Tours, Activities, and Resources

Learn more about the Campus Art tour in the video above.

Museum Tours

Guided Tours - Available Monday through Friday by request. Please allow up to an hour for a tour. To ensure availability, we recommend that tours be booked at least two weeks in advance.
Participants - Groups of 25 or less can be accommodated in our new open floor plan galleries.
Facilities - We do not have lunch facilities, but there are a number of affordable eateries conveniently located on Galena Boulevard and Orchard Road.
Cost - FREE! There is a suggested donation of $5 per person.
Parking - Parking is free but limited due to the high volume of students, faculty, and staff on campus. Visitors to the museum may park in the university's parking garage. We recommend carpooling if possible.

Eye to Eye / September 2 - December 11

Eye to Eye is an exhibition exploring portraiture as a vehicle to share personal, historical, and mythological stories about identity, cultural memory, and contemporary life. This interdisciplinary exhibition showcases photographs, paintings, prints, and sculptures by more than 40 artists spanning over 180 years.

Mapping Out Territories: The Art of Exile in Pilsen - Chicago / January 13 - May 15

Mapping Territories: The Art of Exile in Pilsen - Chicago proposes a historical view of the iconic Pilsen neighborhood in Chicago, through the account of print exhibitions and printmakers activities along with the social and political conditions that brought in waves of migrants. It is a rare look back on this community over the last century, highlighting its mural achievements and the social and political struggles residents faced in building the neighborhood's resilient social fabric.

Campus Art Walking tour that covers the history and significance of the paintings, sculptures, and installations that sprinkle our campus.		Contemporary Native American Art This exhibition brings together artwork in conversation about past and present, two ideas that cannot exist without the other, referencing our country’s past in an effort to look toward the future. The artwork included in this exhibit challenges current practices, ideas, and stereotypes using each artist’s unique first-person voice, style, and reflections on their own cultural influences.
Introduction to the AU Archives Learn about the Colby Archives located in Phillips Library, which houses papers, photographs, and books documenting AU’s nearly 130-year history.
Environmental Art Tour the Schingoethe Center’s collection of environmental themed artwork. This tour looks at artwork related to environmental activism, beauty, and conservation efforts.		To book a tour, please complete this form or contact museum@aurora.edu. Image detail: Borderless Silence, Grand Canyon. 2021. (c) Wen-Hang Lin

Activities for AU Students

Art Café runs every Tuesday from 5 - 7 PM and Fridays from 12 - 2 PM. Each week museum staff leads a different featured craft. All instruction and supplies are free for AU students. Students are also welcome to use the space during this time as an open studio and have access to the art supplies available.

September 15-19: Paper Silhouettes

September 22-26: Construction Paper Portraits

September 30: Custom Tote Bags

October 3: Molas hosted by Dr. Hatcher

October 6-10: Book Binding (Friday's session will also be open to AU Alumni)

October 14: Halloween Scratch Art

October 20-24: Halloween Diamond Painting

October 28: Halloween Party (Ceramic Pumpkin Painting, Charm Bracelets, and Halloween Diamond Painting)

October 31: Halloween Crafts

November 3-7: Paper Bead Bracelets

November 10-14: Music Sheet Ornaments

November 18: Cozy Crafting (Nutcracker Painting, Holiday Diamond Painting, and Ornament Making)