KMAC Contemporary Art Museum

A fabulous museum on Museum row in Louisville! My 3.5 year old daughter loved the kids activity area on the first floor. My boo was impressed with the price of admission, noting the coffee cost more than admission, what a great deal!

Incredible time experiencing the runway show at the Kmart Couture show by the kmac contemporary arts museum. The amount of arts and fashion and authenticity and texture and color and life and music just the whole experience has been phenomenal. The 👗 Couture Dress you see is called ultramarine 13 And it was created by myself and the incredible Barret Babes (Sarah Carney, Angela Owens Abigail Feldkamp)

Beautiful museum and wonderful art. First floor had a gift shop/coffee shop and a creativity center for the children. The second floor had a continuation of the dresses from the first floor. The third floor had canvases if beautiful art work with a local artists working on a master piece. Very friendly, clean, and amazing place.

Slipped and fell due to the melting snow/ice right after purchasing a nice bottle of their toasted sour mash, I went back in to have them dispose of the glass safety and they handed me a new bottle free of charge and asked where I slipped so they can put more salt down and a sign. Made me even more of a fan of the brand

My wife and I had a great time trying our hand at some pottery. The people are friendly and the gift shop was very interesting.

Its cheap and the gift shop area is really cool. Good cappuccinos here too. The viewing rooms are somewhat odd. One room had a tiny bit of history on Louisville parks. The other was an expensive ikea type area. They get 4 stars though because its cheap to visit. The front reception area persons are really nice. Clean bathrooms, cool shop area trinkets and the cappuchanchans are top notch.

Very cozy museum. They Definitely go for quality than quantity when it comes to their displays. They also have slam poetry every last Saturday of the month. Definitely will visit again!

My daughter and I visited for her fieldtrip. Staff did a great job educating while keeping the kiddos engaged. Would highly recommend visiting here.

This place was really cool. They have two art exhibits going at a time and we really enjoyed the two they had when we came by. There was an awesome gift shop with fun and unique gifts for purchase, and there was a coffee shop inside. Prices are also reasonable too, $8 for adults. Jasmine was a huge help, explaining the current exhibits going on and answering our questions. I would definitely come back here again and recommend checking it out if you're in the area.

Went for the poetry slam and was throughly impressed by how nice and clean the space was! I really love that they have a bar available for purchasing alcohol and coffee! They also have really nice jewelry and items available for purchase. I can't wait to go back and check out the art work!

On my last day in Louisville, I went to the KMAC Contemporary Art Museum. Since I'm not particularly interested in art, are galleries are on the bottom of my list of attractions to see when I travel, and KMAC is fairly small. But at $7 for admission (or free for me as I had a student ID), it's good value and it is worth stopping in if you only have an hour or so. (I was in there for about an hour and that was more than enough time to see everything.) I went just few days before their summer exhibit was closing. The exhibits were: A Pastiche of Good Intentions and Other Parties by Lori Larusso; Shapeshifting by Masako Miki; Spirits in the Material World; and Both, And: Objects of Art, and Design from the Mary and Al Shands Collection. "A Pastiche of Good Intentions and Other Parties" was a mural of food and animals, including a poodle made of broccoli. It didn't make any sense to me, but was neat. "Shapeshifting" was my favourite exhibit. It consisted of brightly colored felt sculptures of abstract shapes. I felt like I was in an alien world. There wasn't anyone else around when I was viewing the exhibit, so I was able to take photos of all the sculptures without interruption. "Spirits in the Material World" was about "the concept of shapeshifters in mythology" and there were interesting sculptures from various cultures. "Both, And: Objects of Art, and Design from the Mary and Al Shands Collection" was a collection of random (to me) items. I didn't find it very interesting. There's also a small cafe and a gift shop, and if you do a quick survey, you get 25% off in the cafe or 10% off an item in the gift shop. The gift shop had a lot of nice items, and it took a lot of control to limit myself to a book about microorganisms for my niece and a bird sculpture for myself. [Yelp collections: Louisville/Indianapolis 2023; Louisville, KY 2023; Museums and Art Galleries; Cheap Thrills]

