Hockaday Museum changes name to highlight connection with Glacier Park

The Hockaday Museum of Art in Kalispell will change its name to Glacier Art Museum next year in an effort to amplify its regional recognition and more closely align with Glacier National Park.

The rebranding is part of the nonprofit museum's 2024 strategic plan and was approved by the board in September, according to a press release issued Wednesday.

A new logo and accompanying website will be revealed next spring. Changes to the museum's signs on its historic downtown building and other branding will happen over the next year and a half.

The art center was originally named after Lakeside artist Hugh Hockaday, who moved to the Flathead Valley after a successful career as a commercial artist. Hockaday died in 1968, a year before the museum first opened at its current location on Second Avenue East.

The strategic planning process, led by former Hockaday board chair Robin Bailey, started in fall 2022. The last time the museum wrote a strategic plan was in 2009. 

According to the press release, the board decided a name change was needed in 2021 after completing a year-long assessment to identify areas of growth for the museum, and the beginning phase of museum accreditation.

"While the current name may be familiar to many long-term residents, during the strategic planning process, it became clear to the board, staff and other community members involved, that the museum needed a name with a broader reach and recognition for both local and out-of-state visitors," said current board chair Mike Roswell. "We believe we have a new opportunity to tap into the increasing population to the Flathead Valley with a moniker that conjures immediate images of the park. With this name change and new strategic plan, we can strengthen our connection to Glacier National Park and grow our programming, collection, staffing and facilities to inspire and educate all who enter our doors.”

The museum’s permanent collection focuses on the art and artists of Montana and Glacier National Park.

The museum has changed its name several times in its 55-year history, beginning first as the Flathead Valley Arts Association, then later in 1969 changing to the Hugh Hockaday Memorial Art Center, then less than a year later had dropped "Memorial" to be the Hockaday Center for the Arts. 

In 1998, the name changed to the Hockaday Museum of Art. 

The museum has considered changing its name to include “Glacier” as far back as 2005, when it registered two potential names with the Montana Department of Commerce.

Hockaday Executive Director Alyssa Cordova expressed her support for the latest name-change effort.

“Our mission and focus remains unchanged, and the name Glacier Art Museum communicates to both national, regional and local audiences who we are, where we are, and who we serve, while referencing this beautiful corner of Montana we call home,” Cordova said.