History

A rich legacy that reflects the cultural vitality of Indianapolis

Herron School of Art and Design started as a private school in 1902, and those roots still grow today at the urban IU Indianapolis campus.

The more you explore Indianapolis, the more you will recognize Herron's integral role in shaping our surroundings. You'll discover the footprints of Herron students, alumni, and faculty all over the city – in galleries, classrooms, boutiques, museums, restaurants, design firms, and cooperative artist studios.

It is this trailblazing spirit and the prestige of an Indiana University degree that attracts students to Herron each year.

Herron continues to do what it has always done: teach aspiring artists how to develop and hone their skills, channel their talents, and make art that evokes emotions, provokes thought and invokes ideas.

Harriet Warkel, "The Herron Chronicle" (Indiana University Press, 2003)

Glimpses of Herron's history

The original location of John Herron Art Institute at 16th and Pennsylvania Streets. IU Indianapolis University Library Special Collections and Archives. © 2002-2004. The Trustees of Indiana University.
Herron students drawing an elegantly-draped life model in 1927. IU Indianapolis University Library Special Collections and Archives. © 2002-2004. The Trustees of Indiana University.
Herron's graduating class of 1928. IU Indianapolis University Library Special Collections and Archives. © 2002-2004. The Trustees of Indiana University.
Internationally renowned kinetic sculptor George Rickey speaking to Herron students in 1965 about his professional art practice. IU Indianapolis University Library Special Collections and Archives. © 2002-2004. The Trustees of Indiana University.
Sculpture professor Gary Freeman firing up Herron's new foundry in 1970. IU Indianapolis University Library Special Collections and Archives. © 2002-2004. The Trustees of Indiana University.
Claude Picasso, a self-taught photographer and the son of Pablo Picasso, visiting Herron in 1970. IU Indianapolis University Library Special Collections and Archives. © 2002-2004. The Trustees of Indiana University.

Herron highlights

1895

A $200,000 bequest from John Herron, an Indianapolis businessman, establishes an art school and museum in his name.

1902

Herron springs to life as the John Herron Art Institute, a private art school and museum located at the corner of 16th and Pennsylvania Streets.

1958

Herron joins the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), a newly formed accrediting body.

1967

The museum separates to become the Indianapolis Museum of Art (Newfields) while the school joins Indiana University. Two years later, Herron and other professional schools are united to form IUPUI.

2000

A new building opens on Indiana Avenue, housing the school's undergraduate sculpture and ceramics programs.

2005

Herron relocates to its new building, Eskenazi Hall, on the IUPUI campus, adjacent to the museums of White River State Park and the Indianapolis Cultural Trail.

2006

The Basile Center for Art, Design and Public Life is established as a hub for career development and connecting Herron talent with community partners.

2013

Herron's sculpture and ceramics building is expanded and dedicated as the Eskenazi Fine Arts Center.

2015

The Think It Make It Lab is established to promote the creative use of new technologies and provide a collaborative environment for research, experimentation, and innovation.

2024

The Department of Music and Arts Technology joins the school, building on Herron's strengths and expanding opportunities for faculty and students with music technology and music therapy programs.

Herron around Indy

The work of Herron students, faculty, and alumni has marked the Indianapolis landscape for more than a century. The school's civic engagement starts at home but extends well beyond the Midwest to far-flung places.

  • Indiana's state flag was designed by former Herron faculty member Paul Hadley and officially adopted in 1917.
  • The city's centerpiece, the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, features sculpture work by former Herron faculty member Rudolf Schwarz.
  • Herron alumnus Rik Tommasone (B.F.A. Visual Communication '06) designed the Lilly Medal, which is awarded by the Indianapolis Zoo biannually to the recipient of the Indianapolis Prize – the world's leading award for animal conservation.
  • Internationally known artist and Herron alumnus Don Gummer created the sculpture "Southern Circle" for the Meridian Street Plaza, a park-like setting in front of Rolls-Royce Meridian Center.
  • The murals, signage, and environmental designs created by Herron alums Emily Gable (B.F.A. Painting '11), Rebekah and Eric Nolan (B.F.A. Visual Communication '08), and Brian Presnell (B.F.A. Furniture Design '96) have helped shape the brand identities of restaurants, businesses, and libraries across the city.

Explore the many ways our alumni are shaping the world via Herron stories and the hashtag #HerronAlumni on Instagram.