Great spot to see local art, low cost entrance, kids creation space, and lots in the gift shop. While visiting the city, I stopped into this art museum. The cost for adults is $7 which is a great price. The ground floor is a packed gift shop with many kinds of items: books, jewelry, cards, toys, local craft, etc. Prices were typical for an art museum gift shop. On the second and third floors they had just newly opened exhibits. (There is an elevator or stairwell.) I got to see exhibits for David Gunn Sawyer and Lonnie & Twyla Money. The former had a series of wood pieces painted and sewn together into 3D tapestry looking pieces. I loved the textures. The other exhibit had a range of their folk art craft. I enjoyed reading about the historical pieces from the Money family and examining the studio recreation pieces.

What a cute museum! This was my first time here and I really enjoyed the exhibits they had :) I also liked the store they had on the first floor as well as the creative area! This is a great place for families and anyone who wants to enjoy art! Oh and the place does have an elevator so it's accessible to get to the second and third floor! Also, students and children are free and adults and teens are only $6!

Enjoyed our recent visit. Hadn't been in a few years. It used to be free and now they charge $6 per person, which is completely reasonable. Loving their current whimsical exhibit that goes till August. There's a small kids activity area. The gift shop is excellent. You can take a quick survey of your visit and get a coupon code to use in the gift shop. Only reason for 4 out of 5 stars is that parking is never convenient downtown.

There's "modern" art and there's "contemporary" art. This is contemporary. Deep political statements, art that requires thinking and not just looking. Julie Baldyga's Heavenly People. Where Paradise Lay (Art and Southern Sanctuary). And their permanent collection. Interesting, thinking and a few pieces that I enjoyed. The museum is reopened post-COVID and has social distancing in mind with masks required, social distancing and contact tracing. Well worth an hour of your time. Street parking only. [Review 13528 overall, 847 of 2020.]

I had heard about this museum a while ago through social media but was never in the neighborhood to check it out. I finally came! It's a free museum that's fantastic for everyone. Even kids! It's a free contemporary museum with exhibitions that change every once in a while. And it's got 3 floors of art to view. It's not huge, but it'll take maybe 30 ish minutes of your time. They greeted us when we entered! There were a handful of others in here while we walked around. In general, this art museum is not as well known as 21c. It's almost across the street from it though and is worth a visit! They've got a cafe where they sell coffee and other drinks. There's also a gift shop on the first floor with all kinds of stuff: shirts, socks, and other random useful things. I wouldn't mind returning!

Smaller museum in clean, modern digs. The staff are super nice and they are taking the utmost precautions during COVID 19. Modern art. When I went, they had a very good exhibit on southern artists featured in the book "Walks to the Paradise Garden." They also had an exhibit from a local Louisville artist. Neat gift shop with lots of upscale fare. In the past they had a Picasso exhibit and other thoughtfully, well curated shows. This is a great museum to see over an hour or an hour and a half. It's not overwhelming and worth a stop. You may see things here that you won't see other places.

Very cute and creative! All three floors were interesting and the staff was extremely courteous. I had a good time

The KMAC Museum is a really cool part of Museum Row downtown! I never heard much about this museum until I heard about it on Yelp, and especially wanted to come in when I heard that it was free (They do take donations, though.) It wasn't a whole lot, but there are two floors of interesting artwork to endure in. They have a small interactive area for kids and a really nice gift/coffee shop on the first floor. The staff here were very nice - The receptionist immediately welcomed us and told us about the museum, and another let us know we could ask her questions if needed about the art. This is a great place to visit as a local or a tourist, and you can hop to the 21c or the Frazier afterwords because they are right next door to each other!

We came in for family fun day. We hadn't been before so it was a great time to go as it was free. My kiddos enjoyed the interactive hands on activities as well as the scavenger hunt (okay..so did I- I'm a big kid lol). The sculptures were simply amazing. As we all love art, we will definitely come back again.

