Media Contact:

[tiny L_TAMstacked_rgb.jpg] Media Contact: Hillary Ryan, o: 253.272.4258 ext 3051 c: 360.561.1915 hryan@tacomaartmuseum.org<file://TAM-FS3/P_DRIVE_SHARE/Marketing/Public%20Relations/Drafts/hryan@tacomaartmuseum.org> Tacoma Art Museum Announces Temporary Closure March 13, 2020 (Tacoma, WA)- Effective at 5 pm on Friday, March 13, Tacoma Art Museum will be temporarily closed to public, volunteers, and staff through Tuesday, March 31. Following the guidance and directive from public health officials as an action to mitigate the spread and severity of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in our community, TAM's board has made this difficult decision. "With the health and safety of our community, visitors, volunteers, and staff as our top priority, TAM will be closed starting March 13 at 5 pm," states David F. Setford, Executive Director at Tacoma Art Museum. "While we are closed, TAM staff will continue our mission-centered work connecting people through art. We invite the community to join us on our digital platforms, including our website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, to continue learning and engaging with the Museum." In addition, despite the temporary closure, the care of the Museum's collections, development of educational resources and programs, and the planning of future exhibitions will continue. TAM's educational staff, with generous support from Artist & Craftsman Supply Tacoma, is working to distribute art kits to Tacoma Public School students. Additionally, TAM staff will be creating a variety of digital content including material related to the current exhibition Forgotten Stories: Northwest Public Art of the 1930s, homeschool learning kits, and TAM Studio projects that can be completed at home. TAM will have revenue losses during the closure. Donations to support TAM can be made on the TAM website (www.tacomaartmuseum.org<file://TAM-FS3/H_DRIVE_SHARE/Marketing/Crisis%20Communications/www.tacomaartmuseum.org>). "We look forward to reopening our doors soon and welcoming community into Tacoma's art museum, but in the meantime we are doing our best to provide hope and inspiration for all," notes Setford. Updates about TAM's operating schedule will be provided through TAM's website and social media. Facebook /TacomaArtMuseum Twitter @tacomaartmuseum Instagram @tacomaartmuseum YouTube /Tacomaartmuseum ### About Tacoma Art Museum Celebrating over 80 years, Tacoma Art Museum is an anchor in Tacoma's downtown with a mission of connecting people through art. TAM's collection contains more than 5,000 works, with an emphasis on the art and artists of the Northwest and broader Western region, 25% of which consists of studio glass. The collection includes the largest retrospective museum collection of glass art by Tacoma native Dale Chihuly on permanent view; the most significant collection of studio art jewelry by Northwest artists; key holdings in 19th century European and 20th century American art; and one of the finest collections of Japanese woodblock prints on the West Coast. In 2012, TAM received a gift of more than 300 works of western American art from the Haub Family Collection, one of the premier such collections in the nation and the first major western American art museum collection in the Northwest. The Haub family also contributed $20 million for an endowment and expansion completed in 2014. In January 2019, TAM inaugurated the Rebecca and Jack Benaroya Wing which features the extensive Benaroya collection of studio glass, as well as, TAM's own collection of studio glass, which was started in 1971. TAM is located in the heart of Tacoma's vibrant Museum District which consists of six museums including the Museum of Glass, a frequent collaborator. TEMPORARILY CLOSED HOURS - Tues-Sun 10 am-5 pm; FREE Neighborhood Nights every Thursday 5-8 pm ADMISSION - $18 Adult, $15 Student/Senior (65+), $40 Family (2 adults and up to four children age 6-18), Children 5 and under free every day. Children 18 and under free every Saturday. TAM Members; active duty military, reservists, veterans, and their families always free. CONTACT - 253-272-4258/ www.tacomaartmuseum.org<http://www.tacomaartmuseum.org>