Mission 

The mission of the Pacific Island Ethnic Art Museum (PIEAM) is to amplify the collective wisdom of the people of Oceania through a permanent collection, educational programs, rotating exhibits, and living arts. Our purpose is to connect the community to resources and foster intercultural exchanges with appreciation and respect.  

Our Role in the Community 

As the only Pacific Islands museum in the contiguous United States, the Pacific Island Ethnic Art Museum’s priority is to ensure that how we share knowledge is in alignment with the diversity of the Pacific Islands peoples we serve in root and in routes.  We recognize the value of our languages, arts, cultural practices are intrinsically linked to the value of the ongoing participation of her people. 

History 
The Pacific Island Ethnic Art Museum founded on October 14, 2010 evolved from the private collection of the late Dr. Robert Gumbiner and the Ethnic Art Institute of Micronesia. Dr. Gumbiner was the founder of FHP, a pioneer in the health maintenance (HMO) industry. In the early 1970s, his healthcare work led him to an island in the Pacific Ocean: Guam. From there he explored the other islands in Micronesia. During his travels, Dr. Gumbiner was intrigued by the island of Yap, one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). In 1994, he founded the Ethnic Art Institute of Micronesia to preserve and revive the arts of Micronesia and serve as a base for training a younger generation of artists.