Hallie Ford Museum of Art - History

History

Prior to the creation of the Hallie Ford Museum, Willamette University previously collected various pieces of art donated to the university. By 1896 the collections were housed in a museum located on the fourth floor of Waller Hall. By 1940 the museum had moved to the second floor of the gymnasium (now the Theatre Playhouse). At that time the museum's collection included birds, various documents, minerals, wood specimens, shells, plant specimens, and Native American artifacts, among others.

In 1990, the school received a donation of around 250 pieces of ancient, European, Middle Eastern, and Asian art from the Sponenburgh family. Alumnus Dan Schneider suggested to an art faculty member, Roger Hull, that the school should have a museum to display the university’s art collection in 1992. Then in 1994 Roger Hull made a presentation to the school’s trustees to push for the creation of an art museum. Over the next two years plans were developed and donations were made that led to the purchase of a building near campus for a museum. One large donation came from Hallie Ford and the Ford Family Foundation that allowed the purchase and remodel to move forward. The museum officially opened in 1998 with over 3,000 pieces of art, and was the second largest art museum in the state at that time.

The museum was named top fine arts venue and art gallery in the local region in 2002 by residents. In 2003, the facility received a Certificate of Award from the Oregon Art Education Association, and was named as the third best art gallery in Oregon’s mid-Willamette Valley region. Attendance at the museum was approximately 16,000 in the first full-year of operation and increased to around 30,000 people per year in 2003.

In July 2007, the museum began a remodeling project to add storage to the basement areas and the room used for studying prints. The $850,000 remodel was completed in December 2007 with funding coming from a donation by Maribeth Collins. Also in 2007, Hallie Ford Museum of Art was given an American Masterpieces grant by the National Endowment for the Arts through the Oregon Arts Commission. This $50,000 grant helped to fund an exhibit entitled “The Art of Ceremony” regarding tribal ceremonies of Native American tribes in Oregon.