Since its opening in 1972, the Kimbell Art Museum has won acclaim for its classic modern building designed by the great American architect Louis I. Kahn (1901–1974). Kahn's innovative use of natural light and subtle articulation of space and materials enhance the experience of the art. The building's gracious proportions, fine craftsmanship, and beautiful landscaping lend a further sense of serenity and restraint. The Kimbell Art Museum is widely regarded as one of the most outstanding modern public art-gallery facilities in the world.

The Kimbell Art Museum's holdings range in period from antiquity to the 20th century, including masterpieces from Fra Angelico and Caravaggio to Cézanne and Matisse. The Museum is one of the only institutions in the Southwest with a substantial collection of Asian arts, and has also assembled small but select groups of Mesoamerican and African pieces as well as Mediterranean antiquities.