Dedicated to art and free to all The St. Louis Art Museum Foundation, a Missouri nonprofit corporation, was established in 1985 for the sole benefit of, and to carry out the purposes of, the mission and activities of the Saint Louis Art Museum. The Saint Louis Art Museum was established in 1879 (then known as the St. Louis School and Museum of Fine Arts). That year saw the first meeting of the Board of Control. The mission of the Saint Louis Art Museum is to collect, present, interpret, and conserve works of art of the highest quality across time and cultures; educate, inspire discovery, and elevate the human spirit; preserve a legacy of artistic achievement for the people of St. Louis and the world; and engage, include, and represent the full diversity of the St. Louis community supporting it.