Plenty of people like and appreciate art, and college students are no different. Schools have long retained their own art collections. They are often useful for students in the art programs, but art collections and museums are also a quiet place for students to enjoy the day. If looking at art is your idea of a perfect day, here are some schools that might interest you.
University of Kansas—Lawrence, Kansas
Flickr user Patrick Emerson
The Spencer Museum of Art carries a wide range of works from origins spanning the globe. Their current exhibition is American Dream, a student-curated exhibit that hopes to lead to discussions and questions about the concept. The next exhibition is titled Terra Anima, and focuses on how “soil is a persistent community structure.”
In addition to providing a break from the day-to-day tasks of college life, the museum also offers jobs, internships, and volunteer opportunities to students. You can also join the Student Advisory Board and help influence how the museum interacts with KU students.
University of Wisconsin-Madison—Madison, Wisconsin
Flickr user butwait
Wisconsin’s Chazen Museum of Art is home to over 20,000 permanent pieces of artwork. Their collections include paintings, sculptures, drawings and watercolors, prints, photography, applied and decorative arts, and other notable collections (such as the Vernon Hall Collection of Medals). The museum is constantly acquiring new art to display, as well as playing host to visiting exhibitions.
The museum also is used as a venue for events. Concerts are a frequent occurrence. The museum has been used for galas and other special events organized by the students.
University of Minnesota—Minneapolis, Minnesota
Flickr user webercw
The Weisman Art Museum began its life as an auditorium. Its art program has expanded well beyond its oddly-shaped walls (the building looks almost like some sort of reflective ship) with more than thirty areas around campus where students and visitors can experience public art. Admission is free, and there are rental spaces available for events. There are also workshops designed to involve students and the public even more with art.
Oberlin College—Oberlin, Ohio
Flickr user Jim Forest
Have you ever wanted a painting by a famous artist in your room? And not just a poster of it: The actual piece. At Oberlin College, you can! Oberlin’s Allen Memorial Art Museum rents out artwork to students for $5 per semester, so if you know you’re going to be too busy with classwork to visit your favorite art, you can have it with you! The museum frequently has gallery talks and lectures, the next one concerning Frank Lloyd Wright’s relationship to the artwork and architecture of Japan.
Interested in any of these schools? Use College Raptor’s free match tool to see if they’re a good fit for you!
