SAMS

The Seattle Art Museum Supporters (SAMS) was founded in 1985 by Sally Nordstrom. Since its inception, SAMS has raised more than $4 million to fund selected exhibits, arts education, museum publications, installations and SAM's capital campaign. Membership in SAMS is by invitation only.

SAMS organizes two annual benefit events, Gardens of Art and the Nordstrom Designer Preview. In addition, SAMS is proud to have supported exhibitions such as:

• love fear pleasure lust pain glamour death Andy Warhol Media Works, May 13–September 6, 2010
• Alexander Calder: A Balancing Act, October 15 , 2009–April 11, 2010
• Michelangelo Public and Private: Drawings for the Sistine Chapel and other Treasures from the Casa Buonarroti, October 15, 2009–January 31, 2010
• Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness: American Art from the Yale University Art Gallery, February 26–May 24, 2009
• Edward Hopper's Women, November 13, 2008–March 1, 2009
• Inspiring Impressionism: The Impressionists and the Art of the Past, June 19–September 21, 2008
• Geoff McFetridge: In the Mind, March 29, 2008–August 8, 2010
• Roman Art from the Louvre, February 21–May 11, 2008
• The Gates of Paradise: Lorenzo Ghiberti's Renaissance Masterpiece, January 26–April 6, 2008
• Opening Exhibitions at the Olympic Sculpture Park PACCAR Pavilion featuring photographs by Glenn Rudolph and installations by Pedro Reyes
  
• The Orchid Pavilion Gathering, January 14–April 2, 2006
• Louis Comfort Tiffany: Artist for the Ages, October 13, 2005–January 4, 2006
• Isamu Noguchi Sculptural Design, June 9–September 5, 2005
• Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and Mexican Modernism: The Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection, October 17, 2002–January 5, 2003

Among many other programs, SAMS has generously supported transportation services for school children to ensure all classrooms can visit SAM.