Museum Campus Renamed Museum Itself To Remain Cheney Cowles Museum

Wed., June 28, 2000

From Staff Reports

The Eastern Washington State Historical Society/Cheney Cowles Museum has a new name.

After six months of study, the board of trustees of the organization voted Tuesday to change the name to the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture.

The name refers to the eight-acre campus in Browne’s Addition, which is undergoing a major expansion. The museum itself will still be called the Cheney Cowles Museum.

“The naming of the new multi-facility campus is our first step as we prepare to open this $28 million arts and cultural center, which will benefit … the entire Northwest,” George Coleman, society and museum president said Tuesday in a statement.

Scheduled to open in fall 2001, the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture’s campus will feature the existing historic 1898 Campbell House and the renovated Cheney Cowles Museum, which will house administrative offices, collections, library archives and an auditorium. The campus will have an outdoor amphitheater, a free parking garage and a new facility with five galleries, a community room, museum store, cafe and education center.

The expansion is being paid for through nearly $20 million in state funding and $8 million in private funding.

The board’s Marketing Committee led the way on coming up with a new name, assisted by community and business leaders, museum staff, volunteers and the public.

Pending final registration as a trade name, the new name and logo for the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture will be unveiled at the annual membership meeting Sept. 20.

The Eastern State Historical Society was chartered by the Legislature in 1916. A decade later, the Campbell House was given to the Historical Society. The Cheney Cowles Museum, which opened in 1960, was a gift to the historical society from the family of Maj. Cheney Cowles, who died during World War II.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.