Museums - High Museum of Art

The High Museum of Art is the leading art museum in the southeastern United States. The museum has two locations: the Meier-designed main facility is in Atlanta’s Midtown arts and business district, and the High Museum of Art Folk Art and Photography Galleries are downtown in the Georgia-Pacific Center. The High's collections include African art, American art, decorative arts, European art, folk art, modern and contemporary art, and photography.
The High Museum was founded in 1905 as the Atlanta Art Association. Its first permanent home came in 1926 with Mrs. Joseph M. High's donation of her family's residence on Peachtree Street, after which the association renamed itself in honor of Mrs. High. By 1955 the museum had outgrown the High Mansion and moved next door to a new, brick, climate-controlled building. In 1979, Coca-Cola magnate Robert W. Woodruff offered a challenge grant toward the building of a new facility for the High, and Museum officials exceeded the challenge. Renowned architect Richard Meier was selected to design the museum’s new home adjacent to the existing building. The High’s Meier building opened to great acclaim in 1983 and remains one of Atlanta’s architectural icons. Due to unprecedented growth in exhibitions, community programming, and collections, the museum has embarked on yet another building expansion program, part of the overall upgrade of the Woodruff Arts Center campus being designed by Renzo Piano. The High’s new buildings are scheduled to open in the spring of 2005.
The museum’s African art collection is largely the result of efforts by collectors Fred and Rita Richman, who for the last thirty years have made large parts of their collection accessible to the High through donation and loan. Other collectors have also made contributions over the years, most recently Sergio S. Dolfi, whose 2002 donation added some fine material.