Overview
History
The Herron School of Art and Design boasts a rich tradition. The roots of the school were planted in 1877, when it was established as the first school in Indiana dedicated to the teaching of art on a professional level. A professional art school, as defined by Herron’s accrediting body (the National Association of Schools of Art and Design), is one in which 65% or more of the curriculum is comprised of studio art and art history courses. After several years of intermittent instruction, the school resumed on a permanent basis in 1902.
In 1967, Herron became a school of Indiana University. Two years later, with the creation of Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), Herron became part of this innovative approach to higher education.
In 1999, Herron launched its first ever capital campaign to raise funds for a new school. Completion of part one of this two-stage process was celebrated in 2000 with the opening of its new state-of-the-art Sculpture and Ceramics Facility, just north of the IUPUI campus.
Five years later, Herron opened the doors to its new home, Eskenazi Hall, on the campus of IUPUI. This new 169,000 square-foot facility tripled Herron’s previous square footage and brought all remaining art programs together under one roof. The new building provides the students with more than 70 art and design studios, graduate studios, four galleries, sculpture gardens, a comprehensive art library, a grand hall, a student lounge, conference rooms, up-to-date technologies, and other amenities to enhance all of the school’s academic and community outreach programs.
Herron has completed more than 100 years of education in the visual arts. Throughout its history, the school has educated numerous successful artists, educators, curators, and designers and will continue to be a nationally recognized arts institution.