Summer Festival of the Arts - 113 Days of Art

Even the building that houses the IU Art Museum is artistically significant, designed by I.M. Pei and featuring a triangular atrium. Its internationally acclaimed collections, ranging from ancient gold jewelry and African masks to paintings by Claude Monet and Pablo Picasso, include more than 40,000 objects representing nearly every art-producing culture throughout history.

Hours: Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.

The galleries are closed on Mondays and all major national holidays.

The IU Auditorium has featured big acts since its opening in 1941. From Broadway musicals to comedians and politicians, the university's most prestigious guests have made this stage their home for a night. The 3,200-seat theatre was built as a Federal Works Agency Project during Franklin Roosevelt's presidency. The Hall of Murals is decorated with marble walls and features the famous Thomas Hart Benton "Century of Progress" murals, which the artist originally painted for the 1933 Chicago World's Fair.

The newest addition to Indiana University Bloomington’s collection of world-class performing spaces, the IU Cinema is located in the same building as the IU Auditorium. Two projectors convert vintage 16mm to 35mm film, and new technology includes projectors for slides, VHS, and DVD. A high-definition digital projector, sound system, and nearly 300 plush seats create an embracing atmosphere for movie-goers. The cinema has been a favorite exhibition space for festivals, film conferences, and student projects.

The IU Department of Theatre and Drama’s Lee Norvelle Theatre and Drama Center provides three venues for large-production Broadway acts, musicals, classic and Shakespearean plays, and experimental theatre. The Ruth N. Halls Theatre is the largest of the performance spaces, seating 443 and accommodating a 30-piece orchestra. The Wells-Metz Theatre is the second-largest of the performance spaces, with 236 seats, an overhead suspension grid, and a full stage trap room. The Studio Theatre, the newest of three performance spaces, is an ideal location for independent student productions and faculty projects.

The Grunwald Gallery is in Room 123 of the Henry Radford Hope School of Fine Arts. Formerly known as the SoFA Gallery, it was renamed in 2011 in honor of John A. Grunwald, whose widow, Rita Grunwald, has been a generous supporter of the space. With clean lines and plenty of breathing room, the space is a palette for student and professional art. Exhibits often include educational lectures, tours, and performances.

Hours: Tuesday–Saturday, noon–4 p.m. Closed Sundays and Mondays.

A broad variety of music performances from the nation’s premier school of music are scheduled in these venues: light-filled Auer Hall (Simon Music Center), intimate Ford-Crawford Hall (Simon Music Center), the world-class Musical Arts Center (MAC), and historic Recital Hall.

The Kinsey Institute at Indiana University works towards advancing sexual health and knowledge worldwide. For more than 60 years, the institute has been a trusted source for investigating and informing the world about critical issues in sex, gender, and reproduction. The Kinsey Institute Gallery showcases selected pieces from the Institute’s extensive collection of art, artifacts, and photography.

Hours: Monday–Friday, 1:30–5 p.m.

Due to adult content, visitors should be 18 years of age or older, unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. Visitors may view the gallery during gallery hours without an appointment. To schedule a gallery visit at another time, please call (812) 855-7686. The gallery is closed for all major and federal holidays.

One of the largest and most impressive rare book and manuscript libraries in the nation, the Lilly Library houses more than 400,000 books, more than 7.5 million manuscripts, more than 150,000 pieces of sheet music, and an incredible variety of original artifacts spanning fields that include British and American history and literature, voyages and travels, maps and atlases, Latin Americana, the history of science and medicine, popular culture, music, and film studies. Ongoing exhibits and the library itself are open to the public.

Viewings of special collections are available during regular hours and by appointment.

The Mathers Museum is a free cultural museum showcasing art and objects from African, Asian, Latin American, and Native American cultures. Tibetan thankas, Sea Island Gullah quilts, and Middle-Eastern tapestries are exmaples of the 400-piece textile collection. One of the largest instrument collections in the country showcases more than 2,000 ethnomusicology items from every continent. The museum’s photography collection includes images of Native Americans and the Bloomington community.

Hours: Tuesday–Friday, 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 1–4:30 p.m.

Built in 1835, the Wylie House was the home of Indiana University’s first president, Andrew Wylie, and his family. Today the Wylie House is owned and operated by Indiana University as a historic house museum recreating the Wylie home prior to 1860. It also features a rich textile collection and hosts historic photography exhibits.

Hours: Tuesday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–2 p.m., or by special appointment. Closed Sundays and Mondays and all major holidays.