Herron School of Art and Design

Herron School of Art and Design, officially IU Herron School of Art and Design, is a public art school at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is a professional art school and has been accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design since 1952. The art school was founded in 1902 as the John Herron Art Institute, operating as an independent institution until its acquisition by Indiana University in 1967. In 2005, Herron relocated to Eskenazi Hall on the IUPUI campus after more than 100 years in the Herron–Morton Place neighborhood of Indianapolis. Herron includes five galleries that exhibit contemporary works of art by national and international contemporary artists and designers, as well as the work of Herron faculty, alumni, and students; and the Basile Center for Art, Design, and Public Life, which enriches educational and interdisciplinary activities through civic engagement and community partnerships. and was ranked 73rd overall by U.S. News & World Report among graduate schools of fine arts in 2022. History 1800s The Art Association of Indianapolis, formerly the Indiana School of Art, was established in 1883. In 1895, John Herron bequeathed most of his fortune (almost $250,000) to the Association, which was headed by suffragette May Wright Sewall. Herron, who had moved to Indianapolis about 15 years earlier, owned several rental properties on the near north side and a large farm in Franklin County, Indiana. His gift came as a complete surprise to Art Association of Indianapolis members. Herron stipulated that the money be used to build a museum and art school in his name. (Due to inflation, $250,000 in 1895 would be equivalent to about $7 million in 2014).