Welcome to Indiana University-Bloomington!
Whether you are in town for a campus visit or conference, a sporting event or lecture, or for one of the many arts events and festivals for which IU and the city of Bloomington are known, I hope you’ll take the time to explore our campus, which in February 2017 was named one of the most beautiful campuses in the U.S. by Travel & Leisure Magazine.
Stroll through our tree-lined grounds, surrounded by majestic buildings made of limestone from quarries in Bloomington and the surrounding region. You’ll find plenty of open walking paths and green spaces, such as the IU Arboretum next to the historic Herman B Wells Library and the Global and International Studies Building, or Dunn’s Woods, adjacent to the Media School in Franklin Hall, just through the iconic Sample Gates at the intersection of Kirkwood and Indiana avenues.
While you’re here, take some time to see the many beautiful pieces of public art throughout campus. Take a selfie with bronze sculptures of important figures in IU Bloomington’s history, starting with famed World War II journalist Ernie Pyle outside Franklin Hall. Next along the path is the statue of former IU president and chancellor Herman B Wells outside of Maxwell Hall, followed by Hoosier singer-songwriter Hoagy Carmichael, whose bronze form sits at his piano outside our renowned IU Cinema. Also look for a 10,000-pound limestone brain sculpture in front of our Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences and the iconic sculpture of Venus in Showalter Fountain in front of the IU Auditorium.
I invite you to enjoy our many cultural centers, museums and performance spaces. Each year the IU Auditorium brings world-famous performers and Broadway productions to Bloomington. The IU Cinema is one of the Midwest’s premier venues for independent films and has drawn such filmmakers and actors as Ava DuVernay, Glenn Close and Jonathan Banks.
The Jacobs School of Music and the Department of Theatre, Drama and Contemporary Dance present student-run performances year-round, including the collaborative Hammer & Nail concert each spring. The Grunwald Gallery is the region’s top venue for contemporary art, and often features student-curated exhibitions, while the Mathers Museum of World Cultures is one of the world’s leading anthropological museums.
We are so proud of our beautiful campus and our place in the vibrant, diverse Bloomington community. For nearly 200 years, IU has called Bloomington home, and we hope you feel at home during your time here.
Lauren Robel,
Provost and Executive Vice President
