Eric McCauley

NOW

Director, Kimbell Art Museum

Career Highlights

Eric McCauley Lee has been director of Fort Worth’s Kimbell Art Museum since March 2009. During this time, the Kimbell has acquired The Torment of Saint Anthony, the only known painting by Michelangelo in the Western Hemisphere. Previously, Dr. Lee served as director of the Taft Museum of Art in Cincinnati and as director of the University of Oklahoma’s Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. A native of North Carolina, Dr. Lee received his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees, all in the history of art, from Yale University.

Statement

The Kimbell Art Foundation, which owns and operates the Kimbell Art Museum, has weathered the current financial storm better than most. The economy has, however, affected the museum’s membership and earned-income revenues. Fortunately, while—as always—monitoring expenses, we have been able to avoid significant cuts and will continue to present outstanding exhibitions and educational opportunities to the public. Acquisitions have long been the lifeblood of the Kimbell, and this tradition remains strong with the recent purchase of Michelangelo’s The Torment of Saint Anthony. We are also moving forward with plans for a new building by Renzo Piano, with groundbreaking expected in late 2010.

Admission to the museum’s permanent collection is always free but there is usually a charge for special exhibitions. The museum is also offering a wide array of free programming, including family activity days and a variety of lectures and gallery talks. As many in our community are choosing to forgo vacation plans and spend their time at home, we are an educational and entertainment option—as well as a refuge from the cares of everyday life—that our neighbors and friends turn to at little or no expense.