Museums
University of Michigan Museum of Art
Est. 1910

The Museum of Art is located at the gateway to the historic campus of the University of Michigan. A fine example of the Beaux Arts-style of architecture in the region, the museum plays a major role in the enhancement of the academic life of the university.

Built in 1910, Alumni Memorial Hall - the official home of the museum - stands as a tribute to the university’s graduates who died or were injured in the Civil War, the Mexican-American War, and the Spanish-American War.

The museum has more than 17,000 works of art on display. Included in the collections are African, American, Asian, European, and Middle Eastern arts, and an array of modern and contemporary artworks. Special exhibitions and programs are also offered here.

African art collections include architectural elements, ceramics, metalwork, sculpture and masks, and textiles.

Featured in the American Art section are a range of artworks including a portrait by Rembrandt Peale, a sculpture by Hiram Powers, and paintings by Helen Frankenthaler and Frank Stella. Photographic collections and drawings can also be seen here.

The museum holds one of the largest collections of Asian art in the state. There are more than 4,000 items in collection, and include Buddhist sculpture, Chinese and Japanese paintings, Korean ceramics, and religious sculptures and miniature pantings from India.

The European art section has collections ranging from the late-medieval period to the present. Flemish genre paintings, Italian renaissance panel paintings, secular imagery by Baroque artists such as Philippe de Champagne and David Teniers, and carved ivories and enamels of the Middle Ages are among the specialty items.

The Middle Eastern art section boasts some important works of calligraphy, rugs, and textiles. Significant displays here are a range of ceramic vessels and tiles from Iran and Syria, dating from the eighth through the 18th centuries.

The museum also has a shop, with a wide range of gifts, decorative items, art books, and paper materials. Items such as Pewabic pottery are also on display.

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