The Kimbell Goes Big for Louis Kahn’s 125th Birthday

Celebrating Its Renowned Architect With Special Conversations, Architecture Tours, and More

The Kahn Building exterior South view of The Kimbell Art Museum
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Fort Worth Digital Diary gives you a locally sourced lay of the land
The Kahn Building exterior South view of The Kimbell Art Museum
1The Kahn Building exterior South view of The Kimbell Art Museum
2
3Sue Ann Kahn will take part in the celebrations this month. (Photo by Alex Tyng)
4A commemorative key ring makes the most of the light inside The Kimbell.
The Kimbell Goes Big for Louis Kahn’s 125th Birthday
The Kahn Building exterior South view of The Kimbell Art Museum.

The Kahn Building exterior South view of The Kimbell Art Museum.

Source:
Fort Worth Digital Diary gives you a locally sourced lay of the land
The Kimbell Goes Big for Louis Kahn’s 125th Birthday
Louis I. Kahn - The Last Notebook

Louis I. Kahn - The Last Notebook

Source:
Fort Worth Digital Diary gives you a locally sourced lay of the land
Sue Ann Kahn will take part in the celebrations this month. (Photo by Alex Tyng)
The Kimbell Goes Big for Louis Kahn’s 125th Birthday
Sue Ann Kahn will take part in the celebrations this month. (Photo by Alex Tyng)

Sue Ann Kahn will take part in the celebrations this month. (Photo by Alex Tyng)

Source:
Fort Worth Digital Diary gives you a locally sourced lay of the land
A commemorative key ring makes the most of the light inside The Kimbell.
The Kimbell Goes Big for Louis Kahn’s 125th Birthday
A commemorative key ring makes the most of the light inside The Kimbell.

A commemorative key ring makes the most of the light inside The Kimbell.

Source:

One of America’s most noteworthy architects, Louis I. Kahn, left an indelible mark with projects spanning from Philadelphia to Bangladesh. But one of his most celebrated works was right here in Fort Worth. The Kimbell Art Museum’s main building opened to rave reviews in 1972. The museum will celebrate Kahn’s 125th birthday this month with special tours, conversations, and memorable events planned on Friday, February 20, and Saturday, February 21.

One of Fort Worth’s great landmarks is a must-visit architectural wonder. The Kimbell remains one of the most fluid and light-filled achievements of the brutalist era, which was known for heavy concrete structures.

Kahn’s creation bathes the walls with natural light. Its arches and vaulted roofline are surrounded by tree-lined allées, gentle water features, and a grassy expanse connecting the building to nature and the architecture to the artworks that fill its halls.

Louis Kahn’s 125th Birthday Celebration

Louis I. Kahn – The Last Notebook

On Friday, February 20, from noon to 7 pm and again on Saturday, February 21 from 10 am to 4 pm, enjoy complimentary birthday snacks and beverages, and be sure to pick up a free Kimbell Kahn keychain as a special gift (while supplies last).

Drop-in, docent-guided tours of the Kimbell Art Museum’s landmark 1972 building will be offered both days, as well, between 1 pm and 1:45 pm. They are free; no registration required, but space is limited to thirty, so the tours are first-come, first-served.

Sue Ann Kahn Reflects on Her Father’s Achievements

Sue Ann Kahn will take part in the celebrations this month. (Photo by Alex Tyng)
Sue Ann Kahn will take part in the celebrations this month. (Photo by Alex Tyng)

The Museum’s Director, Eric Lee will host A Conversation about Louis I. Kahn and His Last Notebook on His 125th Birthday, with Sue Ann Kahn, on Friday from 6 pm to 7 pm in the Kahn Auditorium. Editor Sue Ann Kahn will discuss her publication Louis I. Kahn: The Last Notebook, a facsimile of her father’s private sketchbook from the last year of his life.

“An artifact of historical importance, the notebook’s pages give us an intimate glimpse into Kahn’s creative process and take us inside the mind of the master architect at the height of his career,” according to a release. “Most importantly, his personality permeates its pages and brings the architect to life for a new generation. Sue Ann Kahn and Eric Lee take us through its pages and the stories they reveal.”

Louis I. Kahn: The Last Notebook will be available for purchase at the Kimbell’s Museum Shop during the event. Seating for this event is limited.

Unveiling of Work By Artist Cameron Schoepp

A commemorative key ring makes the most of the light inside The Kimbell.
A commemorative key ring makes the most of the light inside The Kimbell.

Finally, on Saturday, February 21 from 11 am to noon, join Artist Cameron Schoepp for a discussion and hanging of his own work in the Kahn Building’s South Gallery.

An Artist Eye explores what the art of the past means to the artist of the present. “In this ongoing program, moderated by Kimbell staff, artists and architects discuss works in the museum’s collection, share the special insights of the practicing professional, and relate older art to contemporary artistic concerns, including their own.”

During this talk, Cameron Schoepp’s work will be suspended from the light reflector above the gallery floor in the center of the Kahn Building’s South Gallery. It has long been seen as a “pride of place” within the dramatic Kahn Building. Schoepp will discuss his own artistic practice and observations on Kahn’s architectural masterpiece.