Indianapolis Museum of Art: One of the five largest art museums in the USA
Consistently on the forefront in showcasing of some of the most exclusive cultural expression exhibits in the world, the Indianapolis Museum of Art, set on 152 acres just minutes north of downtown Indy, is considered one of the five largest general art museums in the entire country.
Arrayed with a collection of more than 50,000 works that span a wide range of cultures and eras, highlights of the collection include
• the Samuel Josefowitz Collection of Gauguin and the School of Pont-Aven;
• one of the finest Neo-Impressionist Collections in the world, including works by Georges Seurat and his protégés;
• one of the most comprehensive collections of works by J.M.W. Turner outside of Great Britain; and
• a stunning collection of Japanese Edo-period paintings – considered one of the most valuable of its kind in the United States.
The museum also boasts large collections of African art, Chinese ceramics, West Asian rugs, fashion arts and a rapidly expanding contemporary collection from new and internationally longstanding renowned artists.
IMA also is a central hub for national and international exhibitions, many of which are initially featured in Indianapolis before moving on to other locales. The museum consistently sponsors a wide variety of art-related lectures, classes and workshops. In 2005, the Indianapolis Museum of Art reopened following a $74 million expansion that doubled its size, increased exhibition and gallery space and expanded visitor amenities.
Scheduled to open in June 2010, the Virginia B. Fairbanks Art Nature Park will be one of the largest museum contemporary sculpture parks in the country. It will be situated on 100 acres of untamed woodlands, wetlands, lakes and meadows adjacent to the IMA. Eight artists have been chosen to craft site-specific works for the park, including installations by Atelier Van Lieshout, Kendall Buster, Alfredo Jaar, Los Carpinteros, Tea Makipaa, Type A, Jeppe Hein and Andrea Zittel.
The museum and Nourish Café restaurant are open Tues.-Sun., 11 a.m.-5 p.m. and Thurs.-Fri., 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Closed Mon., Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. General admission is free.
- by Jim Brown , Indianapolis Reporter for HelloMetro
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Jim Brown Jim Brown is a longtime freelance aviation, travel and destination writer and communications professional. A former reporter for Aviation Daily, Air Safety Week and World Airline News, Jim served for more than 15 years as a senior public relations executive for American Airlines, TWA and AirTran Airways.
