Walters Art Museum
February 3rd, 2009
One of Baltimore’s staple attractions, the Walters Art Museum kicked off with William and Henry Walters’ collection of different art items - paintings, sculptures, and other artifacts, all totaling to 22,000. The father-and-son tandem begun to gather pieces of artwork during the 19th and 20th century. Their collection included masterworks from famed European painters, Greek and Roman antiques, and ceramics and porcelain from the Far East.
Following Henry Walters’ death in 1931, the city administration of Baltimore proposed to open a public museum that will house the artifacts left by the Walters. The museum opened in 1934 and was named the Walters Art Gallery. Apart from the 22,000-item collection of the Walters, the then newly-revamped Walters Art Gallery showcased mummies, jewelries, and medieval armaments.
In 2000, in an effort to project the establishment’s public image, the museum was renamed to the Walters Art Museum. After a 3-year renovation on some sections of the museum, the Walters Art Museum opened its largest building in 2001. One of its main attractions is the Archimedes Palimpsest.
Currently, the museum is running 2 separate exhibitions: the Salviati and Antique; and The Special Dead: A Medieval Reliquary Revealed. The Salviati and Antique showcases different glass and ceramic works that were made in the later part of the 19th century. The Special Dead exhibition, on the other hand, features a replica of an ancient reliquary that houses the remains of St. Amandus. The Salviati and Antique will run until November 2, 2008 while the exhibition of The Special Dead: A Medieval Reliquary Revealed will end on January 18, 2008.
Just recently, the Walters Art Museum has announced that the admission to the said institution is free.
Alice Walton, philanthropist and patron of the arts, founded the Crystal Bridges Museum.
Alice Walton to unveil museum in the state of Arkansas.
Learn more about Alice Walton and the Walton Family Foundation.
