Docent-Guided Tours
Special Exhibitions
Lives of the Gods: Divinity in Maya Art
(May 7, 2023–September 3, 2023, docent-guided tours only)
Grades 3–12
Bonnard's Worlds
(November 5, 2023–January 28, 2024, docent-guided tours only)
Grades 3–12
Permanent Collection Tour Topics
Kimbell Highlights
Grades 3–12
This introductory tour showcases a range of masterpieces representing different subjects, time periods, cultures, and artists’ techniques.
Shape, Line, and Color
Grades 3–6
Explore visual elements in both paintings and sculpture to learn how artists communicate ideas in art.
To Tell a Story
Grades 3–6
Lights, canvas, action! Discover how artists tell stories through gesture, expression, setting, and intriguing details.
The Five Senses
Grades 3–6
How do artists encourage us to imagine sounds, smells, tastes, and textures? Investigate how we experience artworks through all five senses.
Portrait Encounters
Grades 7–12
Examine portraits throughout history and look for important clues about individual interests, personalities, and how the sitters wished to be seen by others.
European History through Art
Grades 9–12
Connect European masterpieces with major historic events and movements spanning from the early Renaissance through the mid-20th century.
World Cultures
Grades 9–12
Artworks from around the globe and across time guide our exploration of cultural traditions and essential human values.
Classical Myth in Art
Grades 7–12
Group limit: 30
Travel to the ancient worlds of Greece and Rome to see gods and mortals battle for life, love, and victory.
Collections
Museum Architecture
Grades 3–12
In-depth tours explore architectural considerations such as structure, siting, materials, and the use of natural light. For 60-minute tours, select either the Louis Kahn Building (1972) or the Renzo Piano Pavilion (2013); 75-minute tours visit both Kimbell buildings.
European
Grades 3–12
Interactive discussions will address paintings and sculpture representing the major movements of Western art history from the Renaissance to the middle of the 20th century.
Asian
Grades 3–12
Group limit: 20
Selected works produced in a range of media highlight artistic traditions from Asian countries such as India, Nepal, China, Korea, and Japan.
African & Ancient American
Grades 3–12
Group limit: 20
Rulers, heroes, gods, and ancestors are among the major themes addressed during in-depth tours focusing on sculpture from Africa and Central and South America.
World Languages
Grades 3–12
Group limit: 30
Students of Spanish, French, German, Italian, Chinese, and other world languages will enjoy connections with the histories and traditions of related artists and cultures. Contact the tour programs coordinator for current options.
Inside/Outside Sculpture
Grades 3–12
Experience art in three dimensions with a tour of the Kimbell’s sculpture collection and learn how artists modeled, carved, or cast their works in clay, marble, wood, or metal.