On May 9, 1926, Harriet “Hattie” High donated her home to the Atlanta Art Association as a museum and art school to be named in memory of her husband, Joseph Madison High. The High Museum and School of Art, renovated to house a gallery space and art classrooms, opened to the public on October 18, 1926. At the donation ceremony, Mrs. High said, “I saw the need of an art museum in Atlanta, and I recognized the great desire of the city’s art lovers for such an institution. In making the gift, I felt I was merely doing my part for Atlanta. It is a greater favor to me, to be permitted to make this gift, than it could be to the city of Atlanta to receive it.” Mrs. High supported the museum until her passing in 1932 her life. Her house remained the primary museum building until 1949, when two other homes were added to the campus. In 1955, a new brick building was constructed. The original High house was demolished in 1963 to make way for the Memorial Arts Center (now the Woodruff Arts Center). The museum later experienced two important expansions: the Richard Meier–designed building (now the Stent Family Wing) in 1983 and the Renzo Piano–designed extension in 2005. In 2026, the High celebrated one hundred years as Atlanta’s art museum, continuing Mrs. High’s commitment to the city.