The fact that it is free really redeems it and pushes it up to four stars for me. It is a rather small museum, but following a recent remodel, it feels modern and clean. Tall ceilings, bright and airy. It is a beautiful space that provides a great backdrop for the exhibits that they have on display. The first floor is home to the museum store and a small cafe. The store is almost it's own exhibit. Some lovely and interesting offerings! A large part of the first floor remains sort of open and empty, each time I have been there it has sort of struck me as strange. But I have attended a few special events here, and the open space has been ideal for hosting a party or launch event! On my most recent visit, the second floor was home to the featured exhibits. I loved the Amanda Ross Ho works, that play with scale. There were also some lovely Southwest inspired miniatures. I remember the third floor also once housing exhibits, but the last time here it was dark and locked. Unless you are here for a special event or party, your visit will probably only take you about a half hour. There isn't that much to see, but what is there is well curated and presented. It is worth a visit.

I have lived in Louisville for fourteen years and I did not have any idea this museum existed until we heard of the Picasso from Antibes to Louisville. We went to the exhibit and we were transported to Antibes through the eyes of Picasso. We enjoyed a variety of sketches, drawings, ceramics, photographs, and paintings of one of the greatest painters in history right here in Louisville. My favorite was the small painting of Paloma and her doll. We also enjoyed a documentary explaining the exhibit and this period in Picasso's creative life between 1931 and 1956. Don't miss this opportunity. The exhibit leaves Louisville on March 22. Any other day, you can purchase a unique gift at the museum's gift shop and you can even enjoy some coffee at the café. We were running out of time, so we did not enjoy the rest of the museum, but we will be watching for future exhibits.

Thoroughly enjoyed my visit to KMAC. Masako Miki's Shapeshifting exhibit featuring felted wool sculptures brings a whimsical element to organic shapes in an intimate installation that can be enjoyed on many levels. KMAC's gift shop is a great place to pick up gifts with an artistic flair.

Great art, great events, great staff. Couldn't recommend it more. Everyone is accommodating. Love how there're are many floors of art

KMAC is a fun, free contemporary art museum with a rotating collection of themed art. When we were there in July 2019 the theme was"In the Hot Seat," which featured fantastic but frustrating chairs of all types. Just remember, don't sit on the art chairs! The gift shop is well stocked with a variety of arty gifts for yourself and others. Because this place is free, it's easy to decide to walk in and see what's going on.

Love the KMAC museum. We popped in when the Frasier Museum, down the street was closed last week to see what local artistry was on display. It was pre-pandemic since we were there last and they now charge a fee to see the exhibits. But is is only $5 for seniors and $6 for others. So not bad. There is a huge gift shop on the first floor that you can explore and shop in without paying. The two upstairs floors contain revolving exhibits form primarily KY artists. Currently the displays focuses on collage. It just happened that I had just participated in a local library art Zoom class on collage so I was really interested in the exhibits. It was an interesting exhibit. Some pieces more engaging than other pieces but on the whole worth the price of admission. Since it is in downtown Louisville you will have to find a meter to park or a parking lot and pay. But the museum is fairly small so you can see the entire exhibit in about an hour so a couple of bucks in the meter will suffice. If nothing else just stop in and peruse the gift shop for some KY art for yourself or as a gift.

Spent part of a morning at the KMAC Museum and had a lovely time. I'm a bit late in writing this review and I think the exhibition has changed, but when we visited, the main exhibition was "In the Hot Seat," which was a display of dozens of different chairs. KMAC Museum also places an emphasis on being child- and family-friendly--there is a room where children can do an art project that relates to the main exhibit, and there was a small exhibit in honor of Girls Rock Louisville. The gift shop was a pleasant surprise, with a wide range of items for yourself or to buy for a friend, many of which you probably won't see elsewhere in Louisville.

Really cool little museum with very well curated exhibitions. The gift shop is great too.

