Designed by architect Richard Meier, this facility--part of the Woodruff Arts Center complex--is itself a work of art. A dazzling white porcelain-tiled building with an equally pristine white interior (the New York Times jokingly cautioned that visitors risk snow blindness on a sunny day), it houses four floors of galleries connected by semicircular pedestrian ramps girding a spacious, sun-filled, four-story atrium. It's a lovely building and a favorable setting in which to view art. However, the High has outgrown its space and details of a multimillion-dollar building expansion program were released in mid-2002. Groundbreaking is planned for Spring 2003 with the new 177,000-square-foot addition to open in early 2005. The addition will include additional gallery space for the museum's permanent collection, enlarged special exhibit space, and a new restaurant, coffee bar, and retail shop.

The permanent collection includes more than 10,000 pieces, among them a significant group of 19th- and 20th-century American paintings. It features Hudson River School artists such as Thomas Cole and Frederic Church, as well as works by Thomas Sully, John Singer Sargent, and William Harnett. The Virginia Carroll Crawford Collection of American Decorative Arts comprehensively documents decorative arts styles from 1825 to 1917. The Samuel H. Kress Foundation collection includes Italian paintings and sculpture from the 14th through the 18th century. The Uhry Print Collection contains important works by French impressionists and post-impressionists, German expressionists, and American 20th-century artists. Also notable are collections of sub-Saharan African art, a folk art collection, and works by noted 19th- and 20th-century American and European photographers.

In addition to the permanent collection, which is shown on a rotating basis, the museum hosts a number of major traveling exhibitions each year, complemented by films, lectures, workshops, gallery talks, concerts, and other cultural events. Inquire at the desk about happenings during your stay, and call in advance to inquire about the free guided gallery tours of the High's permanent collection offered every Wednesday and Sunday at 1pm.

The museum has a wonderful gift shop with an impressive stock of art books, prints, and interesting art-oriented objects. There's also an excellent cafe run by Alon's, which has two other locations in town. It's a delightful space, accented with the same colors as the Calder mobile that is visible just outside the big glass windows. The cafe serves up sandwiches, soups, pastries, and desserts, fresh juice, tea, and specialty coffees. It's open Monday through Friday 9am to 5pm, Saturday 10am to 5pm, and Sunday noon to 5pm. You don't have to enter the museum to get to the cafe.