The future is uncertain. Access to the arts shouldn’t be.

It’s no secret that many cultural organizations are struggling.

Fortunately, the YAM’s situation is more stable than others. However, we currently find ourselves with difficult decisions to ensure we’re operating with the fiscal responsibility this moment demands.

Uncertainty pervades so many aspects of our lives today. As an organization, we are not immune to these worries: worries about the economy, worries about support for the arts, and worries about our community’s well-being. And we’re not alone.

Here, you’ll find an “Open Letter from Directors of Arts and Cultural Institutions Across Montana.” We encourage you to read this message in its entirety. It outlines the challenges organizations like ours are facing and issues a warning we cannot ignore: the quality of life we enjoy in our community and state will diminish without robust support of the arts.

Continue reading to learn about ways you can help.

Pledge a Gift to the YAM

Generous donors and supporters of the YAM are currently offering a match for all gifts to this mid-year appeal. Donations received before June 30 will have a doubled impact.

We thank you for your support and commitment to the museum.

Contact Your Congressmen

Letting our Congressional delegation know about your strong support of the arts is important. Show your support by calling, emailing or sending a letter. Below is information on how to contact the delegation.

Additionally, we also ask you to sign the petition supporting the arts.  Add your voice to this conversation and share why the YAM and arts are important to you.

Write A Letter to the Editor

Email each news outlet below individually and include “Letter to the Editor” in your subject line.

Billings Gazette 

Online submission | Email: speakup@billingsgazette.com 

Yellowstone County News: info@yellowstonecountynews.com

Laurel Outlook: jwebb@laureloutlook.com

Gift of Your Time

You can also support the YAM with a gift of your time.  There are many opportunities to get involved.  By giving your time, you help make art more accessible and inspire curiosity and creativity in others.

Amazing Years Lie Ahead for Our Museum

Museum staffing resources haven’t been this strong since 2019. The public response to recent exhibitions has inspired us and provided assurance that we’re offering important programming to our community. Free Admission for Yellowstone County residents continues to welcome new visitors through our doors and increase museum visitation.

 

YAM will welcome 25,000 visitors in 2025

• Thousands of Montanans—from Yellowstone County and counties across the state—visit and enjoy the YAM each year.
• Arts and Cultural Institutions, like the YAM, support state tourism and provide a valuable attraction for visitors.

 

YAM Education Programs

• YAM art education programs served 8,974 learners in 2024.
• 7,390 of these student contacts were from Yellowstone County (82%).
• YAM Docents serve approximately 9,000 children a year through tours of current exhibitions at the YAM for various ages, from preschool to college/adults.

 

YAM Largest Museum Employer in Yellowstone County

• YAM employs 17 full-time and 9 part-time staff members who reside in Yellowstone County.
• Each job the museum sector creates generates $16,495 in additional tax revenue (Oxford Economics, 2018 report, “Museums as Economic Engines).
• In Montana, arts organizations add approximately $2.4 billion dollars in value, along with 20,269 jobs, representing 3.3% of the state’s GDP (National Assembly of Arts Agencies, Creative Economy Profiles).

 

YAM as a leader in Montana

• As the premier contemporary art museum in Montana and the larger region, the YAM’s programming and work benefits artists and students from outside communities in addition to our own.
• The YAM cares about uplifting Arts & Cultural Institutions throughout our state and proudly supports collaboration among these partners.