Mission Statement
Adopted by the Board of Trustees, February 28, 1991
The Museum of Fine Arts houses and preserves preeminent collections and aspires to serve a wide variety of people through direct encounters with works of art.
The Museum aims for the highest standards of quality in all its endeavors. It serves as a resource for both those who are already familiar with art and those for whom art is a new experience. Through exhibitions, programs, research and publications, the Museum documents and interprets its own collections. It provides information and perspective on art through time and throughout the world.
The Museum holds its collections in trust for future generations. It assumes conservation as a primary responsibility which requires constant attention to providing a proper environment for works of art and artifacts. Committed to its vast holdings, the Museum nonetheless recognizes the need to identify and explore new and neglected areas of art. It seeks to acquire art of the past and present which is visually significant and educationally meaningful.
The Museum has obligations to the people of Boston and New England, across the nation and abroad. It celebrates diverse cultures and welcomes new and broader constituencies. The Museum is a place in which to see and to learn. It stimulates in its visitors a sense of pleasure, pride and discovery which provides aesthetic challenge and leads to a greater cultural awareness and discernment.
The Museum creates educational opportunities for visitors and accommodates a wide range of experiences and learning styles. The Museum educates artists of the future through its School. The creative efforts of the students and faculty provide the Museum and its public with insights into emerging art and art forms.
The Museum's ultimate aim is to encourage inquiry and to heighten public understanding and appreciation of the visual world.
Strategic Plan
Adopted June 2017
Our shared vision declares a set of MFA priorities for the years ahead. Our strategic plan, MFA 2020, envisions a future in which we are known for our spirit of collaboration and ability to welcome and deeply engage a variety of audiences in the life of the Museum. We believe in the power of art and will continue to strive to be a meeting place of world cultures. We will celebrate artists across time, honor all visitors, and invite many voices.
Read the Museum's strategic plan, MFA 2020 (PDF).
Sustainability Statement
Approved by MFA Leadership Team on November 7, 2019
The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, recognizes the magnitude of human impact on the environment and is committed to the preservation of our planet for future generations. This commitment supports our mission to care for and share the artistic and cultural works of humankind in perpetuity and is our civic responsibility as an institution of Boston. At the MFA, we strive to incorporate sustainability into our planning and decision-making with the aim to reduce the environmental impact of our facilities and operations and to increase our resiliency and ability to adapt to our changing world. In line with these operational imperatives and our institutional values of shared accountability, inclusion, and care, we seek to use our unique platform as a forum for creativity and community to promote sustainability.