100 Years of Herron

In 1895, John Herron, a frugal real-estate investor who lived in Indiana, died in a fire while visiting California. His will surprised everyone--in it, he bequeathed $200,000 to the Art Association of Indianapolis with the stipulation that his name be perpetuated in an art gallery and school.

The John Herron Institute of Art opened in 1902. One hundred years later, the Herron School of Art at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis is nationally accredited, offering instruction in ceramics, drawing, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, visual communication, digital arts, furniture design, art education, and art history.

Herron's earliest faculty included artists such as T.C. Steele and William Forsyth. Today the school has 33 part-time and 32 full-time faculty, including the four studio artists whose work is highlighted here.

The Herron School of Art is celebrating its centennial into 2003, with a full roster of events including centennial gallery exhibitions, visiting artist/lecturers, and the release of a Herron history book. In September, the school broke ground for Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Hall, Herron's new home on the IUPUI campus.

For more information on Herron and its centennial, visit www.herron.iupui.edu.

Featured artists: