Knoxville Museum of Art facts for kids
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| Established | 1961 |
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| Location | 1050 World’s Fair Park, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States |
The Knoxville Museum of Art (KMA) is an art museum located in Knoxville, Tennessee. It focuses on art from the past and present, especially pieces from the East Tennessee area. The museum's goal is to celebrate local artists and introduce new art and ideas. It also aims to teach and serve the community, making Knoxville a better place. The KMA works in a fair and open way for everyone.
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Discover the Museum's History
The museum first opened in 1961. It was called the Dulin Gallery of Art back then. This first location was inside the H.L. Dulin House. This house was designed in 1915 by a famous architect named John Russell Pope. It was built in a style that looked back to ancient Greek and Roman buildings.
However, the Dulin House was quite small. It also lacked good security and ways to control the temperature. Because of these issues, the museum could not get a special approval from the American Alliance of Museums. In 1984, the museum's leaders decided to build a brand new place. They chose a spot at the former 1982 World's Fair site in downtown Knoxville.
The museum's name changed to "Knoxville Museum of Art" in 1987. The new building was very large, about 53,200 square feet. It was designed by a well-known architect, Edward Larrabee Barnes. The new museum officially opened its doors on March 25, 1990.
Exploring the Museum Building
The modern building of the Knoxville Museum of Art was designed by Edward Larrabee Barnes. It is named after Jim Clayton. He gave the most money to help build it. The outside of the four-story building is made of steel and concrete. It is covered with pink Tennessee marble, which is a type of stone found nearby.
The museum has five art galleries inside. It also has two large outdoor garden areas. In 2013 and 2014, the museum got a big makeover. This restoration and renovation cost almost $6 million. The pink marble on the outside was cleaned and fixed. The main entrance area and the third-floor terrace were rebuilt. They were repaved with pink and gray stone from Vermont. The North Garden was also redesigned. New native trees and bushes were planted there.
Art Collections at KMA
When the museum first started, it mostly showed art from traveling exhibitions. Now, its collection focuses more on the culture of the Southern Appalachian region. It also highlights artists from the East Tennessee area.
Permanent Exhibitions
One special exhibit is called Higher Ground: A Century of the Visual Arts in East Tennessee. This permanent display shows art by famous local artists. These include Lloyd Branson, Catherine Wiley, Joseph Delaney, Beauford Delaney, and Bessie Harvey. It also features important artists from outside the region who created art in Knoxville. Examples are Ansel Adams and Elliot Porter.
Another ongoing exhibit is Currents: Recent Art from East Tennessee and Beyond. This part of the museum helps introduce new art and ideas. It shows works from many different artists. These include Gordon Cheung, Ori Gersht, Red Grooms, Wade Guyton, Robert Longo, Loretta Lux, William Morris, Ulf Puder, Hiraki Sawa, Kenneth Snelson, Robert Stackhouse, and Anne Wilson.
The museum also has a new permanent exhibit of modern glass art. This collection is growing stronger. It includes important works by Harvey Littleton, Karen LaMonte, Andrew Erdos, and William Morris. In the spring of 2014, the museum showed a huge glass artwork by Richard Jolley. It is called Cycle of Life: Within the Power of Dreams and the Wonder of Infinity. This amazing piece was made possible by a gift from Ann and Steve Bailey. It is the largest glass artwork of figures in the world.
The museum also has nine Thorne miniature rooms. These are very detailed tiny rooms. They were designed by Narcissa Niblack Thorne in the 1930s and 1940s. The biggest collection of these miniature rooms is at the Art Institute of Chicago.
Special Exhibitions
Besides its main collections, the museum often has temporary exhibits. These shows explore regional culture and how it connects to art from around the country and the world. The museum has featured solo shows by modern artists like Anne Wilson, Jun Kaneko, Candida Höfer, Maya Lin, Jim Campbell, Anton Vidokle, Johanna Billing, Eva Zeisel, Chuck Close, and Ai Weiwei.
The museum also likes to give new artists their first solo museum shows. This includes artists from the region and from other places. The KMA has organized solo exhibits for artists such as Liz Collins, Tam Van Tran, Oliver Payne and Nick Relph, Clare Rojas, Sarah Hobbs, Michael Raedecker, Timothy Horn, Seonna Hong, and Tomory Dodge.
Museum Programs and Activities
The Knoxville Museum of Art focuses a lot on education. It offers many programs for visitors. These include museum tours, workshops, and programs where artists visit. They also have outreach programs, lectures, concerts, and activities for families. The KMA reaches over 60,000 people each year through visits and special events.
The museum's yearly budget is about $1.7 million. This money comes from many sources. It gets funds from people and companies who donate. It also gets money from museum memberships and renting out spaces. Grants from local, state, and federal governments help too. The museum also has special funds and holds yearly fundraising events. The KMA was first approved by the American Alliance of Museums in 1996. It was approved again in 2005.
Images for kids
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East facade and grounds
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Gallery space
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Gallery space
