Also in 2007, Hallie Ford Museum of Art was given an American Masterpieces grant by the National Endowment for the Arts through the Oregon Arts Commission. This $50,000 grant helped to fund an exhibit entitled "The Art of Ceremony" regarding tribal ceremonies of Native American tribes in Oregon. The museum introduced the "Breath of Heaven, Breath of Earth" exhibit in 2013, which was billed as its most ambitious exhibit. The building housing the museum was built in 1965 for Pacific Northwest Bell. This International Style building contains on three floors (two above ground), and was designed by local architect James L. Payne. In 1996, the building then owned by US West Communications was purchased by the university. Willamette then remodeled the building during 1997 to 1998 with the design coming from Jon Weiner of Soderstrom Architects of Portland, Oregon. The building opened on October 3, 1998, with a two-story atrium gallery, curves located throughout the interior space, marble panels, and an enclosed garden on the exterior. Additionally, the brick faced structure has an exterior patio constructed of slate. There are a total of six galleries at the museum, with four used for permanent collections and two galleries used for traveling exhibits. In 2008, colored reflector panels were added to the narrow second floor windows in order to provide more color to the exterior. Measuring 69.5 inches high by 21.75 inches wide, some of the panels are illuminated from the interior. Hallie Ford Museum of Art has a diverse collection of art from across cultures and eras. Six exhibition galleries contain artwork from different mediums such as sculptures, paintings, basketry, and prints. Artwork includes Native American art, European paintings, American art, and contemporary art. The museum also features local art and artists. Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Gallery contains basketry made by Native American tribes in the Pacific Northwest. These pieces are from the Byrd and Polleski Collections acquired during the 1940s. The museum also contains the Carl Hall Gallery that holds a variety of work, including work by former faculty members. Other galleries at the museum include the Melvin Henderson-Rubio Gallery that exhibits traveling collections, General Collections Gallery that displays Asian and European artwork, the Study Gallery that shows small temporary collections, and the Print Study Room that exhibits prints and photographs. HFMA holds two paintings by German landscape painter Frederick Ferdinand Schafer (1839–1927). "Morning in the Adirondacks" and "Olympic Mountains, Washington" were both acquired in 1996 by the museum.