Mission

The University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) Visual Arts Gallery is a public-facing program that features exhibitions, artist engagements, and ancillary events. Our mission is to provide access to contemporary art, to foster a greater understanding of trends and topics that are at the forefront of visual art, and to strongly support the vision and message of the artists that we work with.  

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 current location in the Health and Sciences Building in 1992. 

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.

Join the UIS Visual Arts Gallery's mailing list to stay updated on all events and exhibitions.

VA Gallery UIS Visual Arts

Location: One University Plaza, Health and Sciences Building, (HSB) 201 - Map
Hours: Monday - Thursday 11 AM - 6 PM, closed between exhibitions
Contact: Allison Lacher
Email: alach3@uis.edu
Phone: (217) 206-6506

Parking

Visitors are invited to park in individual metered spaces or in metered/pay parking lots monitored by parking meter pay stations. The following lots have metered parking spaces and/or parking meter pay stations for visitors: 

Parking Lots B-West, C-North, D, G, I-South and J

For suggested gallery parking, view our Visitor Parking Map.

You can find instructions on how to use a meter pay station, a map of parking locations, and walking distances from lots to buildings on our visitor parking page. If a visitor should receive a ticket, they may make inquiries about the parking violation to UIS Parking Operations at parking@uis.edu or (217) 206-8502.

Make a Difference for the UIS Visual Arts Gallery

Please consider donating to the Visual Arts Gallery today. These funds keep the gallery looking fresh, stock the gallery with necessary equipment, and keep the doors open and free to the public. We need your help supporting the arts!


Virtual Tour

News
Feb 20, 2023
The University of Illinois Springfield Visual Arts Gallery is pleased to present “In the Shadow,” an installation of ceramic works by Decatur-based artist…
Jan 03, 2023
The University of Illinois Springfield Visual Arts Gallery is pleased to present “A tax on a bag and other landscapes,” a solo exhibition presenting…
Nov 02, 2022
The University of Illinois Springfield Visual Arts Gallery Annual Silent Auction and Benefit will take place both online and on-site at the gallery this year…
Oct 11, 2022
The University of Illinois Springfield Visual Arts Gallery presents “Motif: Silent Language,” an exhibition of mixed-media fiber works by Turkish artist Hale…
Sep 08, 2022
The UIS Visual Arts Gallery is pleased to present “Poly-wave: Seeds of Color and Shape,” a solo exhibition by Chicago-based artist and UIS alum Mauricio…