Museums & Galleries

Students enjoy professional exhibitions and present their own work to the public in a variety of venues.

Photo of artworks on display in a museum gallery

Krannert Art Museum

Krannert Art Museum, which sits adjacent to the School of Art & Design, boasts a rich permanent collection that contains over 10,000 works of art dating from the fourth millennium BCE to the present, representing a broad a range of cultures and varied modes of artistic expression. As the second largest general fine arts museum in Illinois, KAM is nationally recognized for its extensive collections of ancient Andean, European, and American art, including twentieth-century paintings, photographs, and works on paper. Each year the museum hosts temporary exhibitions, as well as a group faculty exhibition and BFA and MFA exhibitions.

Photo of artworks on display in a museum gallery
Photo of artworks on pedestals in a gallery with picture windows

Between the entrance of the School of Art & Design and the Krannert Art Museum lies the Link Gallery, a space stretching 100 feet and enclosed by walls of glass windows. The Link Gallery is dedicated to the exhibition of student work year round.

Photo of artworks on pedestals in a gallery with picture windows
Bright view in the Great Hall at KCPA

Krannert Center for the Performing Arts

Dubbed by the New York Times as “the Lincoln Center of the Midwest,” the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts is one of America’s premier venues for professional performance. The center includes Foellinger Great Hall, the Tryon Festival Theatre, the Colwell Playhouse, the Studio Theatre (a black box studio), and an outdoor amphitheatre. In addition, the center houses classrooms, rehearsal halls, studios, and shops for scenery, costumes, and property construction. This facility offers tremendous possibility to students interested in multidisciplinary projects involving performative arts.

Bright view in the Great Hall at KCPA
View of the Japanese garden at the Japan House with soft green forms and the tea house at the right

Japan House

Established in 1998, Japan House is an outgrowth of the School of Art + Design’s longtime interest in Japanese art and culture. The property includes three authentic tea rooms and two tranquil Japanese gardens. Aside from providing educational services to the public, Japan House offers academic courses on Japanese aesthetics available to University of Illinois students.

View of the Japanese garden at the Japan House with soft green forms and the tea house at the right
Photo of Ancient Mediterranean gallery at the Spurlock

Spurlock Museum of World Cultures

The Spurlock Museum highlights the diversity of cultures around the globe and displays an intriguing array of artistic objects culled from societies past and present, near and far.

Photo of Ancient Mediterranean gallery at the Spurlock

For decades, the Art Coalition Gallery in the basement of the School of Art + Design Building has been a popular spot for student exhibitions. Primarily used by undergraduate majors, the ACG hosts four or five exhibits per semester.

The Illini Union Art Gallery, sponsored by the Illini Union Board, showcases works of students, faculty, and staff, as well as local artists and traveling exhibits. The Illini Union Art Gallery regularly rotates exhibits and is located on the first floor of the Illini Union in the northwest corner of the building.

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