Cleveland Museum of Art

▪ museum, Ohio, United States

      in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S., major American museum that houses one of the country's finest art collections. The museum's more than 34,000 art objects represent virtually all major cultures and periods. It holds items from ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, and Rome; early and contemporary America; Europe, East Asia and the Middle East, India, and Africa, as well as pre-Columbian Mexico and Central America. It was incorporated in 1913 and opened in 1916. Part of the Guelph Treasure, sacred objects from medieval Brunswick, Ger., was added to the museum's holdings in 1931. An addition to the building was opened in 1958, and an education wing with auditorium and lecture halls was opened in 1971. A small library addition was built in 1983. The museum underwent a major renovation and expansion beginning in 1999; a gallery of early Christian and Byzantine art opened in 2000.

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