MISSOULA — The Montana Museum of Art and Culture opened its doors to the public Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023, after starting construction in March of 2022 on the University of Montana campus.
The permanent collection of art held by the museum is the largest public collection in the state, dating back to 1895 when UM’s then-president Oscar J. Craig gathered about 300 pieces from the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. Now, the collection includes around 11,000 pieces of art.
For decades, much of the art was locked away in a university vault, stacked to the ceiling, and little was cataloged. MMAC director Rafael Chacón organized a group of volunteers to document each piece as it headed to the new museum. He says the opening day of the museum is just the beginning.
“I’m ecstatic,” Chacón said. “I can’t tell you how thrilling it is. We still have a lot of work to do here. The work is just now beginning because we are in our new home. It’s like whenever you move into a new home.”
The $14 million building was entirely privately funded, the majority coming from a $12.5 million donation from Patt and Terry Payne. In total, around $15 million was raised to build and run the museum. Because of this, there is no entry fee.
Visitors to the museum can see original works by household names like Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, Rembrandt, and Andy Warhol. Also featured alongside these works are pieces from local artists, like painter Fra Dana.
Eporu Towero, a sophomore art student at UM, said the pieces need to be seen in person to be appreciated.
“I was telling a friend that I would take photos,” Towero said. “I think I will tell them to come check it out instead of sending the photos.”
Missoula-based artist Courtney Blazon attended the opening event and said she was impressed at how many local artists were featured.
“I know that this collection has been in storage and not seen for a really long time, so it's really cool to see it out,” Blazon said. “I also love seeing artists I know next to Rembrandts and things like that. It's so awesome."
MMAC is an affiliate of UM’s College of Arts and Media and is a teaching museum. The new facility’s design includes classrooms for students to study masterworks closer than before. Paul Lewing, a UM art department alumni, said he’s excited about the quality of education new students will receive.
“I would have loved to have this when I was here,” Lewing said. “For nothing else but to just go in there like wanna go copy a Rembrandt drawing? They got one. Want to go copy a Donatello? They got one."
Chacón says they plan to begin tours of the museum next week. The opening hours are 12-6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
