“Painting is an attempt to come to terms with life. There are as many solutions as there are human beings.” -George Tooker
In a world full of noise and agitation, a visit to the art museum is like a balm for the spirit. The hushed environment, the architectural beauty, the soothing images and historical references - they all combine to provide one with an uplifting break from the usual thoughts and stressors.
Wherever you live, there is sure to be some sort of art museum within driving distance. Here in Ohio we are especially blessed with 21 fine art museums, housing hundreds of thousands of works, their holdings growing every year.
Often expanding collections have led to major renovations, as museums attempt to streamline their architecture, display more works and enhance the visitor’s experience. I don’t know what treasures you’ll find at your nearest art museum, but here’s what you’ll find at a selection of Ohio’s artistic gems.
Cleveland Museum of Art
World-renowned for the quality and breadth the 42,000 works in its collection, the Cleveland Museum of Art attracts over 500,000 visitors a year. It has never charged admission to its permanent collection. Museum founders directed curators to acquire the best representations from a wide range of artistic styles. As a result, visitors will find some of the finest work of European masters (including a lovely Camille Pissarro landscape), alongside excellent examples of pre-Columbian, folk and Asian art.
In 2007 the museum closed for a $258 million renovation and expansion. It is now the largest in the state, at 588,000 square feet, and features streamlined galleries, a 625-space parking garage and a spacious new courtyard topped by a glass canopy.
Columbus Museum of Art
Although it’s the smallest of Ohio’s major art museums, the Columbus Museum of Art has generated buzz over the past years with special exhibitions on Renoir, Degas and Monet. The exhibitions were designed around special artworks in the museum’s permanent collection, which now totals over 11,000 paintings and objects.
“We seem better known outside of Columbus than inside,” said Nancy Colvin, marketing and communications manager for the museum. “One of the things we hear time and time again is that people are surprised when they come and realize the strength of our collection.” Known for its European and American modernism holdings, the museum also has a strong German Expressionism collection, and has recently acquired many photographs, including a rare one taken by Edgar Degas when he briefly dabbled in photography.
Bursting out of it prior 96,000-square-foot facility, the Columbus Museum of built more galleries in recent years. The museum’s restaurant, the Palette Café is another hidden jewel, offering seating in the outdoor sculpture garden and sky-lit atrium.
Cincinnati Art Museum
One of the oldest art museums in the country, the Cincinnati Art Museum owns the largest collection of artworks and in the state – over 60,000 objects spanning 6,000 years. Here visitors find ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman art as well as works by European masters and major nineteenth- and twentieth-century artists such as Picasso, Modigliani, Renoir and Chagall. Costumes, textiles, photographs and sculpture round out the collection. A 2003 grant made general admission to the museum free permanently.
In 2006 the museum board approved a 20-year facilities master plan to expand gallery space, add a new education center and renovate the museum’s interior. The $125 million added 110,000 square feet of gallery space, underground parking and an outdoor sculpture garden.
Toledo Museum of Art
Boasting more than 30,000 works of art on its 368,000-square-foot campus, the Toledo Museum of Art is internationally known for having one of the world’s finest collections of glass art. That comes as no surprise considering the museum was founded by a major glass manufacturer and his wife, Edward and Florence Libbey, in 1901. The glass objects are housed in a sleek, minimal Glass Pavilion, which opened in 2006 following the largest public fundraising campaign in the city’s history. The modern architecture of the pavilion was named best museum design in the world by Travel + Leisure design awards. In keeping with their philosophy to uplift and inspire all members of the community, admission to the museum’s permanent collection is free.
Dayton Art Institute
Also free to visitors, the Dayton Art Institute is housed in an Italian Renaissance-style building overlooking downtown Dayton and the Great Miami River. Since its founding, the museum has a tradition of hosting world-class special exhibitions such as 2006’s Diana, A Celebration, which displayed objects from the life of Diana, Princess of Wales. The show attracted 120,000 people and was the institute’s second-highest attended program, following closely behind the museum’s 2005 showing of the largest collection of antiquities ever loaned by Egypt. The museum’s permanent collection of more than 26,000 objects includes some recent major gifts of fine Oceanic, Asian and American decorative art.
Taft Museum of Art
Cincinnati’s Taft Museum of Art was the setting for William H. Taft’s acceptance of his nomination for President in 1908. The Taft family collected art from around the world and turned their federalist-style home and 690 artworks and objects into a museum, which opened in 1932.
Known for its European and American master paintings, Chinese porcelain and European decorative arts, the Taft Museum completed a $22 million expansion in 2004 which added a performance and lecture hall, lower-level parking garage, gift shop and café.
Akron Art Museum
The Akron Art Museum has come a long way since its founding in the basement of a library in 1922. With a collection of 3,700 works, the museum closed in 2004 to undergo a $35 million renovation and expansion. The museum has gained international attention for its bold new look, the first U.S. project by the Viennese architecture firm of Coop Himmelblau. “I think people are surprised and thrilled by how dynamic the architecture is. It seems to defy gravity,” said Julie Ann Hancsak, communications officer.
The project created momentum for the museum and led to a record number of new acquisitions including hundreds of new photographs, sculptures, paintings and collages.
Barbara Wayman is the author of Living An Extraordinary Life: 9 Transformational Strategies for Living Your Best Life Now.