List of university museums in the United States

This is a list of college and university museums in the United States.

University art museums and galleries are collections of art that are developed, owned, and maintained by schools, colleges, and universities. There are approximately 680 university art museums and galleries in the United States.^[1] While historically the origins of these kinds of institutions can be traced back to learning collections in art academies in Western Europe, they are now most often housed in centers of higher education. The primary aim of many university art museums and galleries is to create a sphere removed from the pressures of the commercial art world where students, artists, curators, and faculty can experiment freely; in terms of both making and exhibiting art, and also curating.

Distinctions between art museums, galleries, and academic museums

An art museum houses a permanent collection, whereas a gallery usually hosts a changing program of art exhibitions. However, some university and college art galleries also feature permanent collections or showcase collections owned by the larger institution. Some institutions have a museum or an art gallery, and some have both. Others, such as the City College of New York, have important collections but neither a museum nor a dedicated gallery.

Art schools in the United States often have many gallery spaces on campus. Maryland Institute College of Art has 21 galleries.^{[citation needed]}

Many university and college libraries also feature galleries to showcase items from their collections, which can include art, music, poetry, literary works and ephemera.^{[citation needed]}

Another important distinction is the difference between art museums and academic museums.^{[citation needed]} All university art museums and galleries are types of academic museums, but not all academic museums are university art museums and galleries.^{[citation needed]}

Vulnerability in times of crisis

University art museums function in a number of different ways. Some exist as affiliates of a university, operated by a separate board of trustees and administration, while others are nested within the institution. Art museum collections can become vulnerable to deaccession due to fiscal issues. One such example of a controversial deaccession was the Randolph College scandal; when the administration sold paintings from the museum's collection without the permission of the museum.^[2]

Academic freedoms and artistic freedoms of expression

University art museums and galleries differ from traditional art museums and commercial galleries due to their relationship with institutions of higher education where academic freedoms are ideally upheld. With the protection of academic freedoms, topics that would otherwise be avoided, ignored, or censored can be openly explored.^[3] The two main academic freedoms are: the freedom of the student to study whatever they want, and the freedom of the teacher to teach whatever they want.^[4] When these two freedoms are observed, in the context of a university art museum and/or gallery, a unique setting for academic discovery is opened up. University art museums and exhibits are sometimes sources of controversies regarding issues of propriety, politics, gender, and sexuality.

Alabama Museum of Health Sciences^{[citation needed]}
Alabama Museum of Natural History (UA Museums)^[5]^{[better source needed]}
Evelyn Burrow Museum at Wallace State Community College^[6]^{[better source needed]}
Gorgas House Museum (UA Museums)^[7]^{[better source needed]}
Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art
Kathryn Tucker Windham Museum
Mildred Westervelt Warner Transportation Museum (UA Museums)^[8]^{[better source needed]}
Moundville Archaeological Park (UA Museums)^[9]^{[better source needed]}
Paul W. Bryant Museum (UA Museums)^[10]^{[better source needed]}
Southern Environmental Center
Tuskegee Institute National Historic Site
University of Alabama Museums (UA Museums)^[11]^{[better source needed]}
William R. Harvey Museum of Art at Talladega College^[12]

University of Alaska Museum of the North

University Museums at the University of Delaware

NSU ART MUSEUM

John Young Museum of Art

University of Mississippi Museum

Blackwater Draw Museum
Fleming Hall
Meteorite Museum at the University of New Mexico^[21]
Harwood Museum of Art
Institute of American Indian Arts
Maxwell Museum of Anthropology
Mesalands Community College's Dinosaur Museum^[22]^{[better source needed]}
Museum of Southwestern Biology
Silver Family Geology Museum^[23]
University of New Mexico Art Museum
Western Heritage Museum & Lea County Cowboy Hall of Fame

North Dakota Museum of Art

[1]
Clark, Laine. "National Directory". University Art Museums & Galleries in Virginia. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
[2]
"National Gallery buys George Bellows painting from Randolph College". Los Angeles Times. February 7, 2014. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
[3]
"The Tang Museum's Classless Society exhibit examines ideas of social class and the American Dream". Skidmore College News. February 11, 2014. Retrieved June 18, 2014.
[4]
James Morgan Hart, German Universities: A Narrative of Personal Experiences (New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1874); quoted in Leo L. Rockwell, “Academic Freedom: German Origin and American Development,” Bulletin of the American Association of University Professors 36, 2 (Summer 1950): 225-236.
[5]
"Alabama Museum of Natural History – University of Alabama Museums". Retrieved July 31, 2023.
[6]
"About the Museum – The Evelyn Burrow Museum". Retrieved November 5, 2020.
[7]
"Gorgas House Museum – University of Alabama Museums site". Retrieved July 31, 2023.
[8]
"Warner Transportation Museum – University of Alabama Museums". Retrieved July 31, 2023.
[9]
"Moundville Archaeological Park – University of Alabama Museums". Retrieved July 31, 2023.
[10]
"Paul W Bryant Museum – University of Alabama | The University of Alabama". Retrieved July 31, 2023.
[11]
"University of Alabama Museums – The University of Alabama". museums.ua.edu. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
[12]
"Talladega College Holds Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Official Grand Opening of New Museum Named for Alumnus and Hampton University President Dr. William R. Harvey, Home of the Amistad Murals : Hampton University News". news.hamptonu.edu. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
[13]
"Louis Carlos Bernal Gallery | Pima Community College, Tucson, Arizona". www.pima.edu. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
[14]
"About". Benton Museum of Art. Pomona College. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
[15]
Vankin, Deborah (February 27, 2019). "Southern California's newest art museum will be called the Benton". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
[16]
"Archaeology Museum - Trinidad State Junior College". trinidadstate.edu. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
[17]
"- Oakton Community College". www.oakton.edu. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
[18]
"Gordon Parks Museum – Fort Scott Community College, Fort Scott, KS". Retrieved November 5, 2020.
[19]
Kennedy, Randy; Vogel, Carol (January 28, 2009). "Outcry Over a Plan to Sell Museum's Holdings". The New York Times. p. C1, NY Edition.
[20]
"Who we are". Williams College Museum of Art. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
[21]
Draper, David. "Meteorite Museum". Meteorite Museum. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
[22]
"Mesalands Community College's Dinosaur Museum and Natural Science Laboratory". Mesalands Community College. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
[23]
"Geology Museum". Retrieved April 23, 2024.
[24]
"About the Mercer Gallery | Visual & Performing Arts | Monroe Community College". www.monroecc.edu. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
[25]
"Plaza Art Gallery". www.ncc.edu. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
[26]
"Werner Wildlife Museum". Casper College. Retrieved November 5, 2020.

