Columbus Museum of Art

The Columbus Museum of Art's mission is "Through our distinguished collection and programming, we foster creativity, broaden perspectives, and make space for inspiration and renewal, sparking dialogue, energizing communities, and providing transformative encounters with art." 

Columbus Museum of Art was founded in 1878 as the Columbus Gallery of Fine Arts by a visionary group of civic leaders who sought to bring touring exhibitions to the city and establish a lasting public art collection. It was the first art museum in Ohio to receive a charter from the state.

The museum’s original home, a Victorian mansion on East Broad Street, was generously provided by art patron Francis Sessions. As the collection expanded, so did the need for space. With strong community support and philanthropic investment, a new Italian Renaissance Revival building was constructed on the same site and opened to the public in 1931—providing a permanent, inspiring home for the growing collection.

CMA’s collection includes outstanding late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century American and European modern works of art, grounded in the Ferdinand Howald and the Howard D. and Babette L. Sirak Collections. The museum houses the world’s largest collections of works by beloved Columbus-connected artists Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson, Elijah Pierce, and George Bellows and acclaimed collections such as The Photo League and the Philip J. and Suzanne Schiller Collection of American Social Commentary Art. The recently established Scantland Collection of the Columbus Museum of Art also continues CMA’s dedication to showcasing the art of our time.

In 2018, the museum received a landmark gift from the Pizzuti family: a building at 632 Park Street and a selection of contemporary works from their collection. Located in Columbus’ Short North Arts District, the site—now known as the Columbus Museum of Art at The Pizzuti—is a vital extension of the museum’s desire to create great experiences with great art for everyone. Originally established by Ron and Ann Pizzuti, this dynamic space now hosts exhibitions, performances, and artist-driven projects that advance the museum’s engagement with global contemporary art and deepen its presence across the city.