Mission
FOUNDED IN 1917, THE SEATTLE ART MUSEUM (SAM) CONNECTS ART TO LIFE. AS THE LEADING VISUAL ART INSTITUTION IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST, SAM DRAWS ON ITS GLOBAL COLLECTIONS, POWERFUL SPECIAL EXHIBITIONS, NUMEROUS INSTALLATIONS, AND DYNAMIC PROGRAMS TO FULFILL ITS IMPORTANT ROLE AS A CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE BENEFITTING THE SEATTLE REGION, THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST, AND BEYOND. FROM A STRONG FOUNDATION OF ASIAN ART TO NOTEWORTHY COLLECTIONS OF AFRICAN AND OCEANIC ART, NORTHWEST COAST NATIVE AMERICAN ART, EUROPEAN AND AMERICAN ART, AND MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART, THE STRENGTH OF SAM'S COLLECTION OF APPROXIMATELY 25,000 OBJECTS LIES IN ITS DIVERSITY OF MEDIA, CULTURES, AND TIME PERIODS. WITH THREE LOCATIONS (SEATTLE ART MUSEUM, OLYMPIC SCULPTURE PARK, SEATTLE ASIAN ART MUSEUM), SAM HARNESSES THE POWER OF ART TO ENRICH LIVES AND ENGAGE DIVERSE COMMUNITIES, INCLUDING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF VISITORS, AS WELL AS THOUSANDS OF SEATTLE-AREA STUDENTS.