The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art stewards the university art collection of more than 3,000 objects. University classes, faculty and employees actively engage with these collection objects to expand education, research and service. Collection strengths include American modernism, stemming from the university’s 1948 purchase of 36 works from the U.S. State Department’s exhibition, Advancing American Art, intended to promote notions of freedom of expression after World War II. The original acquisition includes works by women, immigrants and artists of color, such as Romare Bearden, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, Jacob Lawrence, and Georgia O’Keeffe; guided by that precept, the museum actively acquires, exhibits and commissions work to expand cultural narrative and scholarship. Other highlights include Southern visionary art, works on paper depicting the South, Audubon etchings, contemporary prints and photographs, Mexican modernism, and pottery and ceramics.

Auburn University’s art collection continues to grow through donations that support the purchase and care of objects, as well as through strategically vetted gifts of artwork from individuals, estates and foundations. Each potential acquisition is thoughtfully reviewed to ensure it serves educational purposes, can be responsibly maintained over time and complements the museum’s long-term collecting strategy.

Reproduction requests and in-person research in the Study Room and other class engagements are managed by The Jule’s Curatorial and Educational Affairs unit. Contact us or use our online form for class engagements.