I went back to the IU Art Museum recently with my artist sister-in-law and spent a pleasant couple of hours there. We were drawn to different things but both enjoyed our time very much. If you are at a loose end in Bloomington this should be on your list.
Very nice place with many pieces to see. Plan on a hour+. Just west the large fountain in the middle of the campus. Nice for all ages.
There is excellent art in this museum. It was unexpected treat. The building is spectacular. Parking was difficult - we visited in January and it was cold, snowy and we had to park a few blocks away and pay $2 per half hour to park. We learned later that you could call ahead to the museum to get suggestions on parking alternatives. My husband and I have visited many art museums and this one is quite good. I would consider it interesting but not on par with Smithsonian or other world class museums.
I was very excited to see this fabulous exhibit of tribal art as I am an art teacher. It gave me an excellent resource for my students.
This is a very nice collection, beautifully displayed in a nice building. Definitely worth a visit if you are in the area. The building itself is particularly beautiful. Designed by I M Pei, the entry hall is lovely.
Matisse exhibit was narrowly focused on his paper cuts, and it was cool to be able to see all of them together as he assembled them for the folio. They have an wonderful curator there and every year have a special exhibit you won't see even at the Art Institute of Chicago - Bloomington has a surprisingly deep collection. Worth a trip onto campus if you are an art museum type person. Park at the Union and walk the short two blocks up the hill. It's across from the Lilly Library- also worth stopping by.
The Indiana University art Museum is world class. The museum consists of four flours and art and artifacts. They will have exhibits on loan that are world renown and has it's own world class art. An outstanding place for a day of enjoyment and education.
I. M. Pei was the architect for the building. The only right angles are where the walls meet the ceiling and floor. This helps create some interesting spaces. The collection is nice and the staff is helpful.
Bloomington is a small University town which is rich in cultural life. Music School is best in US and art scene is blossoming.IU Art museum is offering an extensive collection of art on three floors.
An excellent college art museum in an I.M. Pei designed building. A hulking concrete structure from the outside, it is a light filled wonder on the inside. Similar (though not nearly as elaborate) to the national Gallery East Building in Washington D.C., the building is based on two triangles, one for galleries and one for special exhibitions and the library with an atrium and grand staircase between them. All the galleries have walls and ceiling based on the triangular theme which leads to interesting spaces compared to your typical rectangular art museum. The top floor has Africa, Oceania and the America’s, the second floor is Ancient and Asian Art with the ground floor showcases western art. All three galleries are the same size. I didn’t care much for African art, the ancient art selection was very good, but the main floor gallery was the best with a diverse selection of art from modern to baroque. The museum is free and photography is allowed. Like several people have said, security hovers a little more than they should, but they weren’t too annoying on my visit, unless you are the only person in the gallery.As with all liberal colleges, parking is a nightmare, with more elaborate rules, regulations and punishment than in a communist country. It was bad before but now there is construction all around the museum making it much worse. There are metered spots behind the museum with excellent signs pointing the way through a maze of construction barricades. But the spots are not reserved for the museum and students snatch them up early. Your best bet for a visit is on a non-sports weekend.The area around the museum is very pleasant with the wonderful fountain, just watch out the speed cyclists on the sidewalk.