May 18, 2021–On May 18, in honor of International Museum Day, the Kimbell Art Museum unveiled the first-ever virtual tour of its celebrated permanent collection. The tour showcases a selection of African, Ancient American, Asian and European paintings and sculptures installed together in the iconic Louis I. Kahn Building.
“We are thrilled to provide visitors this new opportunity to engage with our collection and architecture from anywhere in the world,” said Eric M. Lee, director of the Kimbell Art Musuem. “With this and future virtual tours, we will be able to reach new audiences and provide outstanding resources to supplement the onsite experience.”
The virtual tour is built on the Matterport platform, which uses 360-degree views of the galleries to create an immersive digital experience. Each work on view is tagged with additional information and links to the Kimbell’s comprehensive online collection.
The objectives for the tour were threefold: increase access to the museum’s collection, create new avenues for digital engagement and extend current art education programming and efforts.
“The best way to view these masterpieces is within the Kahn Building,” said Lee. “But if you can’t make it here in person, this tour is an excellent way to preview or revisit these incredible masterpieces.”
Later releases will include Spanish-language, kids’ and selected special exhibition virtual tours.
Visit kimbellart.org/virtual-tours for details.
ABOUT THE KIMBELL ART MUSEUM
The Kimbell Art Museum, owned and operated by the Kimbell Art Foundation, is internationally renowned for both its collections and its architecture. The Kimbell’s collections range in period from antiquity to the 20th century and include European masterpieces by artists such as Fra Angelico, Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Bernini, Velázquez, Monet, Cézanne, Picasso and Matisse; important collections of Egyptian and classical antiquities; and the art of Asia, Africa and the Ancient Americas.
The museum’s 1972 building, designed by the American architect Louis I. Kahn, is widely regarded as one of the outstanding architectural achievements of the modern era. A second building, designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, opened in 2013 and now provides space for special exhibitions, dedicated classrooms and a 289-seat auditorium with excellent acoustics for music.
For more information, contact [email protected].