Mission of the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art

The mission of the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University, is derived from that of Cornell University itself; that is, the Museum’s purpose is profoundly educational, and education is the context for all its activities. In particular, the Museum preserves, acquires, displays, and interprets works of art of quality, in the broadest sense of the term and in their most relevant cultural, historical, and social context, to further the educational goals of the students of Cornell University, area schoolchildren, and the general public.

The Museum is responsible for the safe and professional care of more than 30,000 works of art in its permanent collection, of high quality and in many media from around the world, a significant part of the artistic heritage of this country. The Museum is also responsible for the presentation of special exhibitions, reflecting the great variety not only of the world of art, but also of the Museum’s own collections and its audience.

The Museum is responsible for making its collections, exhibitions, and other services and activities accessible to a wide variety of people, including Cornell students, area schoolchildren, and the Upstate New York community, as well as other museums and scholars throughout the world.

Above all, the overriding purpose of this museum remains the same as it has been for more than thirty years, to bring people and works of art together, and this will be its mission in the years to come.

Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art • Cornell University