The National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture is the only self-standing cultural institution in the nation devoted to showcasing and preserving Puerto Rican arts and historic exhibitions year-round.

NMPRAC is about the past, present, and future. It will provide a one-of-a-kind showcase for the vast array of traditional and contemporary Puerto Rican arts. It will tell the story of the contributions of people from Puerto Rico in the making of this city and of this nation. It will be a cultural center for all people.

NMPRAC will establish a permanent collection of art by Puerto Rican artists and will offer year-round exhibitions, both original and traveling; a lecture series; arts education workshops; a film series, and an annual fine arts and crafts festival.

When visiting NMPRAC, younger generations will learn first-hand about the experiences of the parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents who came from the island of Puerto Rico to establish a new life in Chicago and other major cities on the continent. NMPRAC's arts education workshops will help to preserve and express the richness and vibrancy of Puerto Rican culture and its relevance and place in the making of the United States. In this way, the Institute will also promote greater cross-cultural understanding.