In 2002, Michael and Judy Gibbons met with friends to form a non-profit organization under the auspices of the Toledo Community Foundation to foster a growing arts community within Toledo.  Soon after, a board of directors was chosen and monthly meetings were established. By 2006, the Foundation received it's official status as a 501c3 non-profit, and became the Yaquina River Museum of Art. 

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The primary mission of the Yaquina River Museum of Art is the creation and preservation of an exhibition environment in which to demonstrate the power of art to inspire, educate and enrich our lives, focusing on works of art generated by and about the land, people and industry of the Yaquina River watershed region.

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Throughout the years since, The Yaquina River Museum of Art has been active in the community, sponsoring once a month 1st Weekend Art shows open for all Toledo artists to participate in and Art Walk, an annual show now celebrating 26 years featuring Toledo artists and guests over the Labor Day weekend. The Plein Air Competition and Show, happily in the 6th year of showing work painted in the Yaquina Watershed is also sponsored by YRMA in conjunction with Art Walk. 

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At the heart of the museum is the Permanent Collection of Art which is rotated for viewing by the public twice a year.  Other exhibitions consist of the Yaquina Traveling exhibit; Promise (yearly Christmas show); Annual Plein Air Competition show; and a selected Northwest artist’s work.

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The Yaquina River Museum of Art continues to support the community at large by bringing awareness to the works of local artists, and to the beauty of the land.

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