Mission

The University of Michigan Museum of Art seeks to transform individual and civic life by promoting the discovery, contemplation, and enjoyment of the art of our world. One of the finest university art museums in the country, UMMA holds collections representing 150 years of art collecting. A dynamic schedule of special exhibitions and interpretative programs connects visitors with the rich artistic legacy of the past and today’s avant-garde.

One of the Museum of Art’s most important roles is its contribution to the academic mission of the University of Michigan. From the research and study uses of the extraordinary works of art in our collections, to the teaching implications of all of our temporary exhibitions, the Museum plays an increasingly central role in the academic life of the University, even as it connects to broad regional and national community audiences.

History

The University of Michigan’s art collection is among the oldest in the nation in university hands. In 1856, years before the great civic art museums in Detroit, Toledo, or Chicago were founded, UM students and the general public had free access to an art gallery on campus.

The art collection found a permanent home in Alumni Memorial Hall upon its completion in 1910. Built to serve several purposes—war memorial to the UM students and faculty who served in nineteenth century wars, alumni association headquarters, lecture halls and meeting rooms—the building was also designed to showcase and provide storage for art, thanks in large measure to UM President James Burrill Angell, a tireless advocate for the museum throughout his tenure (1871–1909).

Throughout the twentieth century, the collections grew via gifts and judicious purchases, and at several key junctures, plans were made to find larger quarters In the late 1990s, with room to display only a small fraction of its holdings (and straining to accommodate its increasingly ambitious roster of arts programming) plans to expand and renovate Alumni Memorial Hall began in earnest.