Mission Statement

KMAC Contemporary Art Museum ("KMAC") is Louisville's premier contemporary art museum in downtown Louisville on Museum Row. Through exhibitions, education, and outreach, KMAC works to connect people to art and creative practice. 

Vision Statement

KMAC inspires transformative connections between artists, art, and the public through education, exhibitions, programming, and conversation.

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KMAC Values

The museum acts as a creative influence in the community, drawing people together to experience its arts leadership, exhibitions, education,  and permanent collection.

KMAC’s core values are:

 

• Accessibility to art through transformative experiences for everyone that spark curiosity, inspire meaningful connections, and foster a deep sense of inclusion, belonging, and purpose.

• Learning at the personal and institutional level, for KMAC staff and visitors alike.

• Responsibility through thoughtful stewardship of the museum, collection, and financial resources for the public good.

• Respect for the creative process and the arts.

• Relevance through connection and response to the local and global community.

 

KMAC was founded in 1981 by former Kentucky first lady Phyllis George as the Kentucky Art and Craft Foundation as a way to build interest in the state’s rich craft heritage.  This interest lead the Foundation to create a unique and wide-ranging collection of American Folk Art from around the region. 

 

In 2001, the organization became the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, and  relocated to a four-story cast iron structure located in downtown Louisville's West Main Street Historic District.  Three galleries on the museum's first, second and third floors provide 27,000 square feet for large-scale exhibitions.

 

In 2016, the museum was renovated and rebranded as "KMAC Museum",  to create a space that better serves the public and fosters creative thinking and exploration, while continuing to contextualize contemporary Kentucky artists alongside their national and international peers. In 2018, KMAC was successful in achieving national accreditation through the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), making KMAC one of only three AAM-accredited art museums in Kentucky,  In 2023, KMAC enhanced its brand to better identify itself and mission  as KMAC Contemporary Art Museum, or KMAC. The museum continues to showcase the work of regional, national and international contemporary artists. 

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Please email accounts@kmacmuseum.org for financial information not provided above.