Upcoming Exhibitions
Be sure to check out these exhibitions, coming soon to the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology.
North Hall Gallery
Speaking of Plants: Knowing and Naming
Opening August 14, 2026
The way people name and categorize plants is influenced by scientific understanding, cultural identity, and historical narratives. Various methods of naming and classifying plants from international standards to Indigenous cultural knowledge are examined within contemporary cultural context. Remarkable corn specimens from the Indiana University Herbarium and scientific plant vouchers illustrate the human quest to understand and relate with plant life around us.
South Hall Gallery
Messengers of Peace: 100th Anniversary of Friendship Dolls between Japan and the United States
Opening October 2026
This exhibition brings together five historic Japanese Friendship Dolls currently housed in the United States, along with one American doll that originated in Indianapolis. Through the dolls themselves, archival materials, and personal stories, visitors will discover how communities in Japan and the United States exchanged these dolls in the 1920s as powerful symbols of international friendship.
