Eskenazi Museum of Art

My wife and I are not huge art museum people, but we decided to visit. The building is amazing. A project designed by I M Pei...it alone is a reason to visit. The galleries were nicely laid out. While this is not the largest museum I have seen, it has a nicely curated selection of art. Notable are pieces from classical and modern masters like Matisse, Rodan, Pollock, and Picasso. The docent staff was very friendly and welcoming.

I will never look at African art the same way after all I learned in their African Art wing. When we went to pay for admission we found it was free. But parking was steep.

This place is amazing!!! The best art museum I have ever visited in a public university. What an incredible gift this donation was to the university.

Parking: Follow Google maps almost all the way to the museum on the IU campus. Find the big red attendant kiosk that says "Permit Parking Only" (or something like that). Drive up to the kiosk and get a ticket from the attendant. For every half hour parked, you pay around $2.50. I stayed for about 2.5 hours and paid $15. Free admission. Beautiful museum full of equally gorgeous art. You can spend hours upon hours here. Many student attendants are walking about to help you. Elevator within the building for the 3 floors, but the stairs are pretty flat and easy to walk up if you're able. I recommend you come at least once when you visit Bloomington.

What an awesome art museum. I was super impressed and beautiful architecture. Highly recommend going. They a a Picasso and also a Monet. Not sure if they are always on exhibit, but also had many other amazing artists.

This place is such a great venue on iu University campus they do a lot of good artwork here I went here whenever I was with my break therapist. we went here and it was such a great time. They also do a really good job on helping out more stuff every single day like they do their artwork and they such friendly staff and air. I recommend it, but their parking is a little bit of parking so you guys got a park off campus

A fantastic place to visit!!! I highly recommend it. This museum displays great artwork 😍 for you to enjoy to your heart's content. Particularly they have very famous paintings from great artists like Picasso and Monet s among others. Also you will enjoy sculptures, pottery, etc. The cost of the entrance is free so stop by the cafe to enjoy delicious pastry -as we did-. Also they offer sandwiches and drinks.

A real gem for the IU campus. Very good assortment of objects to view. Clean, quiet and helpful staff. Café available for breaks. Free admission.

I purchased a pack of cards of things to do in Indiana. This card lead us to the museum in Bloomington. The museum was much bigger than we thought it would be. It was very well presented. We took a small one hour tour that highlighted 3 works of art. It was lead by a student. The pace could have been quicker and more areas highlighted, but it was interesting non the less.

As you tour the museum, it's hard to realize that we're not in New York or Los Angeles. This tremendous museum is in Bloomington Indiana and I'm just blown away. Oh, and it's FREE. African and Asian art, which isn't my style but still pretty awesome to look at. I found the impressionist exhibit and really enjoyed it. There is some beautiful art and I really wish that they had prints of this for sale. I found Alice Schille's (1869-1955) "Constantinople: The Mosque of Sultan Ahmet" to be lovely and also Oscar Bluemner's (1867-1938) "Impression of a Silktown, New Jersey". The Paul Klee (1879-1940) "With Two Dromedaries and 1 Donkey" was an unexpected find. Another exhibit with Barbara Hepworth, several Pablo Picasso paintings and portraits (WHAT!?!), Max Weber, Fernand Leger, Albert Bierstadt, Pierre-Auguste Renoir (yes, THAT Renoir), Claude Monet, Henri Matisse. Yes, all of this is BLOOMINGTON INDIANA. The "Written in Memory: Portraits of the Holocaust" is important and I did try to tour some of it but the pictures and memories are a bit to realistic for me in this day and age (and especially following the events of October 7 2023). Still, great to see this on display here and I hope it helps bring some attention to why it can never happen again. I've put all my pictures in a Dropbox if you're interested: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/w4snr78hwo01j2h8awv64/h?rlkey=endgs7977brxxk88i8iwa59c1&dl=0 [Review 20570 overall - 107 in Indiana - 1551 of 2023.]

I noted the name "Eskenazi" sounds an awful lot like Ashkenazi, and when I arrived I found there was a noticeably European Jewish focus in some of the early exhibits. The perspectives on WWII and earlier history are thought-provoking and complex. However, the architectural magnificence and the global scope of the remaining exhibitions blew away any expectations I could have had for the place, speaking as someone who has visited an awful lot of art museums and a lot of universities. When I see how earlier reviewers reached different conclusions than mine, I think they must have been before what seems to be a major renovation to the place, or they had poor service experiences. I received greetings from unobtrusive volunteers with shirts asking how they could help, but little else distracted me from my viewing. I was there well over an hour and was running out of steam by the end; I saw other people consider going to the top floor only to give up and quit. It is quite a museum. The European historical portion offers a diverse array of perspectives that intrigued me more than most exhibits from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance do. Their temporary exhibition was really spectacular: a collection devoted to non-photographic techniques for using light to imprint images on object; sort of primitive ur-photography. I had not heard of this concept, but I hope I see more of it elsewhere. The two floors of global exhibitions went way beyond what anyone could reasonably expect. Sure the Roman, Greek, and Egyptian pieces are there, but so too are some from the largely forgotten Northern Europeans who ultimately felled the Roman empire. The collection of art from various Islands in Oceania was visually arresting and an intriguing window into a part of the world little considered in the U.S. I've seen exhibitions in Australia, and this wasn't a whole lot less impressive, to say nothing of their survey of Native American and sub-Saharan African cultures using various historical artifacts. The more contemporary photography on the other side of the massive atrium didn't wow me, but I was running out of gas at that point. Of course, the collection isn't uniformly good (art is subjective), and the captions make dubious claims sometimes, but overall the curation was thought-provoking without being obtrusive (I note that a part of the building was devoted to academic study of museum curation). And perhaps just as importantly, while I was greeted on occasion, there was no security check, no mandates more restrictive than a sensible bag size limit, and no charge.

