Over 1,800 members, friends, businesses, and community members contributed to the record-breaking $5.3 million raised.

Right in the middle of COVID season 2020, MAM completed its comprehensive philanthropic campaign. 40 Forward: Creative Vision, Bold Future surpassed its $5 million goal in the largest fundraising initiative since the expansion and remodel of the museum in 2006.

Private donations accounted for more than 93 percent of the funds raised, with more than 80 percent of those gifts coming from individuals and businesses, a testament to the value that our community places on contemporary art in Missoula.

Over the span of the campaign, many demonstrated their support of MAM — from long-time supporters to new donors, from board members to docents, and from artists to the foundations and businesses that value their work as the visual story-tellers of our time. These gifts helped create new space and new distinction for MAM’s work, with a new outdoor sculpture park, cutting-edge partnerships and programming, especially in the area of Contemporary American Indian Art, an expanded collection, and a growing endowment that ensures MAM’s legacy of providing its signature educational programs and exhibitions for years to come. Today MAM is a local contemporary art museum with a national reputation for innovative programs and exhibitions.

To all of you, we say thank you.

Together, we have built a strong base in support our creative vision. And from this, we will continue to craft our bold future as move forward. 

• Our vision of an outdoor sculpture park now ensures the future of dynamic 3-D exhibition programming every year in downtown Missoula.
• Our vision of a collaborative program for growing collection, research, and art scholarship started under the 40 Forward Campaign heralds the future possibility of creating a space for this at MAM.
• Our vision of a dedicated educational program for students and young artists will continue to secure the future of this program in perpetuity with the Art Associates Education Fund within MAM’s endowment.
• Our vision of producing challenging exhibitions and programs will continue to garner national distinction and future funding partnerships and collaborations in support of world-class art programming.

Creative Vision | Bold Future

The Missoula Art Museum provides a unique space that brings together audiences, artists, and communities to explore, inspire, and celebrate the art of our time.

In 2014, the Missoula Art Museum was at a defining moment in its history. After celebrating 40 years, the museum was poised to take a longer-term strategy in all areas of institutional development: to leverage the power of art and creativity to serve our community and create an extraordinary cultural destination in the heart of downtown. Our creative vision for a bold future holds that art, innovation, and economic development are interconnected and vital to the health and well-being of our community. And our Missoula demands that continuously shape our efforts to improve our reach and impact.

With this in mind, we aim to innovate, connect, create cultural space, and ultimately emerge as the leading contemporary art museum in the Intermountain West. It is a bold future and a transformational opportunity with a profound impact on our community. But bold is not a goal; it is a byproduct of collective effort. MAM is governed by a board of directors and led by an enthusiastic team of committed professionals who are determined to make this vision a reality. Thanks to donors of all sizes we reached our goal of $5.3 million!