Mission Statement

The mission of the Birmingham Museum of Art is to provide an unparalleled cultural and educational experience to a diverse community by collecting, presenting, interpreting, and preserving works of art of the highest quality.

The Collection

The Birmingham Museum of Art, one of the finest regional museums in the United States, houses a diverse collection of more than 25,000 paintings, sculpture, prints, drawings, and decorative arts dating from ancient to modern times. The collection presents a rich panorama of cultures, featuring the Museum’s extensive holdings of Asian, European, American, African, Pre-Columbian, and Native American art.

Museum Facts 

Founding Date: 1951

Location: 3.9 acres in the heart of the cultural district
2000 Rev. Abraham Woods, Jr. Blvd (formerly 8th Avenue North), Birmingham, AL 35203-2278

Owner: City of Birmingham, Birmingham Museum of Art

Governed: Museum Board of the City of Birmingham

Present Building: Erected in 1959. Designed by Warren, Knight & Davis; Birmingham, AL

Major Additions: 1965, 1967, 1974 and 1980 by Warren, Knight & Davis

Major Renovation: Completed 1993; Designed by Edward Larrabee Barnes

Expansion: Edward Larrabee Barnes/John M.Y. Lee & Partners; New York, New York

Museum Facility: 180,000 gross square feet (150,000 square feet three-story structure; 30,000 square feet outdoor sculpture garden)