Its holdings include notable modern art works such as Richard Diebenkorn’s 1963 Ingleside.

The museum has in its collection 5,000 works of art, including over 3,500 prints, drawings and photographs.

The museum was founded in 1910 under the name Grand Rapids Art Gallery, which was soon altered to its present name.

In summer 2004, the museum board terminated Munkenbeck+Marshall's involvement and hired architect Kulapat Yantrasast of wHY Architecture to complete the project.

Several artists have displayed their work in the museum, such as Samuel Yellin, Frederick Carl Frieseke, Harriet Whitney Frishmuth, Doug Argue and Ryan Spencer Reed, among others.