VISION
A Model for the Nation
To create a dynamic museum—a cultural center that engages, inspires and builds community through art.

MISSION
Connecting People through Art
Tacoma Art Museum serves the diverse communities of the Northwest through its collection, exhibitions and learning programs, emphasizing art and artists from the Northwest.

Description:
The Tacoma Art Museum's exhibition schedule and innovative educational programs attract thousands of visitors annually to its galleries and events. The Museum's vision stresses the significant role taken in the overall cultural life of the entire region, having served Puget Sound citizens for nearly seventy years. Tacoma Art Museum has developed a reputation for presenting 20th and 21st century art in a thought-provoking yet accessible manner. Tacoma Art Museum has also made a strong commitment to Northwest art through its acquisition and exhibition programs.

History:
At the end of the 1800s, Tacoma community members began a grassroots movement to increase the number of cultural activities in the area, share the experience of art with others and promote regional artists. It was this commitment to the cultural growth of Tacoma that resulted in the creation of the Tacoma Art Museum.
Descended from the Tacoma Art Association, founded in 1935, Tacoma Art Museum is one of the oldest art museums in Washington State. Tacoma Art Association merged in 1946 with the Art Guild of Tacoma to form the Tacoma Art League. In 1963 the League changed its name to the Tacoma Art Museum and in 1971 the Museum moved into a four-story bank building donated by Tacoma Art Museum founders L.T. and Helen Bailey Murray.
The Tacoma Art Museum embarked on a $27 million capital campaign in 1997 to double the size of its current facility and relocate in the arts/education district in Tacoma. Internationally known architect Antoine Predock designed the new facility which opened May 3, 2003 and is located in the Culture & Education District of Tacoma.

Contact person: Jana Wennstrom, Volunteer Manager, (phone), (email)
Office fax number: (253) 627-1898

Address:

1701 Pacific Avenue Tacoma, WA 98402 (See a map)