Fort Smith Regional Art Museum in a period of transition, expansion

Editor’s note: This is the first of two stories about the Fort Smith Regional Art Museum.

For the Fort Smith Regional Art Museum (FSRAM), 2025 is proving to be one of notable transitions, including a facility expansion, continued efforts to receive accreditation, and the planned retirement of Development Director Julie Moncrief.

Expansion considerations have begun for a property adjacent to the museum’s location at 1601 Rogers Ave. Galen Hunter, a principal at Fort Smith-based MAHG Architecture who oversaw the 2013 renovation of the existing property, will again be involved.

The museum’s ongoing efforts to receive accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) have passed major hurdles. The ultimate goal – increasing the museum’s ability to attract grants and major exhibits – is within reach, according to museum staff.

Moncrief, who has occupied the role since it was created in 2019, is retiring at the end of May. According to Moncrief and Executive Director Michael Hall, the milestones indicate growth toward broader prominence while also honoring the institution’s community roots, keeping with FSRAM’s motto, “the mission of art unites.”

Moncrief, has been involved with FSRAM since 1994, when she was a parent bringing her kids to art camp. She remained involved through the organization’s transition from the converted-residence “art center” in the Belle Grove Historic District it had occupied since 1960 ,to an interim location on Garrison Avenue, until finally occupying the property donated by Arvest Bank. When the museum’s board of directors approved the creation of a development director job, Moncrief was chosen to fill it.

What Moncrief and the board could not have anticipated was the impact the COVID-19 pandemic would have on attendance and fundraising, just when FSRAM was attempting to raise its profile with both the general public and the art world. Moncrief took the challenges in stride.

“My first step was mailing an end-of-year appeal, and this kick-started my first in-depth activity of dissecting, cleaning up, and building upon existing lists of donors that had been collected over time,” said Moncrief. “I knew that I would need to replace the various spreadsheets and donation paper files I had gathered with a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software. Luckily, I was given the time with three months at home during the pandemic to research everything available. We were able to step up to the efficient level we needed to be in, as far as data management that leads to good communication with our donors and good strategies.”

To that end, Moncrief worked to enhance the museum’s annual gala event, its single largest fundraiser. This year’s event, “An Evening in Florence,” featured actors and musicians in period Medici costumes, silent and live auctions, and relocation to a larger, off-site space. The event netted more than $55,000. Combined with a matching grant from the Windgate Foundation, the total reached more than $100,000. The event was supported by volunteers from the new Friends of RAM Auxiliary, she said.

“This group is growing and meeting monthly to be in-the-know about RAM, to serve as ambassadors, and to volunteer at events,” said Moncrief. “RAM hasn’t had an auxiliary for several decades.”

In addition to new and increased grants from local and state foundations, driven in part by higher-profile events such as the recent Pablo Picasso exhibit which was part of the museum’s 75th anniversary celebration, Moncrief has worked to nurture FSRAM’s relationship with its primary benefactor, the Windgate Foundation. Based in Little Rock, the private foundation was established in 1993 to advance contemporary craft and strengthen visual arts education in the United States. Windgate funding also supports education, health, and community initiatives in Arkansas. In 2024, the Windgate Foundation awarded 61 grants in Arkansas totaling nearly $10.5 million.

Prior to Moncrief being hired as development director, Windgate created an FSRAM endowment of $12 million, the proceeds of which fund approximately 85% of the museum’s operating expenses. Moncrief works to raise funds for the remaining operating expenses and all programming expenses, which include education, exhibitions, and community celebrations.

“Windgate’s guidance for RAM has been a tremendous gift,” said Moncrief. “(B)ecause of the endowment from Windgate, our lights will remain on, and it’s just up to the community to determine how rich our programs are. It is a worthy challenge to take to our region’s residents, and a fulfilling one.”

She said the stability provided by Windgate’s generosity will enable her successor to focus on face-to-face development that can lead to major gifts, estate gifts, and tailored business partnerships.

“She’s been a big part of the museum for a lot of years,” Hall said of Moncrief. “I am hoping she will stay involved in some capacity. She’s a good example of the quality of the staff. … A lot of museums coming out of COVID had trouble defining themselves and their mission. She managed to keep the staff and the finances together. Compared to a lot of places, we are standing strong on the other side of the storm.”