The residents of Kittitas County have always cherished John Clymer. In 1988, the Western Art Association proposed the idea to build a museum to honor John Ford Clymer and his work. A committee was formed and the idea began to take form. 1989 would prove to be a busy year for the Clymer Committee. The Historical Ramsey building in downtown Ellensburg was purchased to be the home for the museum. Massive renovations were started, to include three gallery rooms, two offices, front desk/lobby, museum store, and fine art storage space. Aside from the renovations, approval was acquired from John and Doris, and with their support, the committee went forward with their plans. By late spring the building was ready to move into and on August 24th, 1991, the Clymer Museum of Art opened its doors to the public.

Since the grand opening, the Clymer Museum of Art has been able to provide artist demonstrations, lectures, school field trips, and visitor tours to its patrons. The museum has hosted over 60 different exhibits featuring artists from all over the United States and Canada. The museum has frequently featured artists from its local community, Kittitas County. In 2000, the Clymer was honored to be the recipient of a traveling Smithsonian exhibit titled Barn Again! Aside from the great variety of exhibits the Clymer Museum has hosted, the museum has evolved to include more awareness of John Clymer and his artwork, increase in their visitors, and the expansion of their John Clymer permanent collection. Through the support of the local community and esteemed members, the museum has become a valuable asset to Ellensburg and a center for the community.  

Looking ahead, the museum sees their upstairs renovation as a goal and a reality. Within the next several years the museum will be fundraising and working for a goal to renovate the second floor of their historical Ramsey Building. Their plans include three phases.

Phase One
Renovate the front of the second floor to include new office spaces, and conference rooms. An elevator would be installed for convenience to visitors and a new heating and air conditioning system would be installed.

Phase Two
New gallery space for visiting artist, leaving the main floor for John Clymer's permanent exhibit. Additional storage and archive space will be added for artwork preservation. Within the gallery room, activity rooms will be built to house a research library, project room, teaching space and rooms for educational assistance.

Phase Three
This phase will include any additional updates needed for the Clymer permanent collection.

We look forward to fulfilling the goals for the museum