ASU Art Museum

ASU Art Museum is a free contemporary art museum in the Nelson Fine Arts Center on Arizona State University’s Tempe campus. Its changing exhibitions bring together work on subjects such as migration, alongside contemporary art, ceramics, prints and new media. The building’s distinctive U-shaped layout gives the galleries an easy route to follow, and the architecture is part of the visit. Pick up a paper guide at the front desk, then allow about one to two hours to explore the exhibitions at your own pace.

Art across changing exhibitions

Exhibitions change over time, so the works on view depend on when you visit. The museum presents contemporary art in a range of forms, including painting, sculpture, prints, ceramics and new media. Its exhibitions have included work connected to migration, as well as art by self-taught artists such as Michelangelo Lovelace.

The museum’s collection spans regional, Latin American and other North and South American art, alongside contemporary craft. Ceramics are a particular focus, with the museum also affiliated with the Ceramics Research Center. If a specific artist, medium or subject is important to you, check the current exhibition information before setting out.

A building designed around the galleries

The museum has been housed in the Nelson Fine Arts Center since 1989. Architect Antoine Predock designed the building, whose U-shaped plan gives visitors a clear path through the galleries. The architecture has an indoor-outdoor feel, and the building itself is a notable part of the experience.

At the entrance, two large installations frame the approach: Eduardo Sarabia’s stone-carved snakeskin cowboy boots and Hank Willis Thomas’s sculpture “Opportunity (reflection).” Inside, the exhibition spaces bring together work by regional and visiting artists. The museum’s layout makes it easier to follow the displays without missing a gallery along the way.