TACOMA, WA.- On November 15, 2014, Tacoma, Washington, was abuzz as Tacoma Art Museum reached the culmination of a four-year journey including an expansion and gift of one of the top Western American art collections in the country. The museum’s “Go West” adventure began with a conversation between Director Stephanie Stebich and John Barline, a representative for Erivan and Helga Haub, who donated 295 works from their family's Western American art collection to TAM. Today, the museum stands transformed with 16,000 dazzling new square feet and four spacious galleries showcasing this internationally recognized collection, most of which has never before been on public view.

“In 2011 we began the journey that led to this unprecedented gift from the Haub family. Tacoma Art Museum has been a cultural anchor in the city since 1935, and this is one of the most outstanding moments in those 79 years,” says Stebich, adding “Today we are poised to unveil TAM’s elegant new galleries and the wonderful Haub Family Collection. We are grateful for the Haub’s generosity and the support of TAM trustees, patrons and members. We are thankful for the team of Olson Kundig Architects and Sellen Construction. We are thrilled to share this with our community and all who visit TAM, now and in the future.”

An official ribbon-cutting ceremony on November 15 marked the opening of the doors to the new galleries and the inaugural exhibition, featuring more than 130 works of Western American art. Along with traditional horses and cowboys there were many surprises: dynamic bronze sculptures, alluring landscapes, superb portraits and delightful pop-art takes on the American West. The art and architecture connect the history of the West with today’s Tacoma. Designed by Olson Kundig Architects in Seattle, this is Tom Kundig’s first completed museum design, and was completed on time and on budget by Sellen Construction.

Mayor Marilyn Strickland commented on this significant addition to the city's robust Museum District and its relationship to economic growth. “The Haub collection and the new expansion of the Tacoma Art Museum exemplify the ongoing revitalization of our downtown core as a destination. TAM has raised our city's national profile as a leader in the arts.” TAM’s visitation is expected to rise 20% with the expansion, bringing local, regional, and out-of-area visitors to Tacoma’s downtown.

If you were among the hundreds of community members who donated a blanket to Marie Watt’s sculpture, Blanket Stories: Transportation Object, Generous Ones, Trek, opening day was your chance to see the final work. Two tall, curving towers of stacked blankets, cast in bronze and finished in a color Watt calls “Safety Blue,” was installed at the southern end of the Haub Family Galleries along Pacific Avenue. As you approached the museum on opening day you also noticed the 35-foot-tall entry canopy and red-lined entry doors. On the parking level, Julie Speidel’s red, blue, and silver sculptural installation Kinetic Repose marks a well-lit glass-enclosed entry vestibule. The outdoor sculptures and the architectural design result in a stronger connection between the museum and surrounding environment, supporting TAM’s mission of connecting people through art.

After months of preparations, the new spaces and the exhibition are ready. “I was part of the curatorial team that traveled to Germany to bring these masterworks to Tacoma. In a protected warehouse full of valuable art and items traveling to destinations all over the world, I saw a crated baby giraffe on his way to a new home, and watched as the works in the Haub Collection were carefully loaded into a cargo aircraft,” said Jessica Wilks, Registrar at TAM. “The journey has been amazing from the first days of learning about the gift to hanging the last painting for the exhibition.”