Mission & Values

We acknowledge that we are on Indigenous land

Land Acknowledgement

The Missoula and Bitterroot Valleys are the original homelands of the Séliš (Salish) and Qlispe (Pend d’Oreille/Kalispel) people who inhabited this land since time immemorial. This area was also frequented by other tribes including the Ksanka (Kootenai), Niitsitapi (Blackfeet), Newe (Shoshone), Apsáalooke (Crow), and Ka’I gwu (Kiowa). We honor the original stewards of this land and their descendants, many of whom continue to live, work, teach, create and learn in this community. We are committed to showing gratitude for the land and its Indigenous peoples by respecting and remembering this in our thoughts and actions.

Support Indigenous Artists

We invite you to go beyond acknowledgment — support Indigenous artists, businesses, and cultural organizations. Learn their stories, purchase their work, and invest in the thriving creative economy of the first peoples of this land.

Want to deepen your understanding of the land you’re on? Explore Native-Land.ca — an interactive map that shows Indigenous territories, languages, and treaties. It’s a powerful tool for learning, reflection, and connection to the people who have long called this place home.

Mission

Connecting Art and Culture through Education, Advocacy, and Celebration.

VISION

Arts Missoula serves as a resource for the coordination, development, and support of art and culture for the benefit of the Missoula community, with the goals of:

Arts Advocacy: We advocate for the arts at the local, state, and national levels, working to ensure that the arts are recognized and supported by government entities and the community. Educating community leaders and policymakers about the economic benefits of the arts. Celebrating the value of diverse cultures and helping our community understand its place in the world.
Arts Education: We promote arts and cultural education programs in schools and the community.
Cultural Events: We coordinate arts and cultural events in Missoula, such Missoula On Main, New Zealand Days, Germanfest
Community Engagement: Arts Missoula works to engage the community in the arts by organizing events that encourage participation and appreciation of various art forms and encouraging collaborative efforts among local arts organizations.
Supporting Local Artists: Through grant opportunities and creating work opportunities.
Cultural Enrichment: Arts Missoula enriches the cultural fabric of Missoula by supporting diverse artistic expressions and cultural initiatives.

Mission & Vision

Our Values

At Arts Missoula, we believe in the power of the arts to bring people together and strengthen our community. We are committed to supporting all artists and arts organizations as small businesses and essential contributors to Missoula’s cultural and economic vitality.

We acknowledge that some communities of artists and creators have historically faced barriers to representation and opportunity. Our goal is to listen, learn, and collaborate to ensure that everyone has access to the tools and platforms needed to thrive. We are dedicated to uplifting and amplifying diverse voices that have been underrepresented and to fostering an inclusive environment where all forms of creative expression are celebrated.

By focusing on connection, opportunity, and equity, we aim to nurture a thriving, vibrant arts community that reflects and serves all who call Missoula home.

An impact report is a clear, data-driven summary showing how a nonprofit’s work has made a measurable difference.

Nonprofits create them to demonstrate transparency, build trust, and show donors and the public how their support directly advances the organization’s mission and purpose. We are happy to share with you how Arts Missoula makes a difference.

Impact Reports

Arts Missoula is funded in part by coal severance taxes paid based upon coal mined in Montana and deposited in Montana’s cultural and aesthetic projects trust fund.

Arts Missoula History

The Missoula Cultural Exchange, later known as the Missoula Cultural Council (MCC) and now Arts Missoula, was formed in February 1991 as the result of a two year public planning process. Literally hundreds of individuals and organizational representatives attended public meetings and contributed to the planning work. A written report, The Fabric of Missoula, provided the basis for the formation of a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, the first local arts agency in the state.

The first Board of Directors was assembled in February 1991. The goal was to establish a balanced governing body, broadly representative of the community as a whole.

The Board of Directors adopted a three-year organizational plan which had been developed during the second phase of planning work. The priorities, programs and services are based on the planning work and the definition and criteria for a Local Arts (Cultural) Agency established by the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Assembly of Local Arts Agencies. In May, 1991 the Missoula Cultural Council was designated by the Missoula County Commissioners as an official cultural agency for Missoula County. City designation was approved by the board in May, 1992.

Arts Missoula operates with a philosophy of service to the public. Public meetings, focus groups and citizen task forces have played an integral part of many programs, activities and planning work.

With strong representation from the business community, the current Board of Directors, the staff and the Executive Director are continually refocusing Arts Missoula’s efforts to fulfill its mission and vision of arts and cultures in Missoula.