Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham, AL

Museums are wonderful places to learn the history of a place, its people, and its culture. For anyone traveling to Birmingham, Alabama a stop on the tour of the city might include the Birmingham Museum of Art. This museum was founded in 1951 as a way for the finest collections in the southeast to be on display. About 24,000 objects are contained within the museum depicting cultures from around the world. Asia, Europe, America, Africa, Native Americans, and Pre- Columbian objects of art are at the museum.

One of the most impressive collections on display is the Vietnamese Ceramics. It is considered the finest in the world with a Kress collection of Renaissance and Baroque paintings following in a close second. Sculptures and other decorative pieces date to the late 13th century up to the 1750's. The collections of the 18th century European arts offer superior work from English ceramics to French furniture. Outside of England, the Birmingham Museum of Art has the largest Wedgwood collection.

The present building housing the art objects was created in 1959, just eight years after the museum was founded. Architects Warren, Knight and Davis helped create the building, but it was Edward Larrabee Barnes of New York that offered a renovation and expansion in 1993. To house the 24,000 pieces of art the building had to become 180,000 square feet. The architect also created an outdoor sculpture garden to enhance the beauty of the museum. Since its opening the museum has been free of charge to visitors. Hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday 10am to 5pm, and Sunday 12pm to 5pm. The museum is closed on all Mondays and major holidays. The free admission does not apply to special exhibits that might be brought in for visitors to view. Parking is also free.

Exhibitions are held throughout the year for local patrons of the arts. They are able to come to see new collections, as well as visit their favorite pieces from the permanent collections. As mentioned above the permanent collections come from all around the world. The African collection houses 2,000 pieces from several cultures in the sub Saharan region of Africa. Most of the pieces date from the 12th century to the present. Masks, ritual objects, household items, furniture, and even an Egyptian false door are part of the display.

The Pre- Columbian art found its way to the museum from Meso America, Central America, and the Northern Andes. Zapotec ceramics, a Maya Figure Sculpture, and jewelry are part of the exhibit. Also included are an Aztec Stone Sculpture, West Mexican figural tomb sculpture, and Incan Keros.

The Asian section comes from all over including China, Japan, Korea, India, and Southeast Asia. Examples of Buddhist and Hindu art, lacquer ware, paintings, ceramics, and sculptures make up the Asian collection. Many pieces are from the Ming Dynasty including a temple wall and a Tang dynasty tomb figure. A few modern pieces are also included in the Asian exhibit and include the Vetlesan Jade Collection of the 16th to 19th century.