The High Museum of Art is part of the Woodruff Art center and is located at 1280 Peachtree St in Atlanta, GA.
High Museum of Art Commentary
A classical four square parti is manipulated to create spatial distinctions worthy of the museums important placement and public function within the cultural scope of Atlanta. One of the quadrants is carved out to create the monumental and orienting atrium space whose edge-defining circulation ramps pay homage to the swirling Guggenheim. Meier's characteristically white building houses an auditorium, a ground level court, cafe, museum shop, members lounge, required staff support spaces, and varied display spaces featuring painting, sculpture, and furniture. Natural light is prevalent and adjustable to meet specific exhibit needs.
— Darlene Levy. drawn from Richard Meier. Richard Meier: Architect 1964-1984. p311
"The structure consists of steel columns and frame and concrete slabs. The granite plinth acts as a horizontal datum for the ramps and, in elevation, as an anchor for the white porcelain-enameled steel panels cladding the galleries below. Light, whether direct or filtered, admitted through skylights, ribbon glazing, clerestory strips, or minimal perforations in the panel wall, is a consistant preoccupation throughout: apart from its functional aspect, it is a symbol of the museum's role as a place of aesthetic illumination and enlightened cultural values. The primary intention of the architecture is to encourage the discovery of these values, and to foster a contemplative appreciation of the museum's collection through its own spatial experience."
— Richard Meier. from Richard Meier. Richard Meier. Richard Meier: Architect 1964-1984. p311.
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The High Museum of Art is a leading art museum in the Southeastern United States. Located in Atlanta, Georgia on Peachtree Street Northeast, the High is a division of the Woodruff Arts Center, which also includes the Alliance Theatre, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Young Audiences and the 14th Street Playhouse.
The High Museum holds more than 11,000 works of art in its permanent collection. Included in this collection are 19th and 20th century American art; European art; decorative arts; African American art; modern and contemporary art; photography and African art. Highlights of the permanent collection include works by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Claude Monet, Martin Johnson Heade, Dorothea Lange, Clarence John Laughlin, and Chuck Close.
The High places special emphasis on supporting and collecting works by Southern self-taught artists, such as Howard Finster, and includes a contextual installation of sculpture and paintings from his Paradise Gardens. The museum includes a curatorial department specifically devoted to the field of self-taught art, a distinction unique among North American museums. The High’s Media Arts department produces an annual film series and festivals of foreign, independent and classic film. Special exhibitions at the High feature strong global partnerships with other museums such as the Louvre and with the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore and the Opificio delle pietre dure in Florence.
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