The Ashmolean is the University of Oxford’s museum of art and archaeology, founded in 1683. Our world famous collections range from Egyptian mummies to contemporary art, telling human stories across cultures and across time.
OUR VISION AND MISSION
As a world-class museum and cultural destination we will broaden our reach, welcome everyone and offer experiences which are innovative, inspiring and relevant. We will preserve, enhance and share our collections and knowledge to promote research, learning and enjoyment, to enrich lives and expand our understanding of the world and our shared humanity.
To achieve our vision we will:
Ensure the expertise, skills and resources are available to develop, improve and care for our extraordinarily rich collections.
Work to increase knowledge and understanding, by delivering, encouraging and enabling world-class research and teaching.
Widen our reach, grow our reputation and build awareness of the Ashmolean name and brand, while also promoting the University of Oxford.
Focus on improving inclusion and equity across all areas of the Ashmolean organisation and activity.
Broaden our local, national and international audiences, focusing on engaging diverse local communities and welcoming them to connect with the University of Oxford.
Make our collections more accessible, engaging and relevant to people’s lives both in the museum and online. Share human stories across cultures and time.
Be brave and innovative. Proud of our heritage, but always looking forward
We're determined to achieve the highest standards of environmental performance in our operations. Read about the Ashmolean's sustainability measures and future plans.
As a world-class museum and cultural destination, we have a duty to continuously review the interpretation of our collection and the need to critically interrogate the history of our Museum.