I was stunned the other day to learn a handful of co-workers - locals and natives - had never heard of KMAC, let alone visited. This museum is not ever likely to boast the foot traffic of the Slugger Museum or the deeper pockets of the Speed, but it's a real gem and quickly became one of my favorites when I moved here. One thing that makes it particularly special is that its historical focus, American folk art, makes it especially regionally relevant. The recent renovation has definitely improved its gallery spaces, but it's also reportedly coming alongside a nuanced change in focus. They will still carry exceptional folk art, but tilting more toward the contemporary and the conceptual. I really hope it's a balance they can pull off, showcasing regionally relevant art that is also on the cutting edge in the contemporary art world. Either way, there's no excuse for why locals should know about the Speed, Slugger, and Frazier and not be aware of the effort being made here.

Very cool. Small - took maybe 20 minutes to walk through. However I really liked the art in here. The gift shop had some quirky items too which make good gifts. I definitely recommend a stop in here as you are walking around. At only $6 the size and price felt just right.

New to the area, loved discovering the KMAC through a fun evening adult event. The first event I went to was learning how to screen print. I met fun couples at my table and even made some great connections. They have monthly events like this challenging your inner art lover from basics to advanced skills. KMAC also has fun events interspersed through the month like yoga in the galleries. Everyone was jealous all the fun things I was doing and it was heavily based at the KMAC! Their big fundraiser is a couture fashion show so amazing. They take all comers to try out for the runway show. Plus all the galleries are amazing! I've also bought great Christmas presents in their store.

Didn't know what to expect, but I enjoyed the Spin exhibit on album art. It was free and a cool way to spend an hour. Three floors of different types of art by some of Kentucky's finest artist.

The KMAC Museum is great! I have visited several times with friends as a spectator, I have attended a Yelp event here, and I have worked an event called the Bourbon Bash with Maker's Mark. All of these experiences have been great! I love quietly walking around with friends to admire the displays, but attending events in this space is awesome as well! They do remove most of the art for events, in order to protect it, but the space is still really cool and they leave up some of the larger displays. The space is fairly small when compared to some of our other local museums, like The Speed, but they have so many beautiful collections on display, usually at least four at a time, which means there's plenty for everyone to see. It's easy to spend quite some time browsing. They also have a lovely gift shop and a cafe, so you can grab a latte or a cupcake while you're in. I highly recommend going to check out KMAC Museum if you're looking to visit a museum, visiting Louisville, or if you're local and just looking for something to do on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.

I've always been surprised about how much is packed into this great museum. Exhibition space + Makerspace + a giftshop that rivals almost any other giftshop in town = museum awesomeness! On the first floor you can find the start of the current exhibition -- in this case, the Second Life exhibition, which oddly enough features taxidermy and other uses of the vestiges of animals. Who knew that taxidermy could be art, but this carefully curated exhibition just shows that there can be a creative life after ... well ... life. I was particularly draw to the art made with insect bodies. My initial reaction was -- I hate to say it -- to be grossed out, but I couldn't take my eyes off of it. Really, it made me take a moment to appreciate what was in front of me, the craftsmanship and the intent behind it, which is really what you want out of a piece of art. The exhibition continues onto the second floor, which also feature windows that look down onto Main Street -- probably the best, or at least most iconic, street in the 'Ville. You can also continue onto the third floor, which at the moment features fashion from the KMAC Couture show from earlier this year. Each of these pieces are a work of art in themselves, and the KMAC Couture show, which involved a big tent blocking off Main Street, showed that KMAC can definitely play in the league with art museums in larger cities. KMAC also includes the Makerspace in the back of the first floor. This area is mostly for kids, but I've seen them use this for adults as well. And as a DIYer, I applaud any effort that transitions people from art appreciators to art creators. And the gift shop: Even if you don't have time to look through the museum, block out some time to check out the gift shop. I love that there is a definite focus on local products, such as prints, jewelry and home items, but at the same time, there are definitely pieces of art in this gift shop. There were a couple taxidermied pieces that could have easily been included in the Second Life exhibition but were for sale -- for a pretty penny, mind you, but that's what you would expect with a piece of art of this caliber. KMAC is much more than what you would think of an art museum. It's much more than paintings or photographs framed on the wall. This is a place where you can see art that goes beyond that, that isn't exactly what is expected. And at $8 for general admission, the cost to see these great works can't really be beat.

