한국국제교류재단

The Birmingham Museum of Art is the largest municipal art museum in the southeastern United States. Founded in 1951, the Museum houses a permanent collection of national significance that includes over 21,000 works of art dating from ancient to modern times.

European paintings and prints, American art, Wedgwood and English ceramics, eighteenth century French decorative arts, African, Precolombian, and Native American art, as well as the finest collection of Asian art in the Southeast, are among the highlights of the permanent collection. Located in the heart of downtown, the Birmingham Museum of Art is the keystone to the burgeoning cultural district and to the revitalization of life in the inner city.

The Only Korean Art Gallery in the Southern United States

Asian art has formed part of the permanent collection ever since the Museum opened its doors. Chinese textiles, tomb figures, Japanese prints, and Buddhist sculpture were among the first art works given to the Museum. In 1972, Dr. Sherman E. Lee, then Director of the Cleveland Museum of Art, was invited by a group of interested people to come to Birmingham to evaluate the Asian art at the Museum, and to give advice on how to proceed with the formation of a true Asian art collection. As a result of his visit, the Birmingham Asian Art Society was founded and the truly remarkable growth and development of the Asian art collection began. At this time the Museum also purchased its first piece of Asian art, a Korean jar from the Three Kingdoms period (57 B.C.-A.D. 668). Permanent gallery space for Asian art was designated in the 1979 addition to the Museum and the first Curator of Asian Art was hired. In 1987 Donald A. Wood, Ph.D. was recruited to be the Museum? second Curator of Asian Art. The rapid growth of the Asian art collection continued, so much so that with the 1993 expansion and renovation of the Museum, designed by Edward Larrabee Barnes, seven galleries were designated for Asian art. These included the only gallery in the southern United States dedicated to Korean art.
Fast Growth of the Korean Art Collection

The Korean art collection at the Birmingham Museum of Art has enjoyed steady growth over the years. Judicious purchases and gifts from community supporters have greatly enhanced the collection. An anonymous gift of 20 Korean pieces in 1988 added breadth and depth to not only the ceramic collection, but also to Buddhist sculpture and folk paintings. Likewise, the generous gift from Stan and Marita Murphy in 1999 of over 20 pieces of Korean art added important paintings and wonderful pieces of furniture. The collection grew to the point that a completely new installation was necessary to better interpret the artwork. With the generous support of the Korea Foundation this was accomplished in March of this year.

Reopened with Accents of Traditional Korean Architecture

Accents of traditional Korean architecture highlight the new installation. The design for columns, flooring, doors and hardware were all based on examples seen in a study trip to Korea in 2001 by Terry Beckham, Designer for the Museum. Didactic materials were all rewritten to reflect recent studies in Korean art history and a pamphlet on Korea art was produced that is available free to Museum visitors. One of the most striking aspects of the new installation is the lighting. Fiber optic lighting was installed providing a pure light that shows the artwork to its best advantage. The Museum also purchased two pieces of Korean art to premier in the new installation: an eighteenth century white porcelain 'Moon Jar' and an eighteenth century white porcelain ribbed covered bowl. These add dramatically to the nearly one hundred pieces now on display in the Korean art gallery.

In honor of the new installation Bernard Kincaid, Mayor of the City of Birmingham, declared March 24, 2002 as 'Celebrate Korea Day in Birmingham.' This proclamation was read at the gala dedication of the new gallery that was attended by nearly 200 people. Dr. Emily Sano, Director of the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, also delivered a public lecture ("Collecting Korean Art in the United States") to celebrate the reopening of the Korean art gallery. Her talk was not only enthusiastically received, but also prompted the donation of several Korean art s from private collections in Birmingham. Korean art continues to be an important part of the mission of the Birmingham Museum of Art. Thanks to the Korea Foundation and their generous support, the Korean art collection takes its rightful place as one of the stars at our Museum.