| The High Museum of Art, located in Atlanta, Georgia, can be found on 1280 Peachtree Road (at 16th Street), next to the Alliance Theater. The museum is hard to miss- the beauty of the building stands out among the surrounding downtown businesses. It was constructed in 1983, designed by architect Richard Meir, and has won several awards for its unique style. When built, the huge steel concrete slabs and steel columns of the building were covered with white porcelain-enameled steel panels. The lower half of the museum is enclosed with granite panels, and a gridded window system shells the entirety of the building. Wonderful eye candy. I always enjoy gazing at it whenever I drive through downtown Atlanta.
The museum's permanent collection consists of European, African, contemporary, folk and decorative art, and photography. They also have numerous special exhibitions going on throughout the year. Some of the most recent include a Winslow Homer exhibit, a Monet exhibit and an Impressionist exhibit.
I have visited the High a number of times during my life- as a child I was daunted by the building both inside and out- the High contains a labyrinth of narrow stairways and rooms. I saw the Impressionist exhibit a few years ago and it was terrific. I look forward to the possibility of catching the Edvard Munch showing they will be having in mid-2002. The special exhibitions cost an average of $15-$25 per person, but the Folk Art and Photography galleries are always free.
They also have an excellent gift shop and a place for munching called The High Café with Alon's. The café is an indoor/outdoor eatery that offers sandwiches, soups, pastries, and vegetarian items as well.
The museum has had several pieces added to their permanent collection this past year, some of these being works by
Camille Pissarro, Anselm Kiefer, Morris Louis and Chuck Close.
They are open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sundays from noon to 5 p.m., and are closed on Mondays.
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