[1] [1]
Clark, Laine. "National Directory". University Art Museums & Galleries in Virginia. Retrieved June 10, 2014.

[2] [2]
"National Gallery buys George Bellows painting from Randolph College". Los Angeles Times. February 7, 2014. Retrieved June 10, 2014.

[3] [3]
"The Tang Museum's Classless Society exhibit examines ideas of social class and the American Dream". Skidmore College News. February 11, 2014. Retrieved June 18, 2014.

[4] [4]
James Morgan Hart, German Universities: A Narrative of Personal Experiences (New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1874); quoted in Leo L. Rockwell, “Academic Freedom: German Origin and American Development,” Bulletin of the American Association of University Professors 36, 2 (Summer 1950): 225-236.

[5] [5]
"Alabama Museum of Natural History – University of Alabama Museums". Retrieved July 31, 2023.

[6] [6]
"About the Museum – The Evelyn Burrow Museum". Retrieved November 5, 2020.

[7] [7]
"Gorgas House Museum – University of Alabama Museums site". Retrieved July 31, 2023.

[8] [8]
"Warner Transportation Museum – University of Alabama Museums". Retrieved July 31, 2023.

[9] [9]
"Moundville Archaeological Park – University of Alabama Museums". Retrieved July 31, 2023.

[10] [10]
"Paul W Bryant Museum – University of Alabama | The University of Alabama". Retrieved July 31, 2023.

[11] [11]
"University of Alabama Museums – The University of Alabama". museums.ua.edu. Retrieved July 31, 2023.

[12] [12]
"Talladega College Holds Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Official Grand Opening of New Museum Named for Alumnus and Hampton University President Dr. William R. Harvey, Home of the Amistad Murals : Hampton University News". news.hamptonu.edu. Retrieved October 19, 2023.

[13] [13]
"Louis Carlos Bernal Gallery | Pima Community College, Tucson, Arizona". www.pima.edu. Retrieved November 5, 2020.

[14] [14]
"About". Benton Museum of Art. Pomona College. Retrieved February 19, 2022.

[Newest_LA_Times-15] [15]
Vankin, Deborah (February 27, 2019). "Southern California's newest art museum will be called the Benton". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 8, 2020.

[16] [16]
"Archaeology Museum - Trinidad State Junior College". trinidadstate.edu. Retrieved November 5, 2020.

[17] [17]
"- Oakton Community College". www.oakton.edu. Retrieved November 5, 2020.

[18] [18]
"Gordon Parks Museum – Fort Scott Community College, Fort Scott, KS". Retrieved November 5, 2020.

[NYT0127-19] [19]
Kennedy, Randy; Vogel, Carol (January 28, 2009). "Outcry Over a Plan to Sell Museum's Holdings". The New York Times. p. C1, NY Edition.

[20] [20]
"Who we are". Williams College Museum of Art. Retrieved July 31, 2023.

[21] [21]
Draper, David. "Meteorite Museum". Meteorite Museum. Retrieved April 23, 2024.

[22] [22]
"Mesalands Community College's Dinosaur Museum and Natural Science Laboratory". Mesalands Community College. Retrieved November 5, 2020.

[23] [23]
"Geology Museum". Retrieved April 23, 2024.

[24] [24]
"About the Mercer Gallery | Visual & Performing Arts | Monroe Community College". www.monroecc.edu. Retrieved November 5, 2020.

[25] [25]
"Plaza Art Gallery". www.ncc.edu. Retrieved November 5, 2020.

[:0-26] [26]
"Werner Wildlife Museum". Casper College. Retrieved November 5, 2020.

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Distinctions between art museums, galleries, and academic museums

Vulnerability in times of crisis

Academic freedoms and artistic freedoms of expression

Distinctions between art museums, galleries, and academic museums

Vulnerability in times of crisis

Academic freedoms and artistic freedoms of expression

Overview

Alabama

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

District of Columbia

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

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Missouri

Montana

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New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

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Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

See also

References

External links