Herron School of Art and Design, officially IU Herron School of Art and Design, is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...

art school An art school is an educational institution with a primary focus on practice and related theory in the visual arts and design. This includes fine art – especially illustration, painting, contemporary art, sculpture, and graphic design. T ...

at Indiana University–Indianapolis (IUI) in

Indianapolis Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...

Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...

. It is a professional art school and has been accredited by the

National Association of Schools of Art and Design The National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), founded in 1944, is an accrediting organization of colleges, schools and universities in the United States. The organization establishes standards for graduate and undergraduate degrees ...

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 Indiana University (IU) is a state university system, system of Public university, public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. The system has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration o ...

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 May Wright Sewall ( Mary Eliza Wright; May 27, 1844 – July 22, 1920) was an American reformer, who was known for her service to the causes of education, women's rights, and world peace. She was born in Greenfield, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. ...

. 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). ;1900s As a result of Herron's gift, the John Herron Art Institute was formed in 1902 to serve as an

art museum An art museum or art gallery is a building or space for the display of art, usually from the museum's own Collection (artwork), collection. It might be in public or private ownership, be accessible to all, or have restrictions in place. Although ...

and an art school. The Institute's Herron Museum, an Italian Renaissance Revival-style building, was designed by Vonnegut and Bohn architects and located at 1701 North Pennsylvania Street in the present-day Morton Place. The institute's main building was designed by

Paul Philippe Cret Paul Philippe Cret (October 23, 1876 – September 8, 1945) was a French-born Philadelphia architect and industrial designer. For more than thirty years, he taught at a design studio in the Department of Architecture at the University of Pennsyl ...

in 1929 and was the second facility in the nation designed specifically for art education. The first core faculty included Indiana

Impressionist Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by visible brush strokes, open Composition (visual arts), composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage ...

painters of the

Hoosier Group The Hoosier Group was a group of Indiana Impressionist painters working in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Artists considered members of the Group include T. C. Steele, Richard Gruelle, William Forsyth, J. Ottis Adams, and Otto Stark. ...

: T.C. Steele,

J. Ottis Adams John Ottis Adams (July 8, 1851 – January 28, 1927) was an American Impressionist painter and art educator who is best known as a member of the Hoosier Group of Indiana landscape painters, along with William Forsyth, Richard B. Gruelle, Otto ...

, William Forsyth, Richard Gruelle, and

Otto Stark Otto Stark (January 29, 1859 – April 14, 1926) was an American Impressionist painter, muralist, commercial artist, printmaker, and illustrator from Indianapolis, Indiana, who is best known as one of the five Hoosier Group artists. Stark's wo ...

. The sculptor Rudolph Schwarz was also in the first core faculty. ;1960s Fesler Hall, constructed in 1962, was a major addition to the John Herron Art Institute site along N. Pennsylvania St. It was Indianapolis architect

Evans Woollen III Evans Woollen III (August 10, 1927 – May 17, 2016) was an American architect who is credited for introducing the Modern and the Brutalist architecture styles to his hometown of Indianapolis, Indiana. Woollen, a fellow of the American Institu ...

's first civic commission. The three-story academic building was a freestanding wing addition that connected via a covered walkway to the original, Cret-designed main building. Both of these structures are still standing. Woollen's addition was noted for its use of reinforced concrete and exposed columns, typical of

Brutalist architecture Brutalist architecture is an architectural style that emerged during the 1950s in the United Kingdom, among the reconstruction projects of the post-war era. Brutalist buildings are characterised by Minimalism (art), minimalist constructions th ...

, and its deeply coffered ceilings. The project was funded through a bequest of

Caroline Marmon Fesler Caroline Marmon Fesler (1878 – December 28, 1960) was an American art and music patron, cultural philanthropy, philanthropist, and fine-art collector. Her contributions to the Indianapolis, Indiana, arts community included financial support and ...

