For Immediate Release December 7, 2004

For More Information Contact: Anita Day, 317-920-2494 Julie Schaefer, 317-920-2413

Herron School of Art Transformation Includes Name Change, Giving Equal Balance to Its Art and Design Programs

INDIANAPOLIS - The Indiana University Herron School of Art has changed its name to the Herron School of Art and Design to better represent its student population. For more than a century, the Herron School of Art and Design has served as the training ground for some of the nation's most prestigious artists involved in painting, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, photography, furniture design and visual communication. Today, the balance between Herron's 800 plus students seeking degrees in fine arts and visual communication is nearly equal.

Herron's name change comes at an appropriate time for the school, which is undergoing a transformation. Often described as a "best kept secret," Herron will be moving and expanding into a prominent new facility on the campus of Indiana University Purdue University-Indianapolis (IUPUI.) This new structure is anticipated to be among the premier teaching facilities in the country. Effective May 2005, the school will move from its current home at 1701 North Pennsylvania Street, Indianapolis, to its new location on the east edge of the IUPUI campus. This move will bolster Herron's partnerships with other schools on campus as well as strengthen its relationships with nearby arts organizations including the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, the Indiana State Museum, the Indiana Historical Society, Canal Walk, White River State Park and more.

In recent years the Herron School of Art and Design also has increased its relationships within the business community by playing a significant role in business communications. Locally, Herron students have provided visual communication services for the Indiana Pacers, Arts Council of Indianapolis, Indiana University Center on Philanthropy, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and more. On a national level, a team of Herron students currently is designing the website and promotional materials for a national high school education program organized through the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody , Wyoming .

According to Valerie Eickmeier, Dean of the Herron School of Art and Design, Herron takes its responsibility as the only professional accredited (by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design) art school in Indiana seriously. "We believe it is Herron's responsibility to lead the charge toward building a better understanding in the community as to the role art plays, not only in a cultural sense, but also in a business sense. We are pleased to see business leaders understanding that through design they can explore opportunities, solve problems, and achieve strategic advantage," Eickmeier notes, adding, "This translates into stronger development efforts for businesses and ultimately into a strengthened economy for the city."

As a way of further strengthening its visual communication program, Herron will be offering a master of fine arts program in visual communication in 2006. Current degrees through the Herron School of Art and Design include a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Art Education and a Master of Art Education.

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