The Toledo Museum of Art (or TMA) was founded in 1901 by seven individuals, their varying professions including a realtor, and two artists, and was housed in two rented rooms. Since then, the TMA has grown and matured, and is now among the finest art museums in the United States, residing in six buildings, across a 36 acre campus.
The Toledo Museum of Art has a veritable collection of 30,000 pieces, in more than 35 galleries. Businessman and glass worker Edward Libby was one of the founders of the museum, and its president for 24 years. Because of this, one of the major focuses of the museum has always been that of glass art, a fact reflected by the museum’s 6,000-piece glassworks collection. In the realm of paintings, the TMA has masterpieces by the likes of Rembrandt, Monet, Picasso and Cézanne. In addition to these, there are also substantial collections of sculptures, decorative arts, and works done on paper.
Besides the base collections, the museum has several changing exhibitions, which explore different styles, artists, and cultures. To see what is currently featured, take a look at the Exhibitions Page on the Museum’s Website.
The TMA also has many special events and activities. The Masters Series, held in the 1750-seat peristyle theater, brings in great artists, musicians, and scholars, to share their talents and knowledge with visitors to the museum. Based on studies of how babies respond to art, Director of Education at the TMA, Dr. Kathy Danko-McGhee, has worked to create the 30-minute Baby Tour, for children under 18 months of age. Strollers however, are not permitted. The Family Center offers a hands-on art experience especially for children 10 and under, although some adults may find it engrossing as well. The Toledo Museum of art also offers classes and workshops for budding artists, and those who perhaps haven’t done anything art-related for years. The Art Hours activity gives you an opportunity in which to work with glass, and create your own glassworks projects. More information on all of these events and activities can be found on the Museum’s Events Page.
The Toledo Museum of art is a privately-endowed, non-profit institution, and offers free admission at all times, but there is a fee for some special activities. The museum is open every day of the year, except for Mondays, and major holidays. Detailed hours and location information can be found at ToledoMuseum.org, with a full list of the day’s events on the website’s Calendar.
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