About

The Visual Arts Gallery serves the University community, the city of Springfield, the greater Central Illinois region, and the state of Illinois through ambitious exhibitions that feature emerging, established, and renowned contemporary artists. The exhibitions, activities, written materials, and events presented by the gallery extend pathways to a deeper understanding of contemporary visual art. Our program encourages formative personal encounters with art through both traditional and experimental exhibition frameworks.  

The UIS Visual Arts Gallery is a primary venue for visual arts exhibitions and programming. The Visual Arts Gallery was established at UIS in 1975 and moved to its previous location in the Health and Sciences Building in 1992. In 2026 The Visual Arts Gallery opened the doors to a newly renovated facility in the Performing Arts Center (PAC 115.)

The Visual Arts Gallery serves as a vital educational resource for Visual Arts students in supplementing hands-on learning in the studio classroom. Students working towards a Visual Arts degree exhibit their work in the Visual Arts Gallery as part of their capstone in the program. The Visual Arts Gallery also serves the general campus population through workshops, lectures and panel discussions, performances, and screenings. These events are always offered for free to the public and are often developed in partnership with other campus and community entities.