For art lovers visiting Bloomington, the Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art is full of permanent and rotating exhibits that are free for people to browse. Featuring art from around the world ranging from many different time periods, here are the featured exhibits people can look forward to this year.
On the first floor of the museum is the featured exhibit gallery, where many of the special exhibits are displayed.
The next featured exhibit to fill the gallery will be “The Photographic Reflex: The Lee Marks and John C. DePrez Jr. Collection.” The exhibit will include over 100 photographs by 80 different artists. The oldest work in the collection dates to 1856 and the newest is from 2017. The wide difference in ages of the works shows photography's range as a tool for documentation and artistic expression.
This collection will be on view from Aug. 29 to Dec. 20 in the first-floor featured exhibit gallery. There are also a number of exhibition events that go along with the collection, like curator-led tours, an opening reception and a “Writing in the Galleries” event where attendees analyze the artwork then write about their experience. The events can be found on the museum's events calendar.
In addition to the featured exhibit, the museum also hosts other special exhibitions.
The museum is currently showcasing “Grosse Fatigue” by Camille Henrot, which will run through May 23, 2027. Displayed in the time-based media gallery on the third floor of the museum, “Grosse Fatigue” is a video artwork that attempts to tell the history of the universe. The art installation mixes scientific explanations of the origin of the universe alongside the creation stories of various mythologies. It also depicts human evolution and the digital age.
Another featured exhibit coming to the museum is “Samuel Levi Jones: An Archaeology of Knowledge.” The exhibition will be in the Rhonda and Anthony Moravec gallery on the third floor from Sept. 12 to Feb. 14, 2027.
Indiana-born Samuel Levi Jones makes collage artwork out of old encyclopedias, law books, medical texts and other similar materials. His process of destroying archival material and creating artwork from them is meant to demonstrate systems of knowledge that uphold power.
In addition to the permanent exhibits and these upcoming featured exhibitions, Eskenazi hosts many events to get students and community members involved in art. From tattoo designing to guided tours, there are many ways to get involved. All of their events are available on their events calendar.
This story was originally published in the Indiana Daily Student's Fall/Winter 2026 Source Campus Visitor’s Guide.
