History and Progress

The Tacoma Art Museum is descended from the Tacoma Art League which was founded in 1891. It was incorporated as the Tacoma Art Society in the 1930s and took its present name in 1964. In 1996, the museum celebrated its 25th year in its present location in downtown Tacoma. In June 1997, the Tacoma Art Museum launched a campaign for a new 50,000 square-foot facility for the city of Tacoma which is planned to be next to the historic Union Station and across from the new University of Washington Tacoma campus. The new facility is slated to open in 2003. For current exhibitions and programs you are invited to visit the museum's exhibition web site.