The CU Art Museum is a cultural gateway to the University of Colorado at Boulder, facilitating engagement with larger societal issues through a greater understanding of the arts in a global context.

The CU Art Museum of the University of Colorado at Boulder serves the citizens of the State of Colorado. The Museum is committed to enhancing understanding and appreciation of the visual arts within the academic community and among regional, national, and international audiences. It provides access to art of the highest quality through exhibitions, publications, and related educational events that reflect diversity, critical thinking, and creative research. The museum also facilitates student training in museum practices. As a collecting institution, the CU Art Museum promotes the excellence, preservation, scholarly interpretation, exhibition, and growth of its comprehensive permanent collection, which includes artworks from numerous time periods, artistic traditions, and cultures.

The Permanent Collection of the CU Art Museum contains over 6,000 works of art. The collection was started in 1939 to be used as a teaching tool for students. It has grown into a comprehensive art collection that enriches the educational experience of students, faculty, and the broader campus community, as well as regional audiences, through exposure to original works of art.

The CU Art Museum is celebrating over 60 years on the University of Colorado at Boulder Campus, where it has enriched the lives of students, faculty, and the broader Denver-Boulder community, while also making significant contributions to the national/international arts community.

In April and May 2010, the new CU Art Museum will feature the MFA and BFA student thesis exhibitions in the project gallery. The grand inaugural opening of the museum's five galleries will follow in the fall of 2010.