Founded on April 15, 2007 through the vision and hard work of Ted Coombs, who now serves on the Board of Trustees, the museum is a Hawaii 501(c)3 non-profit corporation with offices on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Its purpose is to increase and diffuse knowledge; to encourage the appreciation of art; to maintain in the County of Hawaii, or elsewhere, a museum or museums; to collect and preserve objects of artistic interest; to protect historic works and other works of art, to provide facilities for education, research and publication and to offer opportunities for aesthetic enjoyment.

The Hilo Art Museum maintains a collection of fine art from many time periods, as well as many types of art from around the World. The teaching collection contains high-quality painted reproductions of several of the great masters. It is a unique opportunity to see lifesize reproductions of works never before displayed all in the same place.