Since the mid-1950s, the Art Museum has built a collection of exceptional works that explore and celebrate the art and culture of its region within the larger narrative of American art. The Art Museum actively collects nineteenth and early twentieth-century American art, modern and contemporary art, as well as design and decorative arts with a strong emphasis on the southern Appalachians. The collection also includes several smaller areas including European art, and ancient Mediterranean art and has significant international works in modern and contemporary art and design.