University Art Gallery

The University Art Gallery on the campus of Western Illinois University provides quality visual art experiences to enhance the cultural life of the university and the McDonough County region. The gallery provides a permanent collection of art for study, and a schedule of changing exhibitions that complement university curricula and initiatives.

The University Art Gallery’s collection consists of more than 1,200 objects. These objects are owned by the university and were acquired through purchase and gifts by donors. Because the gallery’s limited space for exhibiting works, not all of their vast collection is on continued display; however, works may be brought out from storage for the purpose of study.

The University Art Gallery was established to encourage art appreciation and self-reflection through programming that fosters an awareness of why and how artists work, an understanding of the significance of art in past and present times, and an appreciation of how the ability to interpret images can deepen our understanding of the world and of ourselves.

The art gallery’s building has quite a history. Constructed in 1902, it once housed coal-fired boilers and generators, which provided steam heat and electricity for Sherman Hall, the first building on campus.