In 1997, the William S. Fairfield Foundation was created with Irene G. Newkirk installed as Chairwoman. The Foundation purchased the building at Third and Michigan Streets in downtown Sturgeon Bay and commissioned John Vinci of Chicago, an internationally recognized restoration architect, to create within it an elegant and functional setting that would be appropriate to house art exhibitions, cultural and educational programs. While the building itself has great historical value, its completely renovated interior-galleries, offices, meeting rooms and public spaces - moves gracefully into the future. It is also worth noting that the renovation is consistent with Henry Moore's exploration of the relationships between interior and exterior spaces.

The Fairfield, formerly known as the William S. Fairfield Public Gallery and Art Museum, opened its doors on November 27, 1998. The initial exhibit of works of Henry Moore was followed by an exhibit of Australian Aboriginal art in January. Since then, there have been an average of 8 - 10 exhibits per year. Aside from the Moore collection, other significant exhibits have included American Studio Glass: A Survey of the Movement, an exhibit of works by Leroy Neiman, a retrospective of works by Robert Bateman, American Glass Masters, Norman Rockwell's Home for the Holidays, a collection of paperweights from the Bergstrom-Mahler Museum, an exhibit of works by three influential modernists Marc Chagall, Henry Moore & Laszlo Matulay and most recently Contemporary Icons: Prints of the '80s and '90s highlighting the work of artists Robert Rauschenberg, Nicolas Africano, Sam Gilliam, Adja Yunkers, Carol Hepper, Brooks Stevens and many others.