Columbia Museum of Art

The Columbia Museum of Art is South Carolina's premier international art museum, and houses an extraordinary collection of European and American fine and decorative art. In recent years, the Museum’s collection of Asian art and Antiquities has grown through generous gifts to the collection. Founded in 1950, the Museum opened its new building on Main Street in 1998 as a sleek and airy space with 25 galleries. The collections include masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance and Baroque from the Samuel H. Kress Collection, works by significant furniture and silver makers, as well as modern and contemporary art from the present time. Of particular interest are Sandro Botticelli's Nativity, Claude Monet's The Seine at Giverny and art glass by Louis Comfort Tiffany. The Museum offers changing exhibitions from renowned museums and educational programs that include group and public tours, lectures, films and concert series. In addition, the Museum has three affiliate groups – the Contemporaries for young professionals, About Face for artists, and the Columbia Design League for individuals committed to design excellence. The Museum is the recipient of a National Art Education Association award for its contributions to arts education and an Elizabeth O’Neill Verner Governor’s Award for the Arts for its outstanding contributions to the arts in South Carolina. Generous support to the Museum is provided by the City of Columbia and Richland County.