Mission

The Hammer Museum, which opened to the public in 1990 as the Armand Hammer Museum of Art and Culture Center, explores the capacity of art to enhance the full range of human experience. Through its collections, exhibitions, and programs the Hammer illuminates the depth and diversity of artistic expression through the centuries, with a special emphasis on the art of our time. The Museum's exhibitions present contemporary and historical work in all media of the visual arts. Through its exhibitions, the Museum is committed to promoting cultural understanding, to introducing the work of underrepresented artists, and to interpreting art of the past and present. In addition to selections from its permanent collections, the Museum has a series of temporary exhibitions.