Portland Museum of Art Announces $85 Million Campus Unification Project And New Vision For Museums, Backed By Community And Collection
The Portland Museum of Art believes museums need a paradigm shift that delivers on the promise of Art for All, and has announced an ambitious new vision that enables the PMA to be a leader in New England, a keystone for its communities, and a catalyst for the region's economy.
The Portland Museum of Art is about to fundamentally change Maine. In a region traditionally renowned for its natural beauty and cuisine, the PMA has a new vision defined by arts, culture, equity, and sustainability. To get there will require innovative thinking that goes “beyond the brick,” and into the very nature of what a museum can be.
We believe the museum can transcend convention and redefine the quintessential Maine experience. We understand that the PMA, through investment in art and the facilities that bring that art to the public, can initiate a transformative new chapter for our region, one defined by growth and prosperity. And we know the time is now to embark on this profound and permanent shift forward.
The PMA’s success is now our biggest challenge.
“It’s time to envision the next great era in PMA history, one sparked through new, world-famous collections and an architecturally innovative and unified campus that serves as an epicenter for conversation, connection, and community.”
In the last two years, our audiences have made it clear that they have big expectations, and we do too. We’ve sustained double-digit increases in attendance for the last half decade, reaching a record high in 2019 with nearly 177,000 visitors. As we look to the future, it’s easy to see how the constraints of our campus will soon hinder our goals and our communities’ needs.
We’re committed to connecting the art and ideas inside our walls with the world ad people outside of them, and our vision for the museum will demonstrate that the PMA is a different kind of arts institution: one that platforms its communities, promotes its region, and elevates our shared future.
It’s Time.
At every step along our 140-year history, the PMA has been supported, guided, and sustained by our visionary partners who understand art’s unique capacity to connect, inspire, and transform.