Since its inception, the Museum’s purpose has been to enrich the cultural life of Florida by providing excellence in the visual arts. To meet this objective, the Museum has dedicated itself to collecting, preserving and interpreting notable works of art; to presenting exhibitions of local, regional, national and international significance; to developing first-rate educational programs; and to presenting creative and inclusive programs to reach every segment of a diverse community.

Annually, the Museum presents 10-12 exhibitions on-site and 13 exhibitions off-site, award-winning art enrichment programs, unlimited gallery tours, teacher in-service training programs, video programs, distinguished lectures, art appreciation lectures, studio classes, lecture/luncheon programs and outreach services in its facility and through outreach services. The services benefit individuals, including visitors from all 67 counties in Florida, the other 49 states and numerous foreign countries. These programs are implemented by the OMA’s staff, its Board of Trustees and more than 700 volunteers, many of whom are part of its membership of 5,000 individuals.

The Orlando Museum of Art (OMA) is a 501(c)(3) educational institution whose mission reflects the continued growth of Florida, ardent community support for the arts, and OMA's role as a leading cultural institution in the region. Since its inception, OMA's purpose has been to enrich the cultural life of Florida by providing excellence in the visual arts. To meet this objective, OMA has dedicated itself to: collecting, preserving and interpreting notable works of art; presenting exhibitions of local, regional, national and international significance; developing first-rate educational programs; and presenting creative and inclusive programs to reach every segment of a diverse community.

The OMA began as a small art center with a group of artists who met informally in the early 1920s, displaying and critiquing their work. The OMA’s subsequent development was one of rapid growth guided by community leadership and support. As a community-based, community-supported museum, the OMA targets its services for an estimated 3.5 million residents and visitors in the nine-county Central Florida area.

The OMA was cited by Newsweek as one of the best museums in the South, and its exhibitions, collections and programs have been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Art in America, ArtNews, American Art Review, Art and Antiques, The Antique Collector, The Print Collector’s Newsletter, Sculpture, American Print Alliance, Southern Accents, Southern Living, Time Magazine and hundreds of other major publications