction.

Public Programs

The Museum offers a full schedule of public programs to promote appreciation of the collection and special exhibitions, including symposia featuring guest speakers; lectures by scholars and the professional staff; gallery talks by artists; films on art; a book discussion club; summer camps for children; family festivals; teacher training programs; and university student events. Workshops on the arts – specially designed for audiences with diverse interests and learning styles – are held regularly for children, high school students, deaf students, and adults of all ages.

Scheduled Public Tours

Exhibition tours: Available during each special exhibition; inquire at the Information Desk for schedule.
Permanent collection tours: Highlights of the permanent collection
Wednesdays, 2 P.M. and Sundays, 3 P.M. (except during periods of reinstallations)
The Buffet at the Kimbell

Relax in the ambience of one of the most beautiful dining areas in the country, and enjoy Shelby Schafer’s famous homemade soups, salads, sandwiches, quiche, and desserts. Friday evenings at the Kimbell feature a light dinner buffet of soups, salads, pasta dishes, and tortes, with a selection of wines and other beverages, accompanied by live music.

BUFFET HOURS AND RESERVATIONS
Lunch: Tuesdays – Thursdays and Saturdays, 11:30 A.M. – 2 P.M.;
Fridays and Sundays, noon – 2 P.M.
Reservations are taken for groups of 8 to 16 people, dining at 11:30 A.M., Tuesdays – Thursdays and Saturdays; call 817-332-8451, ext 277.
No reservations on Fridays or Sundays.

Beverages and desserts: Tuesdays – Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, 2-4 P.M.;
Fridays, 2-5:30 P.M.

Dinner: Fridays, 5:30 – 7:30 P.M.
Reservations are taken for groups of 8 to 16 people, dining at 5:30 P.M.
Call 817-332-8451, ext. 277.

The Museum Shop

Featuring a unique array of gift items, the Museum Shop offers merchandise ranging from postcards, notecards, and posters to art – inspired jewelry. The fullest selection of art and architecture books in Fort Worth includes both scholarly and popular titles, as well as children’s and gift books. To order, call (817) 332-8451, ext. 262; send an email to order@kimbellmuseum.org; or visit the museum. Shop online at www.kimbellart.org.

A World-Renowned Building

The Kimbell Art Museum is widely regarded as one of the most outstanding architectural achievements of the modern era. Designed by the American architect Louis I. Kahn (1901–1974), the Museum has won wide acclaim for its classic modern building since its opening in 1972. Kahn’s innovative use of natural light and subtle articulation of space and materials greatly enhance the experience of the art. Kahn envisioned a museum with “the luminosity of silver.” In his design, “narrow slits to the sky” (as he described the skylights) admit natural light, which perforated metal reflectors disperse onto the underside of cycloid-shaped vaults and down the walls. Courtyards, lunettes, and light slots vary the quality and intensity of the light. The building’s gracious proportions, fine craftsmanship, and beautiful landscaping add further to the sense of serenity and restraint.
Masterpieces from Ancient to Modern Times

A small collection of less than 350 works, the Kimbell Art Museum has become a byword for quality and importance at the highest level. The Museum’s holdings range in period from antiquity to the 20th century, including European masterpieces from Fra Angelico and Caravaggio to Cézanne and Matisse, and important collections of Egyptian, Near Eastern, Greek, and Roman antiquities, as well as Asian, Mesoamerican, and African arts.
Special Exhibitions

The Kimbell Art Museum provides an ongoing program of interpretive exhibitions and publications. Displays initiated and organized by the Museum include The Impressionists: Master Paintings from the Art Institute of Chicago, Picturing the Bible: The Earliest Christian Art, The Mirror and the Mask: Portraiture in the Age of Picasso, Gauguin and Impressionism, Stubbs and the Horse, and retrospectives dedicated to Murillo, Vigée Le Brun, Poussin, Tiepolo, and La Tour. The Museum has also hosted major traveling exhibitions, such as Hatshepsut: From Queen to Pharoah and Impressionist Masterpieces from the Barnes Collection. Public Programs

The Museum offers a full schedule of public programs to promote appreciation of the collection and special exhibitions, including: symposia featuring guest speakers; regular lectures and gallery talks by the professional staff, regional artists, and guest scholars; films on art; a book-discussion club; summer camps for children; family festivals; and family gallery guides. Workshops on the arts—specially designed to share the resources of the Museum with all levels of the community—are held regularly for children, high school students, deaf and hard-of-hearing students, and adults of all ages, and are based on the principle that increased understanding is the key to an expanded enjoyment of art.

Michelangelo’s First Painting:
The Torment of Saint Anthony
Currently On View

European Art
North Gallery

Asian Art
East Gallery

Pre-Columbian and African
East Gallery