DUBUQUE, Iowa – The Dubuque Museum of Art (DuMA) has secured a temporary home during the construction of their new museum and arts campus: the Dupaco Voices Building in Dubuque’s Historic Millwork District. Thanks to an in-kind donation from Dupaco Credit Union, the museum will utilize 13,200 square feet on the first floor of the Dupaco Voices Building throughout the museum’s construction period.
“This is a full circle moment,” said Gary Stoppelman, Executive Director of the Dubuque Museum of Art. “We are so grateful to Dupaco for their generosity and hospitality. Twenty years ago, in 2005, DuMA was proud to join a visionary group of artists and community leaders who began a movement known as Voices from the Warehouse District that continues to animate the creative conversation today.”
“This is a major move forward,” said DuMA Building Committee Chair and Dupaco Board Director Bob Wethal. “We are inspired by the artful impact of Dupaco on life in the Millwork District and excited to introduce ourselves to a whole new audience.”
The buildout of the Voices space will allow the museum to host major exhibitions, experiment with new kinds of public programs, and invite the community to explore the collection in an entirely new light. Construction of museum quality galleries is set to begin this spring, with completion expected in September 2025. The museum is planning to launch its first exhibition at the Dupaco Voices Building in October.
Dupaco acknowledged the history of its operational headquarters, named Dupaco Voices Building. “The inclusion of ‘Voices’ in the name pays homage to the vision and efforts by a diverse collection of area artists who sparked the Millwork District renaissance as part of the Voices from the Warehouse District events,” says Wethal. “It was a positive and pivotal chapter in the building’s history.”
“At Dupaco, we believe in the transformative power of the arts to enrich our community. That’s why we’re proud to support the Dubuque Museum of Art by donating space in Voices,” said Joe Hearn, President and CEO of Dupaco Credit Union. “The museum’s addition to the Historic Millwork District will contribute to the vibrancy of the neighborhood, welcoming even more community members to explore the shops, eateries and other businesses in this notable area of Dubuque.”
DuMA is expected to remain at Voices until the end of 2027, when its new museum is complete. Dupaco members will automatically become Dubuque Museum of Art members throughout the timeline of this partnership between Dupaco and DuMA, which will grant members free admission to the museum.
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ABOUT DUPACO COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION
Dupaco Community Credit Union is a not-for-profit, member-owned financial cooperative headquartered in Dubuque, Iowa. It is dedicated to the financial well-being of its members, and specializes in personalized financial counseling, money advice and education. It offers savings, loans, investments, insurance and wealth management products for individuals and businesses. Dupaco serves residents in 118 counties throughout Iowa, northwest Illinois and southwest Wisconsin. Founded in 1948 by ten Dubuque Packing Company employees, membership has grown to more than 169,000 with assets exceeding $3.3 billion. It has over 600 employees and 23 branch office locations. Dupaco is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). It is a Forbes Best-in-State Credit Union, Forbes America’s Best Small Employer, and a Des Moines Register Top Workplace. Learn more at www.dupaco.com.
ABOUT DUBUQUE MUSEUM OF ART
The mission of the Dubuque Museum of Art (DuMA) is to create engaging art experiences that excite, inspire, and connect our community. DuMA’s vision is that our community will be a thriving cultural hub where people of diverse backgrounds and perspectives together achieve a deep understanding of the past, an empathetic view of the present, and an inspired outlook for the future.
As the first cultural institution in the state, DuMA is celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2024. This milestone is an occasion to honor the organization’s legacy and celebrate the tremendous opportunity ahead as the Museum undertakes a monumental capital expansion project. The new museum and arts campus will more than quadruple DuMA’s current footprint in the heart of downtown Dubuque and allow DuMA to more fully articulate its mission by showcasing more of its collection, engaging students and lifelong learners across the region, supporting efforts to attract, retain, and entertain residents and tourists, and developing the local creative economy. https://future.dbqart.org/
