Northern Illinois University School of Art and Design

Northern Illinois University School of Art and Design This is the official page for the School of Art at Northern Illinois University. Join to he

Join to hear about the latest events, happenings, and listings of all that's going on in the NIU School of Art.

Framework Installation: Student Art ShowcaseCome experience a unique projection-mapped installation created by students ...
09/23/2026

Framework Installation: Student Art Showcase

Come experience a unique projection-mapped installation created by students in the Advanced Video Art course! Visit the 310B Lab beginning September 24 to explore creative works that transform the space through light, motion, and digital media. The installation will remain on display for several weeks during regular lab hours. See the attached exhibition card for details.

Olmec Heads Experience Grand Opening Celebration, Sept. 25This fall, the NIU Art Museum is presenting one of the most di...
09/23/2026

Olmec Heads Experience Grand Opening Celebration, Sept. 25

This fall, the NIU Art Museum is presenting one of the most distinctive exhibitions ever hosted on our campus: The Olmec Heads Experience. The exhibition features twenty-five monumental, artist-designed sculptures inspired by the ancient Olmec civilization. The exhibition is open in the Art Museum South Gallery, and will run throughout the fall semester.

Visitors will discover colorful sculptures across campus while exploring an accompanying museum exhibition featuring educational displays, family activities, and an engaging graphic history of the Olmec civilization.

Be among the first to experience this remarkable exhibition by joining us for a Friends Preview and Grand Opening Celebration, Thursday, September 24 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Not only will you see The Olmec Heads Experience exhibition, but you’ll also be able to visit Celebrating 40 | Burma Art Collection, a retrospective of works from the NIU Center for Burma Studies’ extensive collection.

Thinking about studying art or design in college? Come meet us at National Portfolio Day!NIU’s School of Art and Design ...
09/21/2026

Thinking about studying art or design in college? Come meet us at National Portfolio Day!
NIU’s School of Art and Design is hitting the road for two National Portfolio Day events this October!
📍 Milwaukee | MIAD
🗓️ Oct. 3 | ⏰ 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
📍 Chicago | SAIC
🗓️ Oct. 4 | ⏰ 12–4 p.m.
Bring your portfolio, your questions, and your creative ideas! ✨ National Portfolio Day is a great chance to connect with college representatives and learn more about pursuing your future in art and design.
Considering NIU? Come find us! We’d love to meet you and talk about our programs, studios, creative opportunities, and what life is like in the School of Art and Design. 🖤
🎟️ Register through the official National Portfolio Day registration link — https://nationalportfolioday.heydays.io/conventions
And be sure to follow for more NPD information.

Thank you again for all who came, participated with, and listened to our Visiting Artist Melanie Yazzie!!! 🐾❤️🎨
09/17/2026

Thank you again for all who came, participated with, and listened to our Visiting Artist Melanie Yazzie!!! 🐾❤️🎨

Indigenous Navajo artist Melanie Yazzie will be on campus September 14-16, visiting the NIU School of Art and Design. Ya...
09/15/2026

Indigenous Navajo artist Melanie Yazzie will be on campus September 14-16, visiting the NIU School of Art and Design. Yazzie currently resides in Colorado and works in a wide range of media including printmaking, painting, sculpture, ceramics and installation art. Her art focuses on connecting with and education people about the contemporary status of one indigenous woman, hoping others can learn from her experience.

Yazzie will visit the NIU Printmaking Studio all three days. She will meet with Visual Arts Education students Tuesday, September 15 at 9:30 a.m. on the topic of “Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices With Indigenous Artists and Communities.”

Her visit will culminate with a visiting artist lecture that is free and open to the public. Yazzie will speak on the topic of “Stories That Shape Us” at 5 p.m., in Jack Arends Hall Room 100.

🎨 heARTwork: Mindful Art SessionsLooking for a little time to slow down, create, and connect? Join us for an upcoming he...
09/11/2026

🎨 heARTwork: Mindful Art Sessions
Looking for a little time to slow down, create, and connect? Join us for an upcoming heARTwork Mindful Art Session at the DeKalb Public Library!
No art experience necessary. ❤️

Where will NIU’s School of Art and Design be this month? 👀🎨We’re hitting the road throughout September to meet future Hu...
09/09/2026

Where will NIU’s School of Art and Design be this month? 👀🎨

We’re hitting the road throughout September to meet future Huskies, talk about studying art and design, answer questions, and help students explore what their next steps could look like!
📍 September 9
McHenry County College — Crystal Lake, IL
10 AM–1 PM
McHenry County College
📍 September 16
DeKalb High School — DeKalb, IL
10:25–11:40 AM
📍 September 20
Evanston Art Center — Evanston, IL
9 AM–3 PM - Portfolio Day
Evanston Art Center
📍 September 23
Geneva High School — Geneva, IL
9–10:30 AM
Geneva School District 304
📍 September 23
Hampshire High School — Hampshire, IL
12:30–1:30 PM
District 300
📍 September 29
Figge Art Museum — Davenport, IA
9 AM–12:30 PM - Portfolio Day
Figge Art Museum
📍 September 30
Elgin Community College — Elgin, IL
12:30–1:30 PM
Elgin Community College
If you’re a high school or community college student interested in Art, Design, Art Education, or any of our other programs, come say hello! We’d love to meet you and answer your questions about SoAD at NIU. 🖤
And if you know someone considering studying art or design, send this their way!

09/01/2026

Sign up for the NIU Arts e-newsletter and get regular updates about performances, exhibitions and more coming up in the College of Visual and Performing Arts. The latest edition includes information on new exhibits in the Jack Olson Gallery and the NIU Art Museum plus season ticket information for concerts and theater productions. niuarts.substack.com

Stick With Us! 🎨🍪What's better than tape and cookies? Tape, cookies, art, and new friends.Kick off the semester by helpi...
08/17/2026

Stick With Us! 🎨🍪
What's better than tape and cookies? Tape, cookies, art, and new friends.
Kick off the semester by helping create a collaborative tape mural, satisfying your sweet tooth with cookies, and taking a spin on our Prize Wheel for a chance to win fun prizes. Whether you're here to make bold marks, tiny details, or just grab a cookie, there's a space for you.
Meet fellow artists, designers, faculty, staff, advisors, and School Director Jessica Labatte while adding your own piece to a mural that grows with every student who joins in. No experience needed—just bring yourself, your creativity, and maybe a friend. A Building Tour will be available at 2:40 PM for those who have yet to see the Jack Arends Hall, and all that it has to offer its students.
📅 Friday, August 21 🕐 1:00–3:00 PM 📍 Jack Arends Hall, 3rd Floor Student Lounge (Accessible by stairs and elevator.)
Come make your mark, stick around, and let's create something sweet together.

Sinclair Bell, professor of art history in the NIU School of Art and Design has been named a 2026 Presidential Research,...
05/15/2026

Sinclair Bell, professor of art history in the NIU School of Art and Design has been named a 2026 Presidential Research, Scholarship and Artistry Professor, NIU’s highest recognition for outstanding research or artistry. The honor includes special financial support of the recipient’s research for four years, after which they earn the title of Distinguished Research Professor.

Bell was named an NIU Presidential Teaching Professor in 2021. He is an archaeologist and art historian who specializes in the study of ancient Italy, especially the Roman world. His field requires proficiency in classical philology, ancient history, ancient art history and fieldwork in classical archaeology. He jokes that his interdisciplinary training began when his mother “unofficially” enrolled him in an undergraduate classical mythology course at a local university when he was 11 years old.

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Jack Arends Building, Gilbert Way
Dekalb, IL
60115

Telephone

(815) 753-1473

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