, a former board member and president of the Indianapolis Art Association. In 1967, the Herron School of Art became a school of

. Two years later, it became part of IUPUI, located near downtown Indianapolis. In 1970, the

Indianapolis Museum of Art The Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) is an encyclopedic art museum located at Newfields, a campus that also houses Lilly House, The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park, the Garden at Newfields and more. It is located at the corner of No ...

separated from the school, taking with it a majority of Herron's art collection. ;2000s EH at IUPUI CIMG0247

The Herron School of Art and Design launched a capital campaign to raise funds for new buildings in 1999, and in 2000 a

ceramic art Ceramic art is art made from ceramic materials, including clay. It may take varied forms, including artistic pottery, including tableware, tiles, figurines and other sculpture. As one of the plastic arts, ceramic art is a visual art. While ...

s facility was opened. In 2000, Herron School of Art and Design was among the earliest tenants to set up residency in the recently established

Harrison Center Harrison Center is a community-based arts nonprofit based in the Old Northside Historic District of Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The center hosts 36 artists in 24/7 studios, eight galleries, and serves 93,000 annually. History Build ...

. In 2003, ''The Herron Chronicle'' was published detailing the past 100 years of the school's history. In 2005, Eskenazi Hall, the current home of the school, was completed. This facility tripled the amount of space available to Herron students and includes a library, a 240-seat auditorium, of gallery space, and several computer labs. Since 2006, Herron's original academic buildings have housed

Herron High School Herron High School is a public charter school in Indianapolis, Indiana. It opened for the 2006–2007 school year. Herron is a college preparatory school, providing a classical-based education, and serves grades 9–12. It is located at 110 Eas ...

, a classical liberal arts charter high school.

Degrees offered

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

*Art History Bachelor of Art Education

Bachelor of Fine Arts A Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) is a standard undergraduate degree for students pursuing a professional education in the visual arts, Fine art, or performing arts. In some instances, it is also called a Bachelor of Visual Arts (BVA). Background ...

*Ceramics *Furniture Design *Drawing and Illustration *Integrative Studio Practices *Painting *Photography *Printmaking *Sculpture *Visual Communication Design Master of Art Therapy

Master of Fine Arts A Master of Fine Arts (MFA or M.F.A.) is a terminal degree in fine arts, including visual arts, creative writing, graphic design, photography, filmmaking, dance, theatre, other performing arts and in some cases, theatre management or arts admi ...

*Visual Communication Design *Visual Art Minors and Certificates *Art History Minor *Book Arts Minor *Design Production Minor *Design Thinking for Collaborative Innovation Certificate *Pre-Art Therapy Certificate *Studio Art & Technology Minor

Benefactors

Caroline Marmon Fesler: The daughter of local industrialist and automobile manufacturer Daniel W. Marmon, she studied painting in Europe. Later, she became a well-known art collector, especially of 20th-century modernist works, many of which she later gave to the Herron Museum—including ''Grey Hills'' by her friend,

Georgia O'Keeffe Georgia Totto O'Keeffe (November 15, 1887 March 6, 1986) was an American Modernism, modernist painter and drafter, draftswoman whose career spanned seven decades and whose work remained largely independent of major art movements. Called the "M ...

. Along with Sullivan, Fesler propelled the Herron Museum into the era of modern art. Herman C. Krannert: Founder and president of Inland Container Corporation, Krannert agreed to take charge of the Art Association in 1960, at a point when the organization was struggling to stay afloat. Krannert insisted the group reorganize its board and its way of doing business, including creating the position of board chairman—he became the first person to have that title and he held it for 12 years. His tenure culminated in relocating the museum from the Herron campus at 16th and Pennsylvania streets to its current site at W. 38th St. and Michigan Rd., and the Art Association's name was changed to the Indianapolis Museum of Art.

Notable alumni

References

External links

Herron.iupui.edu: official IUPUI Herron School of Art and Design website

Iupui.edu: official IUPUI—Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis websiteIndianapolis Museum of Art blog: the 125th IMA Anniversary "Power to the People" exhibit
— history of IMA.

* ttps://archive.org/stream/AboutJohnHerron_20160121?ref=ol#page/n0/mode/2up A biography of John Herronby

Donald Prell Donald B. Prell (July 7, 1924 – July 28, 2020) was an American World War II veteran, venture capitalist and futurist who created ''Datamation'', the first magazine devoted solely to the computer hardware and software industry. Early life Prell ...