Eskenazi Museum of Art — Attraction in Bloomington

Few university art museums have a collection as wide-ranging as the Eskenazi's. Using the museum's own words, its "thoughtfully collected objects represent nearly every art-producing culture throughout history." That is no exaggeration. The African and the Oceanic collections here are impressively diverse. How often do you get to see a carving from Madagascar, or a figure from Atauro Island in an U.S. art museum, let alone one in a university? On the other hand, a few other collections are noticeably smaller, and they leave me with the impression that the only reason they are on display is to make the permanent exhibitions encyclopedic.

The very well-written and detailed labels are a huge plus point. Not only are they arranged by geographic regions and cultural groups, they are also supplemented by educational and interesting themes. Given the all-encompassing nature of the collection here, maps would be a nice addition on introductory labels.

On the contrary, lighting may be the most disappointing part of this otherwise great museum. It does not enhance the viewing experience of the art and often reflects on the display cases. Worse still, because what would normally be displayed separately (e.g. African art and Pre-Columbian art) is grouped together in one single gallery space at the Eskenazi, lighting tends to be uniform on most pieces. While I'm not an expert on lighting, it doesn't feel right if Roman marbles and Buddhist sculptures are lighted the same way.

My obsession about lighting shouldn't, and probably won't deter anyone from visiting this place. Free admission, multiple entrances that lead directly to different levels, and a high-ceilinged atrium (though doesn't feel particularly spacious) join force to make the Eskenazi an inviting space to learn about and enjoy art from different areas and eras, or, again, using the museum's own words, "to see the world without leaving...

Let’s begin with what’s wonderful! It’s a perfect gem of a collection that doesn’t overwhelm. I particularly like the African and Oceanic section but that’s only because it’s my cup of tea. My advice to anyone interested in bringing great art into your home for relative peanuts is to acquire African art. Fly to Cape Town, walk down Long Street and don’t be afraid to go a little crazy buying stuff. Now back to the Eskenazi. Each piece illustrates something well worth contemplating. Those willing to take the time to read the very thoughtful descriptions will enrich their experience. The I.M. Pei architectural masterpiece that houses the collection speaks for itself. Before I get to what upsets me, let me preface it by expressing my deep gratitude to all the philanthropists who have endowed our beloved alma mater. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! The Eskenazi family surely had nothing but good intentions I’m sure but in this case I can’t help thinking how many 100’s of full ride scholarships for promising young artists or endowed chairs could have been paid for rather than gutting the most beautiful library on campus and turning it into nondescript educational classrooms. The delightfully quirky little gift shop has been turned into a generic lifeless coffee shop with nothing exceptional to eat or drink and a sad little offering of postcards and whatnot. Hats off to the friendly well informed staff and the excellent art administrators associated with one of Indiana’s...

Built from 1979-1981 by the firm of I.M. Pei, this is the fourth home of the Indiana University permanent art collection. It houses nearly 45,000 pieces with around 3-4% of the collection on display at any given time. While there are certainly masterworks always on display, some areas of the collections are changed every semester to every year.

There are four galleries -- the first floor with Western art from early Christianity until now; the second floor with ancient and Asian art; the third floor with Mesoamerican, Pacific, and African art; the Hexagon with 2-3 special exhibits that change at least twice a year. The galleries are open Tuesdays through Saturdays 10am to 5pm and Sundays Noon to 5pm; the galleries are closed on Mondays for docent and staff training and work. The IUAM is always free and every Saturday afternoon you can take a guided tour. There are monthly special tours and weekly lectures that you can learn about on the IUAM website. The collection is not built from tax money but from donations and grants.

Complaints about the security guards are unwarranted; they protect the collections and they protect you. If you are told to remove a bag or to step back, you are probably doing something wrong. This is NOT a children's hands-on museum, you can visit one of those up in Indy.

Just please note that I am a docent for this museum but I am being as objective as possible in this review while trying to address some misinformation I've seen in a few...