2 min read June 2023 — Eric Lee, director of the Kimbell Art Museum, talked to Invest: about the exhibitions and activities that the museum is launching to celebrate its 50th anniversary, how it is promoting the development of a vibrant art scene of North Texas and attracting art tourists, and what strategies it uses to generate interest in the arts among younger generations.
What have been the museum’s most important accomplishments in the last year?
We have been celebrating our 50th anniversary since October with many programs, activities and art acquisitions. Among our most important acquisitions are a wonderful ancient bronze Chinese vessel from the 12th century BC, a French 16th-century alabaster sculpture of the Virgin and Child, a still life by the major 17th-century French female painter Louise Moillon, and a monumental twentieth-century sculpture, installed outdoors, by Aristide Maillol. We hope to make more acquisition announcements before the anniversary year closes out.
We have also had terrific exhibitions, such as the Lives of the God: Divinity and Maya Art, which we organized in collaboration with the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where it was on display earlier this year. This exhibition features masterpieces of Mayan art from collections throughout the United States, Europe and Latin America, including some pieces that had never left Guatemala before and likely never will again. Over the last year, we also had a stunning exhibition of paintings by Spanish artist Bartolomé Esteban Murilla and an exhibition called the Language of Beauty and African Art, which we organized in collaboration with the Art Institute of Chicago. A bit later this year, we will have another great exhibition called Bonnard’s Worlds that looks at the works of the French painter Pierre Bonnard. These paintings are ravishingly beautiful, and for this show we will be receiving major works on loan from all over the United States and Europe.
How would you describe the state of the art scene in North Texas?
It is one of the most vibrant art scenes in the country. There is a lot going on with visual arts, not only here at the Kimbell Art Museum but also at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art in Fort Worth, the Fort Worth Museum of Modern Art, the Dallas Museum of Art, Nasher Sculpture Center, the Meadows Art Museum at SMU, and other places. North Texas has had a real renaissance. It is astonishing to see how the arts have grown in North Texas since the Kimbell opened in 1972.
The Kimbell is known for its architecture. Its original building, designed by Louis Kahn, is widely regarded as one of the greatest buildings of the twentieth century, and Renzo Piano designed a companion building which opened in 2013. The Kimbell is equally known for its extraordinary collection, which emphasizes quality over quantity, with only around 350 works. The aim is for every work in the collection to be a masterpiece. Among the Kimbell’s rarities is the only Michelangelo painting in the Americas and one of Caravaggio’s most important works. To see these works in the context of the extraordinary architecture here is a very moving experience. People from all over the world come to see the building, the Kimbell’s collection, and its exhibitions.
How does the Kimbell Art Museum help generate interest in North Texas as an art tourism destination?
The Kimbell certainly attracts interest from the broader art world. Every time that we have a significant exhibition, people visit from all over the globe. The Kimbell has an international reputation, which is extremely unusual for a museum located outside the East or West Coasts. We are known for doing not only exhibitions with a broad popular appeal but also more focused exhibitions that other art museums are reluctant to do because the artist is not necessarily a household name. For instance, we did an exhibition on the Le Nain Brothers, who were 17th century French painters and major figures in the history of art, but are relatively unknown to the average person. We do these exhibitions with the hope of introducing these kinds of artists to the broader audience.
What role will the Kimbell Art Museum play as the North Texas region continues to grow and develop?
With the rapid population growth of North Texas, our audiences are expanding. And the great arts institutions of North Texas also help to attract both businesses and tourists to the area. Infrastructure investment to meet the needs of the growth include the many hotels that are being built in Fort Worth, such as the luxury hotel The Crescent which will open across the street from the Kimbell later this year.
What is the strategy of the Kimbell Art Museum to generate interest in the arts among the younger generations?
We have a strong education department that develops inventive ways to attract younger, broader and more diverse audiences. We hope to make up for the fact that education today seems to be focused more and more exclusively on STEM fields. We believe that a well-rounded education includes the arts as well as STEM, because the arts are equally important.
How does the Kimbell Art Museum ensure that the diversity of North Texas is represented in its arts display?
We have a very diverse collection and our exhibitions also reflect that diversity. We can conceivably collect art from all periods and places, except for American art because that is the focus of our neighbors at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, and except for contemporary art because that is the purview of our other neighbors at the Fort Worth Museum of Modern Art. Having said that, we have occasionally dipped our toes into both American and contemporary art. For instance, we did an exhibition featuring a painting by American artist Kehinde Wiley that was paired with a 17th century painting by Italian artist Artemisia Gentileschi on the same Biblical subject of Judith and Holofernes
Where do you see the Kimbell Art Museum going in the next five years or so?
The art scene in Texas will continue to grow just as North Texas grows. This scene has been a major catalyst for the growth of this region, and I anticipate that this trend will stay on the course it has been on for the last 50 years. At the Kimbell, we are constantly looking at ways to reach new audiences while building our existing audience. We have great exhibitions lined up for the next five years and look forward to welcoming visitors to connect with the world of art.
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