The San Luis Obispo Museum of Art announced plans for a bold expansion that will reshape the cultural and economic heart of downtown. The project will repurpose three adjoining storefronts that are now part of the Network Mall and Johnson Building into a 24,000-square-foot art campus linking Mission Plaza and Higuera Street.
While continuing to utilize its historic home at 1010 Broad Street for arts classes and other education programming, the expansion will physically connect SLOMA’s current location overlooking Mission Plaza with new museum spaces at 778, 782, and 786 Higuera Street, transforming underused retail properties into vibrant galleries and gathering areas that anchor downtown’s cultural corridor. Together, the spaces will create a downtown gateway for creativity, culture and community connection.
“This bold plan will achieve several goals,” said SLOMA Executive Director Leann Standish. “It will invigorate downtown San Luis Obispo by providing another everyday reason for people to come downtown for connection and inspiration. It will elevate our city’s cultural profile by allowing us to host major traveling exhibitions while continuing to champion Central Coast artists. And by repurposing existing buildings, we can deliver this project faster and more economically than building a new building, enabling a grand opening in early 2027. And as always, admission to the Museum will remain free, ensuring that art and creativity are accessible to everyone in our community.”
Ermina Karim, Co-Chair of the SLOMA Board of Directors, added: “This project is about more than expanding gallery walls, it’s about expanding opportunity. When a city invests in creativity, it invests in connection, education and shared pride. A thriving cultural anchor like SLOMA draws people downtown, supports restaurants, retailers and hotels, and keeps our city vibrant year-round. The expansion will multiply that impact, creating jobs, driving visitor spending and strengthening the downtown core.
The $20 million project, to be completed in two phases, will nearly triple SLOMA’s exhibition capacity and add a multipurpose community gathering space, outdoor art terrace overlooking Mission Plaza, and museum store on Higuera St. Once open, the expanded Museum is conservatively projected to double attendance to nearly 110,000 visitors annually and generate $4–$6 million in new downtown spending each year.
To date, SLOMA has secured over $8 million in gifts and pledges, including nearly $600,000 toward a $2 million matching challenge grant from the Forbes family, which will match every dollar raised through December 2025. Once the match is met, total funds will exceed $11 million, more than half of the campaign goal.
The expansion also includes reimagining SLOMA’s historic building at 1010 Broad Street as a dedicated Education Center, doubling capacity for school and family programs, reviving beloved summer art camps and expanding partnerships with schools across the county. Standish added, “This project is an investment in San Luis Obispo’s future, one that strengthens downtown, expands access to the arts for all ages and ensures creativity remains central to who we are as a community.”
Visit sloma.org for updates, exhibitions, and public programs.