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Universities are natural locations for museums and art galleries devoted to the exposition of art of every kind throughout the ages of human history. These institutions provide scholarship and research resources that are instrumental in the preservation and interpretation of works of art, making them accessible and intelligible to the general public. They are also places of study for students of art, history, archaeology, material science, and other related disciplines and play a vital role in the education of future artists, museum curators, and historians.

Art museums associated with universities and colleges are also often located in buildings of remarkable architectural significance and beauty. Many of these buildings are works of art in their own right. These buildings, and the works of art they house, provide a gateway of interface between the public and these institutions, and are a benefit to both in numerous ways. They are also frequently venues for lectures, workshops, films, performances, and other interactive programs that allow the public to participate in the world of art and to meet and interact with the artists themselves.

Each museum has its own unique history and area of focus, together preserving and presenting the enormous range of human artistic endeavor over the ages of human history. Many university and college art museums and galleries began with the generous donations of private collections by art patrons. Many others have been founded by funds from philanthropists, and public funding also plays a major role in the financial establishment of these institutions.

These are only a few of the many hundreds of art galleries and museums that are part of colleges and universities around the world. While these museums represent some of the best and most beautiful, many other worthwhile museums are located in other colleges and universities around the world as well. Many of these museums allow public access free of charge or for minimal cost. Others that charge regularly often have free admission days at least once a month or on holidays. Some art museums are always open to the public and some have sections that are only open by special arrangement or to students, faculty and researchers.

United States

Allen Memorial Art Museum

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Founded in 1917 and ranking among the most prestigious art museums in the country, the Allen Memorial is located in a spectacular Renaissance style building designed by architect Cass Glibert. The extensive collection of 13,000 art works from almost every culture and region of the world covers the range of human artistic expression over all of human history. Its extensive collection is particularly rich in examples of 17th century Dutch and Flemish artists and 19th and 20th century European and American works. An unusual feature for art students at Oberlin College is the Art Rental program where students can rent up to two works of art from the museum for a semester. Original works by Toulouse-Lautrec, Picasso, and Red Grooms are only a few of the many artists whose art is available in this unique program.

Bowdoin College Museum of Art

Bowdoin Museum of Art began with a donation of a private art collection by James Bowdoin III and his family in 1811. The building where the collection is now housed was constructed in 1894 and was designed by famous architect Charles Follen McKim who also designed the Boston Public Library. The comprehensive collection of over 20,000 pieces of art span the time periods from ancient Mediterranean cultures of Greece and Rome to the present and include paintings, decorative arts like furnishings, tapestries and jewelry, sculpture, and works on paper.

Yale University Art Gallery

Yale’s University Art Gallery and museum is located in several separate buildings spread out around the campus. Renovations and expansion of the facilities were completed in 2012. Significant collections include African art, American paintings and sculptures, ancient coins and medals, specimens from ancient American indigenous cultures, and American decorative art. There is also a large collection of early Italian paintings and drawings by master artists of the Italian Renaissance.

Tang Museum, Skidmore College

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Tang Museum is an interdisciplinary teaching museum serving undergraduate students studying liberal arts. Students and faculty work together as museum advisors and curators in designing 12 temporary exhibitions each year. There is a strong focus on interdisciplinary management of the museum and the shows that are presented, bringing an exceptional degree of interpretative depth to the exhibits. The Museum regularly publishes a well-respected catalog of its shows that also includes extensive interviews with artists, curatorial information, and art history articles.

The Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago

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Founded in 1919 by James Henry Breasted, this museum is internationally renowned for extensive research of the art of the ancient Near East. The exhibits reflect the museum’s strong emphasis on research in archaeology, philology, and history of Near Eastern cultures and the many art forms they produced including carvings, pottery, ceramics, bronze, furnishings, and jewelry. The museum regularly hosts special programs for children and families, conferences and symposia, films, and performances as a part of their interpretative program for the public.

Princeton University Art Museum