The Akron Art Museum first opened its doors in 1922 as the Akron Art Institute. Since that time, the museum has continued to enrich the lives of those in Northeast Ohio and beyond through modern art. Its collection is nationally recognized, and three acquisitions endowments have been created to ensure the collection's future growth. In 2007, the museum more than tripled in size with the opening of the new John S. and James L. Knight Building, creating a cultural hub for the community and serving as a symbol for Akron's embrace of the twenty-first century. The new structure adjoins the original building. Spanning three centuries, like the museum's collection, together they symbolize the museum's dual role as preserver of the past and herald of the future.