A cause for celebration. A bridge between city and campus. Acompelling story. A major attraction. Indiana University's newHerron School of Art and Design is much more than a beautiful building.

Now located on the main campus of Indiana University-PurdueUniversity Indianapolis, the 170,000-square-foot facility, calledEskenazi Hall, replaces Herron's former three-building facilityat 16th and Pennsylvania streets, which had grown cramped andoutdated. The new Herron home houses more than 70 art and designstudios, a library, an auditorium, four art galleries, a grandhall for public events, and outdoor sculpture gardens.

Valerie Eickmeier, Herron's dean, believes the impact of thenew facility extends well beyond the expanded classrooms andupdated studio spaces.

"This long-awaited move to campus makes a compelling story.But the story isn't just about the new facility, it's about howwe strive for excellence," says Eickmeier, noting that Herron'srelocation marks the first time the art school will have a physicalpresence on IUPUI's main campus.

According to Eickmeier, pursuing excellence at Herron meansmaintaining two identities— as a professional art school andas a community arts organization. "Herron serves the communityin ways that many people may not realize,” she says. “We offerprograms ranging from continuing education for adults and childrento summer youth art camps. The higher visibility we gain fromour new facility means more for everyone."

Eickmeier describes the school's new physical location metaphorically: "It'sso appropriate that we are on the edge of campus, connectingthe city to IUPUI. We are the bridge for that connection.”

David Russick, director and curator of Herron's galleries, agreesthat Herron will be able to forge stronger ties with the Indianapolisarts community. With its New York Street location, Eskenazi Hallis steps away from the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians andWestern Art and the Indiana State Museum.

"I've been able to attract several major artists to considerhaving exhibitions at Herron just by showing digital photos ofthe facility under construction," says Russick, as he describesthe new gallery's innovations, including 15-foot ceilings andstate-of-the-art heating and cooling systems. "The spacewe've been in for so long was designed as a 19th-century museum.The new space is designed for this century."

In addition to cheers from Herron's students, staff, and faculty,Eickmeier is getting feedback from colleagues around the country.Other deans are "quite amazed by it," she says. Somehave requested the floor plans. "People have really takennotice. They think that it's a wonderful facility. I have toagree. It's simply outstanding."

Stephanie Dickey, associate professor in art history at Herron,notes that the greater IUPUI community benefits, too. She pointsout that the school's new proximity and additional space makeit feasible for more students to take art classes. "Movingto campus enhances the educational opportunities not only forHerron students, but also for non-art majors," she says.

Moving to campus marks a new era for Herron and IUPUI, saysEickmeier. "It will put the university on the national andinternational arts and culture maps."

For the new Herron Gallery exhibition schedule, see http://www.herron.iupui.edu/new_web/news/calendar.html

For more about Herrron faculty and many more of IU's visualartists, see the Spring 2005 Visual Arts issue of Research & CreativeActivity magazine online: www.indiana.edu/~rcapub