The Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth presents "Lives of the Gods: Divinity in Maya Art," co-organized with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, marking the first major Maya exhibition in the U.S. in a decade. Featuring 95 works, the show includes 50 objects never before seen in the U.S. and 17 recent archaeological discoveries, with contributions from 23 lenders including the Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología in Guatemala and the INAH – Museo Nacional de Antropología in Mexico City. The exhibition is organized thematically around Creations, Day, Night, Rain, Maize, Knowledge, and Patron Gods, and highlights recent scholarship in Maya glyph decipherment, archaeology, and art interpretation.
This exhibition matters because it reflects the transformative discoveries in Maya studies over the past fifty years, offering an updated understanding of Maya divinity and culture through the lens of the latest research. It also reaffirms the Kimbell's long-standing commitment to Maya art, following its landmark 1986 exhibition "The Blood of Kings" and the 2010–11 "Fiery Pool" show. By presenting newly unearthed works and attributing pieces to named Maya sculptors, the exhibition deepens public and scholarly engagement with one of the ancient world's most sophisticated artistic traditions.