The KMA’s predecessor, the Dulin Gallery of Art, opened in 1961 in a beaux-arts mansion in West Knoxville. By the middle 1980s the Dulin had outgrown its quarters, and a major community effort raised $11 million for a new museum in downtown Knoxville at the site of the 1982 World’s Fair. The Knoxville Museum of Art opened in March 1990 in a state-of-the-art, 53,200 square-foot facility designed by renowned museum architect Edward Larrabee Barnes. The building, clad in Tennessee marble, is named in honor of local philanthropist Jim Clayton, the largest donor to the building fund.

The KMA’s lively and engaging schedule of exhibitions emphasizes emerging artists of national and international reputation, significant regional artists present and past, and fine crafts. For a complete listing of the exhibitions organized or hosted by the KMA in the past several years, see the Exhibitions page.

The KMA’s collection of approximately 700 objects consists of 20th- and 21st-century works on paper, paintings, mixed media works, sculpture, and fine craft. It continues to grow through gifts from noted artists, galleries, collectors, and foundations, and purchases funded by the Collectors Circle (a museum support group) of important works by artists of regional and national significance. Well-known artists represented in the collection include Charles Burchfield, Robert Longo, Loretta Lux, William Morris, Kenneth Snelson, and Robert Stackhouse, to cite just a few. Choice examples by Catherine Wiley, Joseph Delaney, Walter Hollis Stevens, Richard Jolley, and Bessie Harvey highlight the development of the visual arts in Eastern Tennessee over the past century. Portions of the collection are always on view, including the miniature Thorne period rooms created in the 1930s, which have recently been conserved and reinstalled.

Since 1990, children, families, and adults from throughout Tennessee and surrounding states have taken advantage of the museum tours, workshops, artist residencies, outreach programs, lectures, concerts, and family activities which form the core of the museum's educational programming. The museum has become a pioneer in innovative collaborations that focus on interpreting changing exhibitions and partnering with other community organizations, East Tennessee colleges, universities and public K–12 schools, and other museums. New iPod audiotours are available for exploring artworks in the collection, and in development are Family Backpacks, fun activities for parents and children to direct viewing and family fun in the galleries. The Exploratory Gallery features artist-designed installations geared to the interests of children and allows participants to interact with works of art and learn about the artistic process through hands-on experiences. The popular Alive After Five concert series and frequent community events attract thousands each year and complement the KMA’s visual offerings.

The museum’s $1.7 million annual operating budget comes from individual and corporate donors, museum memberships (approximately 2,300), rental income, and government grants. Annual fundraising events organized by the KMA Guild, a vital and active volunteer organization, provide a significant portion of the museum’s operating income. The museum has 12 full-time and 18 part-time professional staff. In recognition of its high professional standards, the museum was accredited by the American Association of Museums in 1996 and reaccredited in 2005.