The Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields has contributed nearly 6,400 images of its encyclopedic permanent collection to the Artstor Digital Library. The selection in Artstor touches on virtually every aspect of the Museum’s broad collection — from African masks to British silver to contemporary photography and haute couture. It also features views from the extensive Newfields campus, including gardens, landmarks, and contemporary installations.

The museum’s holdings include more than 50,000 works of art with distinguished collections of African, American, Asian, European, and contemporary art, as well as a newly established collection of design arts. The European art is highlighted by the Josefowitz Collection of Paul Gauguin and the School of Pont-Aven, the Holliday Collection of Neo-Impressionism, and the largest number of works by J.M.W. Turner outside of Great Britain. There are also fine selections of Japanese Edo-period paintings, West Asian rugs, fashion sketches and garments, and contemporary studio glass.

The Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields was founded in 1883 by the suffragette May Wright Sewall and a small group of citizens as the Art Association of Indianapolis. Through its long history, its burgeoning collections, and its programs, it has become one of the country’s leading museums. The most recent expansion of the museum’s current home was completed in 2006 under the direction of architect Jonathan Hess of Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf. Today, the museum campus is one element at Newfields, a complex and rich 150-acre landscape incorporating historic landmarks, parks, and gardens.

The museum was named a recipient of the 2009 National Medal for Museum and Library Services — the nation’s highest honor for museums and libraries — for its commitment to free general admission, programming for schools and teachers, and environmental leadership.