This place is perfect addition to a day in Louisville. We stopped for about 90 min to browse art and relax. We had a coffee, looked around the shop, and leisurely walked through the exhibit. This is a really chill spot to relax and unwind. Plenty of chairs, really sweet, polite staff, and a sunny window. The art is curated with the non-artist in mind, easily appreciated and catchy layouts. Definitely stop by if you're touring Louisville.

The quality of he exhibits was outstanding! I really enjoyed the Shapeshifting exhibit because it reminded me of the felt art my grandchildren used to make. I thought the Pastiche of Good Intentions and Other Parties was eye catching and beautiful. Highly recommend!

I have a hard time giving a free place less than four stars but this place is entirely hit or miss, it depends on what they have there. I would suggest this to anyone having a day where they wanted to do something cool but also not spend money. The coolest thing was the other day when they had student art from the general area of Louisville and the Hoosierlandia bits that are close to our fair city. It's the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, not the Hoosierlandia one but if it were me I'd want to be associated with Kentucky rather than Hoosierlandia. I would like to see more art AND CRAFT associated with Kentucky because we have a rich and diverse artist and folk craft community that could fill Main Street from stem to stern with their work. This place used to cost money and didn't have a whole lot, I am glad it is free now but would pay to see some of the work.

This is a great little museum. It has rotating exhibitions that change periodically. There was a great display of ceramics (ran from 12/14/18 thru 4/7/19) while we were visiting. You should allow at least an hour when visiting the KMAC Museum.

KMAC is a fine place but devoid of new ideas. All the curator does is copycat other Museums. The Whitney Biennial is a world-class event, so KMAC does a Biennial. KMAC stole the Fashion Couture idea from the Met in New York. Really, people of Louisville? Can you not come up with one original idea? Try a new curator for a change.

KMAC is worth a stop if you are downtown on Museum Row. It's free, and it's not sprawling so it's easy to make your visit as short or long as you'd like. Previously, the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft had a decided folk art bend, and you'll still see that in some of the permanent collection. However, they have re-branded as an art museum that focus specifically on interesting materials and processes. It broadens the scope and makes for some pretty interesting variety. I don't always love every exhibit, but I do think they are thoughtfully put together and so I go back every so often just to see what's new.

Another special museum on Museum Row. KMAC showcases the best arts & crafts of our Commonwealth and beyond. Current exhibits, KMAC Couture and The Mending Project, make you think about clothing and textiles from a different perspective. Terrific programs for the kiddos and adults.

Its a nice little museum, it is small. They don't charge admission which is great, however there really aren't very many exhibits. The second floor consisted of just 2 video projects. They have a nice little cafe and gift shop on the first floor. I hear that they host events and such which would probably be more exciting than just the limited exhibits

I been living in Kentucky for 19 years now and never been to this museum and I went there today and it was pretty small and it was $6 for entry . They just had two floors with furniture and a bed made. I suggest you go to the science center right next to this museum. This museum kinda sucked

Awesome place on Main Street in downtown Louisville to visit that many may not know about. KMAC has expanded to three floors with a wide variety of artwork from KentuckianaWorks! If you get the chance, you need to stop by!

Hugely disappointed! This seems more like the pet project of some rich dude (or his child's). The whole big 'show' when we were there was On the Hot Seat, or something like that... You guessed it: differing chairs in a variety of displays. They want artists who 'think about the process...' **rolling eyes** Uggghhhh, so bourgie (bourgeoisie)! What separates this 'museum' from the other half-dozen other 'contemporary' ones we saw in downtown Louisville? The 'C' stands for crafts; of which there were none. I thought Kentucky was rich in tradition, culture (music, art, etc.) and crafts. Why not showcase THAT? They seemed WAY more interested in pushing events (I think I saw 2 in the short time I was there, 3-4 days), their 'cafe' and store (over-priced & not very interesting items). Sorry, y'all...

