Welcome back to the Birmingham Museum of Art!

Welcome back to the Birmingham Museum of Art, which will reopen its doors on Tuesday, October 6th!

photo by Beth Miles

New guidelines

ADMISSION TO THE BMA CONTINUES TO BE FREE.

The Birmingham Museum of Art is dedicated to keeping all patrons and employees safe during visits with thorough cleanings daily. High touch surfaces will be cleaned multiple times throughout each day.

Sanitation stations featuring touch-free sanitizer dispensers will be available throughout the museum.

The facility is limiting attendance to fifty percent capacity with social distancing guidelines in place. All employees and all visitors over the age of two will be required to wear a mask or face covering. High-traffic areas will be marked with guidelines to help visitors with social distancing requirements.

The interactive exhibits and the cafe will remain closed until further notice. Please check the website or the BMA Facebook page for re-opening announcements.

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What’s happened since March 17?

Although the facility hasn’t been open to the public since March, that hasn’t stopped the BMA from offering patrons an art fix through their online events and activities.

However, with outreach programs and fundraising events canceled or rescheduled, and cuts in the budget from civic funding, it’s now more crucial than ever for Birmingham to support this generous asset to our community.

You can donate or even become a member HERE.

Check out all the cool ways BMA has grown in spite of the hardships of 2020!

via BMA website

The museum’s mission statement, “to spark the creativity, imagination, and liveliness of Birmingham by connecting all its citizens to the experience, meaning, and joy of art,” is supported by over 24,000 works of art including paintings, sculptures, decorative art, artifacts, drawings, and prints available for viewing in the 150,000 square feet three-story structure.

Another 30,000 square feet can be found outdoors in the sculpture garden.

Collections and Exhibits

The collections housed by the Birmingham Museum of Art span from ancient to modern times and include culturally diverse sets of work from Africa, Asia, and Europe. American collections include both Native American and Pre-Columbian.

The museum also features exhibitions, which are only available for planned lengths of time, usually spanning several months. Several exhibits that had interrupted timelines in the spring are being continued during the re-opening this fall. To see current exhibitions featured at the Birmingham Museum of Art, click here. You can also check out a recent article by Javacia Bowser featured in birminghamtimes.com for more information.

photo by Beth Miles

Hands-On and Interactive Displays

There are two “hands-on” spaces: Bart’s ArtVenture, designed for toddlers through age twelve, and the SmARTlab, designed for interactive experiences for all ages. **NOTE: THESE AREAS ARE CURRENTLY STILL CLOSED PER SAFETY GUIDELINES.

Bart’s ArtVenture contains two areas:

The Sonat Gallery for preschoolers and toddlers offers an exploration of light, texture, and color as an introduction to the world of art.
The Hess Gallery, appropriate for ages 5-12, offers centers for creating art such as weaving, pottery, and printmaking and is designed to inspire creativity. This area also houses work from local artists in the Birmingham community which changes regularly. One visiting adult is required to accompany every four children.

The SmARTlab is an interactive area where you can experience both digital interactives and tactile exhibits. You can also relax and recharge in this area (literally, you can plug your device into the charging station) as you take a break from touring the facility.