FORT WORTH, TX.- The Omni Fort Worth Hotel and the internationally acclaimed Kimbell Art Museum have finalized a partnership that will give the Kimbell Art Museum Shop a second home at the new luxury hotel, opening in downtown in January 2009. The new Kimbell Art Museum Shop will feature art quality books, jewelry, decorative items and gifts, as well as the comprehensive Kimbell Handbook, which showcases more than 260 works of art and the museum’s exhibition catalogs.

“Omni Hotels and the Kimbell Art Museum both seek to provide an exceptional, memorable experience for locals and visitors in Fort Worth,” said Ed Netzhammer, regional vice president of operations and general manager of the Omni Fort Worth Hotel. “We are excited to collaborate closely with an organization of the caliber of the Kimbell in order to further serve as the “living room of Fort Worth” and be an essential downtown springboard to our city’s spectacular cultural venues.”

The Omni Fort Worth Hotel and the Kimbell team are closely working together to design the layout of the Kimbell Art Museum Shop. The store, which will be located on the ground level of the hotel, will be jointly run by the Omni and Kimbell organizations. In addition to the Kimbell’s merchandise, Omni will offer other memorabilia, accessories and items that reflect the city’s unique culture.

Malcolm Warner, Kimbell Art Museum acting director, commented, “With Fort Worth tourism on the rise, the introduction of the new Omni Hotel is a great asset to our community. The new store will be the Kimbell's ambassador to downtown, encouraging visitors to come to the Cultural District and see the museum itself. That's why it will be a vital presence for us. We are delighted to be involved in this partnership with the Omni Fort Worth Hotel.”

The Omni Fort Hotel and the luxury residences which sit on top of the hotel, 1301 Throckmorton, continue to reach into the Fort Worth skyline. The 1301 Throckmorton Omni Residences construction began this past May and the building is expected to be topped this September.