A gem in Louisville. Thoughtful curation of Kentucky craft artists. Welcoming, accessible and free!

Used to be a wonderful museum with incredible crafts. I'm not opposed to modern art, but the stuff they've featured the past few years leaves me incredibly unimpressed. It's gone from being a "must see" for my visitors to a place we never go.

I stopped in here last night for martinis and mistletoe. They had some yummy holiday martinis and some cookies and nuts laid out for snacks. They had a great selection of hand made gifts from different artist. They had a good exhibit on the 3rd floor.

Nice space in the middle of Main Street. I decided to take a middle schooler here over the weekend to look at some award winning student art. The museum is free...so even if you step in and look at one exhibit, it's worth your time. They have 3 floors that generally always have art on all levels. The student art that we were there to check out took up an entire floor and was nicely set up. I always enjoy walking around a museum and viewing art. Mostly contemporary stuff, though I have seen different things over the years here. The staff working the front desk were super friendly. They even gave my little guy a free pencil and button to help remember his visit. The gift shop is very small but has some sweet little treasures, especially if you like pretty jewelry, accessories, and art books. I wish they had some post cards or other low price point items for souvenir type purchases when you have a kid with you. Maybe even some poster prints of various art that has passed through the museum. My middle schooler did not really see anything that was very relevant to him. They also have a small selection of snacks and such in case you need a little bite before or after you check out the art. So thankful that we have a nice little art museum in downtown Louisville that boasts local/statewide art. I am already looking forward to swinging back in to look at a new exhibit once it goes up.

KMAC is a brilliant light on louisville's culture map. Its mission of connecting people to art and creative practice is evident in everything it does - from events to programming. A beautiful contemporary art museum that has successfully evolved from it's roots in kentucky art and craft to a contemporary museum that brings together regional, national and international artists to ignite conversation, debate and delight.

My 15 year daughter and I went to the Picasso event. We had the best time together! The event was wonderful and the staff were very friendly. We are so thankful to have these events locally that bring such wonderful art. We will definitely be going back. You need to check out this event and the museum. Definitely worth the trip.

Small Museum With Interesting Exhibits Loved that this museum was free and that the docents/staff were so nice. I've been in museums where this is not always the case. The museum consists of three levels, although I accidentally took the elevator up to the fourth level which is staff offices. The most memorable exhibit that I viewed was related to textiles and art created with fabric and on fabric. The museum has a well-curated gift shop and the things I really wanted were above my price point, but I still loved looking at them. Definitely would suggest you stop in.

This was a free exhibit! Had beautiful variety of art work from artist out of Chicago and display of local talent(which had some exquisite pieces) not only does this have the gallery, it has a gift shop, snack bar, and offers many different crafting projects for families. There were families with a wide variety in ages participating in activities. Very nice place to enrich families with art!

My first time inside the KMAC was for the Feb 6, 2015 "Louisville Punk Flyers: 1978-1994" exhibit (goes on til April 5, 2015), which was a fantastic introduction to this amply sized facility. Do NOT miss this show, it's pretty amazing in its own right.

This place is amazing! I love the workshops they have to offer and the amazing art exhibits they display. There is always something fun to do at this museum wish I could go to more workshops, but time is not of the essence with my life. The parking was pretty easy with meters right out front and parking lots and sometimes free parking nearby. Love this Museum and its art and craft if had to offer Louisville!

They just re-opened on July 1st 2016 and is free for the 1st year after that. The displays are good but the museum is kind of tiny. Took me about 15 minutes to go through everything. They now have a family fun section which my 2 year daughter loved. Worth to check out if you are nearby.

KMAC is cool! I could say they have great workshops. I could say they have great exhibits. If I did, I'd be speking the truth. I don't need to, because "KMAC is cool" says enough. Go find out for yourself.