The AKRON ART MUSEUM opened in February 1922 as the Akron Art Institute in the basement of the public library. The Institute offered classes and housed a small collection, mostly donations, including fine art and archaeological items. In 1937, through the generosity of an unnamed donor, the Institute purchased a historic mansion at 135 Fir Hill as the organization's first permanent home. After a fire destroyed the building and much of the collection, the Institute relocated to 140 East Market Street, now home to the Summit Artspace, in 1945. Five years later, the Institute returned to its original location at the newly remodeled Carnegie Library, this time occupying the entire building.
In the mid-1960s, the Institute shifted its focus to exhibiting and collecting art from 1850 to present. The Akron Art Institute changed its name to the Akron Art Museum in 1980 and the following year they moved to the 1899 Post Office building, another renovated historic downtown structure. The museum more than tripled in size after the John S. and James L. Knight Building, designed by Viennese architectural firm Coop Himmelb(l)au, opened in 2007 adjoining the old 1899 Post Office Building.
Today, the Museum houses a collection of regional, national, and international art with a strong focus on contemporary painting, sculpture, and photography. Each year, special exhibitions celebrate artists in various media, including painting, sculpture, glass, photography, design, and video.