Tacoma Art Museum

Tacoma Art Museum was founded by a group of volunteers in 1935 and has since grown to become a national model for regional, mid-sized museums. The museum is dedicated to exhibiting and collecting Northwest art, with the mission of connecting people through art. The museum’s permanent collection includes the premier collection of Dale Chihuly’s glass artwork on permanent public display.

Tacoma Art Museum opened its current facility on May 3, 2003, when it moved from a former bank building that was built in 1920. Nearly twice the size of its previous building, Tacoma Art Museum’s new $22-million Antoine Predock-designed structure provides the space to exhibit more of the permanent collection. In designing the building, Predock drew inspiration from the region’s light, its relationship to the water, the neighborhood’s industrial history and character, Mount Rainier, the Thea Foss Waterway, and the surrounding structures in what is now known as the Museum District.

Tacoma Art Museum serves the diverse communities of the Northwest through its collection, exhibitions, and learning programs, emphasizing art and artists from the Northwest. Our vision is to be a national model for regional museums by creating a dynamic museum that engages, inspires, and builds community through art.

Exhibitions and events

Chihuly: Gifts from the Artist

Permanent exhibition

In celebration of world-renowned glass artist and Tacoma-native Dale Chihuly, we have given our extensive permanent collection of Chihuly glass a gallery of its own. Tacoma Art Museum was the first...