About Us

Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art WSU

Vision

We are actively engaged and connected with students, faculty, staff and the larger community by using innovative, creative and intellectually stimulating exhibitions, programs and events. The museum intentionally fosters an environment that demonstrates the transformational power of the arts across academic units, the local community, K-12, state and the nation.

Mission

The museum serves as the intellectual center for the visual arts, combining academic needs with community connections, to enliven, educate and transform the lives of WSU students, faculty and staff, while offering enriching encounters of regional and national artists to the Inland NW.

Our Story

Situated amongst the rolling hills of southeastern Washington known as the Palouse, the museum is integrated into the cultural fabric of Washington State University Pullman, a beautiful, state-of-the-art campus with more than 200 undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs.

The museum has a nearly 50-year record of outstanding art exhibitions, supporting a wide range of educational programs, and sharing a substantial collection of works of art with students and visitors. In 2018 through the generosity of Jordan Schnitzer and many other donors, the museum inaugurated a majestic new purpose-built facility at the very heart of the WSU Pullman campus. Designed by architect Jim Olson, the ‘crimson cube’ is now known as the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art (JSMA) at Washington State University.

The continuing purpose of the JSMA is to bring the visual arts to students, faculty, and staff of WSU, to the local community, eastern Washington, and the nation. As a major art museum between Seattle and Missoula, the JSMA is a vital point of art access across the Pacific Northwest. Our core audience is WSU students—for many of them, we are the first art museum they have ever visited. The WSU Schnitzer museum is free for all visitors, through the support of members and donors.

Learn more about the Jordan Schnitzer Family Foundation and our new facility.

Affiliations

WSU / We are an independent department of Washington State University, under the auspices of the Office of the Provost.

AAM / AAMG / The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art WSU holds membership in the American Association of Museums (AAM), North American Reciprocal Museum (NARM) Association, and the Association of Academic Museums and Galleries (AAMG).