The Singapore Art Museum (SAM) is widely known for its collection and display of 20th century Singapore and Southeast Asian modern and contemporary art. It is also known for being one of the first art museums with international standard museum facilities and programs in Southeast Asia.  SAM joins a league of new generation museums around the world with well-executed exhibitions and community outreach.

The museum was opened in January 1996  at the restored 19th-century old St Joseph's institution building on Bras Basah Road with a  comprehensive two-component exhibition on Themes in Southeast Asian Art and a Century of art in Singapore.

Meeting with the West and the Best:
The museum has hosted several international shows following its first year of establishment including Leonardo da Vinci: Scientist-Inventor-Artist, Tryst with Destiny: Art in Independent India, German Art: 1960s to 1970s, The Origins of Modern art in France and more recently, Monet to Moore: Millennium Gift of The Sara Lee Corporation. This has enabled the museum to gain credible standing with its international counterpart and helped to provide a context and forum for art development and practices of Southeast Asia.

Unique C ollection: curetted
The art museum has the largest collection of 20th century Southeast Asian Art which is over 4000 art work. Along with Imaging Selves, the Museum's first exhibition featuring its permanent collection, the Museum has also organized country focus exhibitions, From There to Now and Soul Ties: The Land & Her People, on Malaysia and Indonesia respectively.

The art of the region is given international exposure through the Museum's travelling exhibition programme. In 2000, SAM has organized its first travelling exhibition on Southeast Asian art, titled Diobok-Obok, to various international venues.

Stimulating the Cultural Environment:
The art museum has all the arrangement that would stimulate the cultural taste of the visitors. The visitors can expect to find an interactive, living centre for art, with advanced museum facilities. Another exciting feature of the art museum is its electronic E-mage Gallery. This runs interactive programmes featuring some of the Museum's collection on a large visual monitor, a reference library, an auditorium, a multi-purpose hall, a museum shop, courtyards and a cafe, which is amazing and all together ensure a quality experience for visitors.