[1] Opened in 1998, the facility is across the street from the Oregon State Capital in downtown Salem, on the western edge of the school campus.

[5] In 1990, the school received a donation of around 250 pieces of ancient, European, Middle Eastern, and Asian art from the Sponenburgh family.

[3] Then in 1994 Roger Hull made a presentation to the school's trustees to push for the creation of an art museum.

[3] Over the next two years plans were developed and donations were made that led to the purchase of a building near campus for a museum.

[11] In July 2007, the museum began a remodeling project to add storage to the basement areas and the room used for studying prints.

[19] This International Style building contains 27,000 square feet (2,500 m2) on three floors (two above ground), and was designed by local architect James L.

[3] Willamette then remodeled the building during 1997 to 1998 with the design coming from Jon Wiener of Soderstrom Architects of Portland, Oregon.

[19] The building opened on October 3, 1998, with a two-story atrium gallery, curves located throughout the interior space, marble panels, and an enclosed garden on the exterior.

[19] HFMA holds two paintings by German landscape painter Frederick Ferdinand Schafer (1839–1927).

[27] The museum also houses the Paulus Collection of photograph glass negatives of the Salem area from the early Twentieth Century.

[31] The museum held a show in 2007 featuring work by Oregon painter Amanda Snyder.

[32] Other exhibits have included shows on Rick Bartow, Jacob Lawrence, David Giese, Fay Jones,[33] Eunice Parsons,[34] David Gilhooly, Mary Lou Zeek, and Robert Hess among other artists.