Fun and interesting. I'm a gal who loves to spend an afternoon in a museum. And ever since the Speed Museum in Louisville hosted a Picasso to Pollack exhibit with many items on loan from the Eskenazi during their renovation....I knew a visit to the IU museum was inevitable. On a recent midweek trip to Bloomington, when my friend suggested that we pay the Eskenazi a visit, I eagerly agreed. Our visit was during the school year, so there were a lot of students around and parking was an adventure. Full lots, a bit pricy (but the museum is free, so it doesn't hurt the wallet too much), and masses of people walking just about everywhere except in designated walking areas. So keep alert! As for the museum...again, it is free to visit. They have an exciting modern collection (that is, if you like modern and contemporary art). And on this occasion, they had a wonderful special exhibit! Notable film costumes from the roles of Glenn Close! Close donated her costume collection to IU Bloomington, and this exhibit featured a wide range of her most recognizable character pieces, including from Dangerous Liaisons and, of course, 101 Dalmatians. I didn't know about this exhibit prior to our visit, but I absolutely loved it! The museum has a large collection of African art and artifacts as well. Truly something for everyone! And once again, like the Tardis, it is bigger on the inside than I expected! Absolutely worth a visit when you are in town!

After a long closure for renovations the museum is reopen! I had a chance to visit about a week ago on a Sunday, and we were greeted by a friendly person who oriented us to what was on each floor and offered to answer any questions we had before we started to explore. Admission is free! We headed to the top floor which features art of Africa, Oceana, and Indigenous Art of the Americas. The exhibit was really nicely done, and the collection was impressive. For fun, we stopped off at a temporary exhibit on the first floor that had an impressive collection of Glenn Close's costumes from various movies as well as dresses from award shows. I definitely want to come back to see the other exhibits. I'd suggest allowing 2-3 hours if you want to really see everything at a pace that allows for actually looking at everything vs. a more gallery-skimming/sampling pace if that makes sense.... Anyway, definitely don't miss this if you're visiting the IU Bloomington campus! Yes, they are allowing visitors on campus at this time, but don't forget your mask; they are required in all buildings.

Found this review in my draft folder, so definitely check their hours online during this time before making the trip. This is a gem in Bloomington and important for the state of Indiana. The Pei designed building is a sight to behold in person. I was impressed with the depth of each gallery and the amount of information next to the pieces. In some cases, the provided information tied the piece to Indiana history. The gift shop is limited. Make sure to check their website for parking options. Highly recommend.

This is a real gem. A very impressive collection and free admission too. A great way to spend an afternoon.

I guess I will never know what the museum is like since there is absolutely no parking close to the museum and we have mobility issues. It's a shame in this day and age that they don't even bother to include everyone in a museum.

Due to time constraints, I only visited the Western Art gallery on the main floor. Admission was free and I didn't need a ticket to enter the gallery. Because the weather was nice, I didn't run into any problems with carrying a garment as some of the other reviews have noted. What I did notice was a gallery that was arranged in a chronological order (starting on the right side of the space.) From Medieval to contemporary, there was representative art on display throughout the time span. Some of the pieces were recognizable to my limited art experience. Many of the names were familiar even if the pieces were not. And lots of other pieces that made me appreciate the difficulty of executing the art with relatively primitive tools or scratching my head while trying to figure out what the artist could possibly be thinking. As with most museums, there are plenty of pieces not on display, so it tends to be the rotating exhibits that bring me back. Unfortunately, the gallery designed for that purpose was in the process of being set up, so was off limits. There was security on hand, but I had no problem with that. I asked a few questions and found the staff very cordial and helpful. Be aware that the information desk can validate your IU Memorial Parking for a 50% discount. I wish I had known that before leaving. Review #231

It's first rate in just about every regard -- from the collections to the I.M. Pei architecture. The last time I was here I noticed a few pieces borrowed from the Getty collection. I take it as a sign of a professional museum, honestly. It's been a few years since my last visit, but when I was there, the temporary exhibit was of African barber shop signs. It was really fascinating, and frankly unexpected. And the museum's FREE. No complaining about that.

