Knoxville Museum of Art specializes in historical and contemporary art pieces from the East Tennessee region. According to its mission statement, the museum “celebrates the art and artists of East Tennessee, presents new art and new ideas, educates and serves a diverse community, enhances Knoxville’s quality of life, and operates ethically, responsibly, and transparently as a public trust.” The museum opened in 1961 as the Dulin Gallery of Art, which was housed in the H.L. Dulin House on Kingston Pike. The Dulin House was designed in 1915 by prominent architect John Russell Pope in the
Neoclassical Revival style. The house had limited space, however, and the lack of security and climate control prevented the museum’s accreditation by the American Association of Museums. In 1984, the Board of Trustees voted to build a new facility at the site of the 1982 World’s Fair in downtown Knoxville. The name was changed to “Knoxville Museum of Art” in 1987. The new 53,200-square-foot facility, designed by noted architect Edward Larrabee Barnes, opened on March 25, 1990.
