Dahesh Museum of Art facts for kids
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| Established | 1995 |
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| Location | 178 East 64th Street, New York 10065 (opening winter 2019/2022) |
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| Established | 1995 |
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| Location | 178 East 64th Street, New York 10065 (opening winter 2019/2022) |
The Dahesh Museum of Art is a special museum in the United States. It is the only museum in the country that focuses on showing European academic art from the 1800s and early 1900s. This type of art was taught in art academies.
The museum's collection is in Manhattan, New York City. It began with a writer and thinker from Lebanon named Salim Moussa Achi (1909–1984). He was known by his pen name, Dr. Dahesh. The main part of the museum's art comes from Dr. Dahesh's own collection. This includes over 2,000 academic paintings. Many of these are famous Orientalist paintings, which show scenes from the Middle East and North Africa.
The museum's regular display space closed in 2008. For a while, you could only see the museum's art online or at traveling shows. In early 2012, the museum opened an office and gift shop. This was in Manhattan's Hudson Square area, near SoHo. Starting in 2015, work began on the museum's new permanent home. This new location is at 178 East 64th Street. The museum's website stated it opened in winter 2019–2020.
What Art Can You See?
The Dahesh Museum of Art is well-known for its amazing collections. It has many Orientalist paintings. These artworks often show scenes, people, and places from the Middle East and North Africa. The museum also has works by American illustrators. These are artists who create pictures for books, magazines, and other publications.
How the Museum Started
The museum was created because of Dr. Dahesh's art collection. When he passed away, his family, the Zahid family, inherited his art. Five family members are on the museum's board. They decided to open the museum in Manhattan instead of Lebanon. This was because of challenges in Lebanon's art community at the time.
The museum officially opened in 1995. It started in a gallery on Fifth Avenue. This space was about 1,800 square feet. In its early years, the museum faced some difficulties. People did not know much about its founder, Dr. Dahesh. Also, some people did not see illustration as a serious art form.
Despite these challenges, the museum became popular. About 20,000 people visited each year. In just over five years, the museum built up a large fund of $30 million. This fund was similar in size to that of the Guggenheim Museum.
In September 2003, the museum moved to a much larger space. This new location was at 580 Madison Avenue and 56th Street. It was about 30,000 square feet. The museum had tried to get a property at Columbus Circle three years earlier, but it did not work out. The new Madison Avenue space used to be the IBM Gallery. It was completely redesigned by Hardy Holzman Pfeiffer Associates.
The museum left the Madison Avenue space in January 2008. This was due to issues with rent. The museum had to find someone to take over its lease. Even without a physical building in New York City, the art collection still traveled. The museum's website was also updated. This made it possible to see the collection online.
While looking for a permanent home, the Dahesh Museum described itself as a "museum without walls." It regularly loaned its art to other museums and galleries. In early 2012, it opened a gift shop and salon space. This was on Sixth Avenue in Manhattan's Hudson Square neighborhood. This space allowed for some public events. It also showed a small part of the museum's collection.
See also
- Art Renewal Center