I'm reviewing this from a different view than most. Yes, the collection is outstanding and there is much to take in. BUT, there's always a but, my experience could have been much better. When we walked in one of the first instructions was that our coats needed to be stored and not worn. Yes, lockers were available for rental and at little cost, that's no big deal. However, I'm not a fan of being followed in each and every single room that we entered. Eyes were always on us, exhibit by exhibit and the people that worked there were always never too far away. I understand the $$ value of art better then I will ever understand how art is expressive or talks to people. I do appreciate the talent/skill of artist but something in the experience is lost on me when employees follow you room by room to ensure your not damaging the art. My time spent here would have been much better had the works of art been protected behind sheets of glass. I graduated from IU and have no criminal record, never served jail time or skipped bail but on this day that's not how I felt.

I was very pleasantly surprised at the breadth and quality here. The African arts (masks, sculptures, etc) in the museum's collection and the textiles and ceramics in the special exhibit were wonderful! I am really impressed that the collection is organized by ethnic group and country, rather than by some concocted category that reflects the mindset of the museum organizer. I found this approach really helpful. Detroit Inst of Arts and Smithsonian are you listening to me? Well ok I know you aren't.

Since the weather was a bit crappy, my companion and I decided to forgo hiking, and visited the art museum instead. I was pretty impressed. The building itself was designed by I.M. Pei and the interior definitely lived up to the name. I enjoyed the Rembrandt etchings and some Delacroix paintings, and my very favorite was a piece by Lorna Simpson. My companion, who sometimes doesn't get the crazy art I'm into, enjoyed some the ancient Asian works. Some of the galleries were laid out a little oddly and not grouped chronologically, but it wasn't too distracting. The guards were a little annoying, but not too bad. I think the one was afraid of me because when he asked "Can I get your tickets?" I asked him if anyone had ever said no and what he'd do if I did say no. I'd definitely come back, it was a great way to look at some art and get away from the rain.

I only went through the Western Gallery, but man it had an amazing collection! Beautiful pieces and a lot of variety. I am a bit disappointed that I couldn't see the rest!

A fair-to-middling little collection in an I.M. Pei setting that's waaaay too ambitious for what it contains. Lobby acoustics are resonant in a cathedral-like way, super for early music (esp. sung), so watch for the occasional concert scheduled here. The museum is a really nice place to come for a break in your day on campus: stow your stuff in a locker on the first floor (quarters for lock are supplied at the concierge desk!) and take a stroll through the galleries, or visit the cute cafe and shop on floor 2. But beware the vertigo-inducing angled staircase! Hold on to the handrail and walk slowly. Over ten years visiting this museum I have seen numerous people stumble and fall when going down the stairs -- and it's a long unpleasant way down. Looks cool, Mr. Pei, but it's not actually fit for humans. The collection has a few interesting pieces, and the information supplied is more or less accurate. But be very skeptical about anything you hear from the docents: these are local volunteers with minimal training, who stumble over names and get facts wrong. Use your eyes here and enjoy -- just don't believe what you hear.

If I'm being honest, the IU Art Museum is a bit of a dump. Famed architect I.M. Pei designed this museum, but I am wondering if he had planned for carpeted walls and venetian blinds. Seriously, the interior of this museum looks like the inside of a double-wide trailer from 1982. Why would an art museum that has a constantly revolving set of installations want to off set any and all art with beige-brown carpeting on the walls? Also, why would an art museum ever put carpet on the walls? Aesthetics are not the only problem; apparently the museum staff have been programmed to only have rude interactions with patrons. The staff will haunt your footsteps throughout the museum, waiting to pounce on you. If you wear a jacket into the museum, do not plan on taking it off, no matter how warm and uncomfortable you become, because the staff will firmly explain that you are not allowed to carry your jacket, and that it must be worn at all times. No joke, these people get really upset when patrons don't have the conviction to keep their layers on. I've been to world-class art museums throughout the states and Europe, and I have never had the uncomfortable, pretentious experience I had in this museum.

I never knew this place existed, but it's pretty neat for a university museum. The ancient stuff on the top floor is a little boring, but the rest of the exhibits were quite nice. It's definitely worth an hour or so visit -- and it's free!

I really enjoyed this free art museum.Today,I saw fine paintings from the Late Gothic Period(Nicolo Buonacorso,Taddeo Gaddi Workshop),the Renaissance Period(Felipe Vigamy,Vittore Crivelli,Master of Holy Kinship),and the Baroque Period(Emanuel de Witte,Terborch,Strozzi,Giordano).I also savored its delightful Nineteenth Century(Daubigny,Caillebotte,Monet,Gerome)paintings.I also appreciated their Twentieth Century(Kirschner,Nolde,Beckmann,Picasso,Pollock,Robert Colescott)paintings.Personal favorites were;Emanuel de Witte's"Church Interior",Felipe Vigamy's"Adoration of Magi",Kirschner's"Boats on Elbe Near Dresden",Monet's"Port of Argentieul",and Robert Colescott's"Lightening Lipstick".So enjoy this attractive,less overwhelming art museum.