On May 18, in honor of International Museum Day, the Kimbell Art Museum unveiled the first-ever virtual tour of its 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.
Admission to the museum’s permanent collection is always free. Museum hours are Tuesdays through Thursdays and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Fridays, noon to 8 p.m.; Sundays, noon to 5 p.m.; closed Mondays. For general information, call 817-332-8451.
