Museum Director and CEO Dr. Evan M. Maurer envisions the Institute as a place which reaches out to, and effectively involves, the broadest possible constituency. The mission of the Institute, approved as part of a strategic planning process which concluded in 1995, follows:

The Institute is a world leader in the application of new interactive technologies for delivering educational and interpretative materials; it is one of only a few art museum with full-time staff committed to the development of new educational technologies. During the past five years, the museum's Interactive Media Group has received six international awards, and articles describing the museum's leadership in gallery-based multimedia have appeared in The New York Times and Business Week.

Established in 1879 as the personal art collection of Thomas Barlow Walker, the Walker Art Center was the first public art gallery in the Upper Midwest. The museum's focus on contemporary art began in the 1940s, and today the Walker is one of the foremost originators of major twentieth-century art exhibitions in the United States. In addition to its role as a major arts presenter, the Walker also hosts creative residencies for artists and commissions new works, often in association with other local and national organizations. In 1993, under the leadership of Director Kathy Halbreich, a five-year long range planning process was completed, and the Walker formally adopted the following mission statement:

"The Walker Art Center is a catalyst for the creative expression of artists and the active engagement of audiences. Focusing on the visual, performing, and media arts of our time, the Walker takes a multidisciplinary approach to the creation, presentation, interpretation, collection, and preservation of art. Walker programs examine the questions that shape and inspire us as individuals, cultures, and communities."

While more than one million people visited the museum, participated in its programs, or viewed its international touring exhibitions in "real time" last year, countless others visited the Walker's Web site. The New Media Initiatives department was created to help further the Walker's mission through the use of innovative forms of electronic media, particularly the Internet. The initiative's primary objectives are to use computers to allow visitors easy and quick access to the wealth of information available in the museums; to offer contextual points of view from curators, educators, guest lectures, and artists; and to provide a forum for creative expression through technology. With this critical technological shift, the museum's reach is without borders; its possibilities truly boundless.