High, it’s me.

High Museum of Art — Atlanta, Georgia

When I travel anywhere, I make it a point to visit at least one museum if not the most noteworthy museum in the city. In the case of Atlanta, that’s the High Museum of Art.

On business to Atlanta, my client, knowing my enthusiasm for museums, had the amazing consideration to book my stay just two blocks from the museum. The walk leading up to the property was just gorgeous — Georgia, fall looks good on you.

When I arrived at the High, volunteers greeted me at the door with stickers for free admission — little did I know the chaos that lay ahead. Fortuitously, the day of my visit happened to be their quarterly “Family Fun Day” coinciding with free “Second Sundays,” and I got to see the museum working in full-swing packed with hundreds of visitors; every museum professional’s dream and nightmare.

Not only was the collection absolutely stunning, but the architecture is some of the best I’ve seen of any museum.

Main facade by Richard Meier, 1983

The design of the stairwell in the atrium shined most when throngs of people continuously passed through it like drops in a liquid motion bubbler. Between the mesmerizing visuals and the resonant sounds of the live orchestra, the lobby practically became B-roll for a Baby Einstein lullaby.

This building won Richard Meier the Pritzker Prize, one of the highest honors in architecture, in 1983. Though his work was criticized for not providing optimized gallery space, the decorative elements of his design provide the perfect backdrop for Instagram influencers to snap the perfect photo; making for a beneficially large user-generated marketing campaign at the High.

High Atrium

Thirty years later, famed museum architect Renzo Piano designed three buildings for the museum’s expansion that exploded the size of the museum’s budget and staffing making the High the cultural powerhouse it is today.

Expansion by Renzo Piano, 2005

The museum collection beautifully spans a variety of art: from European to African, modern to contemporary, and sculpture to furniture. The collection at the High is first-rate and Atlanta is fortunate to have such a cultural treasure.

I was thoroughly impressed by the museum’s community engagement efforts.

First, the Greene Family Learning Gallery on the lobby level had lines out the door full of families waiting for entrance to what looked like the most fantastic learning play ground aimed at young visitors. On one side of the hall was a room resembling the children’s play area at IKEA — nothing too thought-provoking, just aerobic fun. On the other side of the hall, with a line equally as long, there was this vibrant gallery space full of interactive activities for children of all ages — hats off to the museum educators.

But wait, there’s more.

One of the most attractive and innovative programs at the High is that of the smArt Box. Inside sturdy plastic totes, children at multiple age ranges can find customized activities related to the museum’s collection complete with coloring utensils — and the activities change regularly! Families are encouraged to return with their smArt Boxes to restock them with the latest activities and embark on museum adventures across the property. A museum admin once told me, “if you see an idea working really well at another museum, steal it!” If you are a museum educator, give the folks at the High a ring.

smArt Boxes in action

The High also offers the most hilariously effective tongue-in-cheek app for customizing your visit. With their dating app for art, Heartmatch, users can swipe left and right on various pieces on display in the collection. After a few minutes of swiping, you have a customized map of the museum, marked with pieces you swiped right on, to guide you through a unique and visually stunning tour of the High Museum of Art.

From brilliant displays to engaging programming, this museum gets a 13/10 in my book.

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In this series, I review museums from my unique, in-person experiences. All photos are taken by me. Did I miss something cool at this museum? Want me to review your favorite museum? Reach out at mtfinklea@gmail.com

This post was originally published on Medium.