Art Museum offers cultural diversion

It’s a Saturday afternoon and you’re starting to feel worthless. You look on the floor of your room at the empty pizza boxes from the night before and the History paper you got back yesterday with a big fat “D” written in red.

You’ve just talked to your mom on the phone and when she asked you what you’d been doing lately, you feel guilty that the most meaningful thing you’ve done all week is dropped 23 cents into the Salvation Army bucket at Walgreens. So, you decide you need to get out, do something meaningful, something culturally enriching — but what?

Many people aren’t aware that just 30 minutes down the interstate is what Newsweek calls, “arguably the most beautiful museum in America.”

The Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth is widely regarded as one of the most outstanding architectural achievements of the modern era. Designed by the American architect Louis Kahn, the museum has won wide acclaim for its classic modern building since its opening in 1972.

The museum itself is situated in a rolling green park that, attracts people from all walks of life. They bring their blankets and spend the entire day writing, studying or talking with friends.

Although it only houses a small collection of less than 350 works, the Kimbell Art Museum is a byword for the highest level of quality in artwork. The Museum features art ranging from antiquity to the 20th century and includes masterpieces from well-known artists such as Cezanne and Matisse.

The Museum regularly hosts major traveling exhibitions and provides an ongoing program of interpretative displays.

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, hard-of-hearing students and adults, and are based on the principle that increased understanding is the key to an expanded enjoyment of art.

The Kimbell Museum also has a small café with indoor and outdoor patio seating. Lunches featuring homemade soups, salads, sandwiches, quiche and desserts are served daily.

Friday evenings at the Kimbell feature a light dinner buffet of soups, salads and pasta dishes, and live musical entertainment.

The Kimbell Museum is open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Fridays from 12 p.m. until 8 p.m. and Sundays from 12 p.m. until 5 p.m. The Museum is closed on Mondays.

Admission to the permanent collection is free, however there may be admission fees for special exhibits.

For driving directions or more information call (817) 332-8451 or go to www.kimbelart.org.