HISTORY
Through its exhibitions, education, and outreach programs, the Santa Monica Museum of Art fosters diversity, innovation, and discovery in contemporary art-local, national, and international.
MISSION
The Santa Monica Museum of Art was founded in 1985 by Abby Sher. Museum programming began when Thomas Rhoads took over as Executive Director in 1988. A decade later, SMMoA moved from its original location on Main Street to Bergamot Station, Southern California's largest art gallery and cultural complex. SMMoA devotes its exhibition spaces-the main gallery and two project rooms-to presenting and advancing the work of contemporary local, national, and international artists whose work merits sustained inquiry and recognition.
Unique to the Westside of Los Angeles, Santa Monica Museum of Art is a risk-taking, noncollecting museum, whose exhibitions and programs reveal the vibrant, untold stories and pivotal moments in the history of contemporary art and culture. SMMoA supports the art of our time through exhibitions and related programs that embrace diverse aesthetic, cultural, and ideological perspectives. Our exhibitions and programs present innovative work by emerging and established artists; initiate and maintain artistic partnerships and collaborations; connect the visual arts to other systems of information and knowledge; and provide an opportunity for audiences to experience, understand, and enjoy contemporary visual culture.
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