In 2019, CU Art Museum staff developed a strategic plan for the academic years 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23. 

Mission

The University of Colorado Art Museum provides a forum for exchanging ideas, inspiring collaboration and fueling imagination through art. The museum’s growing collection and diverse exhibitions and public programs promote, inspire and generate interdisciplinary scholarship and cultural expression. CU Art Museum mobilizes our strengths to support and enrich the academic and social missions of CU Boulder and to serve our communities in Boulder, statewide and beyond. 

Patrons enjoying an art installation.

Vision

  • Our research vision: The CU Art Museum creates scholarship, exhibitions and programming by identifying and leveraging collection strengths and the research and creative work of faculty, students and staff at CU Boulder.
  • Our education vision: The CU Art Museum fosters an interdisciplinary, student-centered approach to learning through our collections, exhibitions and educational programming. The museum inspires cultural awareness, diversity, inclusiveness and a spirit of entrepreneurship, creating lifelong cultural advocates.
  • Our community vision: The CU Art Museum is a key partner and cultural resource for our community, reinforcing the social fabric of CU Boulder and the greater Boulder area.

Value proposition

CU Art Museum is the only museum in the Boulder area and in the University of Colorado system that collects and preserves artworks from across time and culture. We enable learning opportunities for self-discovery and encourage critical thinking around complex cultural issues. 

Core values

The CU Art Museum personnel demonstrate the following core values:

  • Excellence: We uphold best practices and model professionalism in the museum field.     
  • Inclusiveness: We represent and engage multiple voices and perspectives in service to our mission.
  • Accessibility: We embrace broad definitions of accessibility with the goal of being welcoming and collaborative.

Core competencies

  • Our personnel are experts in their fields and are committed to academic and professional excellence.
  • We inspire research and teaching by providing direct encounters with artworks.
  • Our agility enables us to engage purposefully with our academic and broader communities in mission-driven partnerships.