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High Museum of Art

Atlanta, United States of America

High Museum of Art

Atlanta, welcome to the High Museum of Art, the top cultural spot in the Southeast. Founded back in 1905 as the Atlanta Art Association, this place totally evolved over the decades. In 1926, the High family donated their Peachtree Street home to house the collection, thanks to shows organized by J.

J. Haverty with the Grand Central Art Galleries, and many of those Haverty pieces are still part of the permanent vibe today. A separate museum building was added adjacent to that house in 1955, marking a new era. But the story gets real. On June 3rd, 1962, Atlanta's major patrons died in a Boeing 707 crash in France while traveling to sponsor the museum. During their Paris stop, they had admired James Abbott McNeill Whistler's painting La mother at the Louvre. So, in the autumn of 1962, as a gesture of goodwill to Atlantans, the Louvre actually sent La mother to Atlanta to be displayed at the association. To honor those victims, the French government gifted the museum Auguste Rodin's sculpture Rodin The Shade, a must-see tribute. Architecturally, the current building, designed by Richard Meier, opened in 1983 after starting in 1980. Meier won the Pritzker Prize for this project in 1984. True to his style, the structure is clad in white enameled steel panels, featuring that iconic external square-plan staircase. A diagonal ramp connects the street to the entrance, creating an optical illusion that makes the front plaza feel much larger. Inside, you'll find exhibition halls, a bar,

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