Our Mission Statement

The mission of the Schingoethe Center of Aurora University is to foster inquiry, celebrate artistic excellence, preserve and perpetuate Native American cultures, and inspire a lifelong engagement with the visual arts. An agent of and catalyst for teaching and learning on the Aurora University campus, the museum is integral to the academic community. The museum provides cultural and historical enrichment that builds bridges between the classroom and the world beyond.

About Us

Building on its tradition of object-based learning, the museum brings people and objects together using interdisciplinary approaches. State-of-the-art exhibition spaces combine with a lecture hall, classroom space, study center, and our library and rare book collection, to facilitate access to the collection. The museum also serves the broader community with unique exhibits and programs. The Schingoethe Center supports Aurora University's continuous 100-year tradition of valuing the arts.

The Schingoethe Center serves both as the University's museum of Native American culture and as a setting for research and teaching related to the study of cultural artifacts and related texts. With a primary responsibility to enrich the teaching and learning experience of Aurora University students and faculty, the Center also serves as an important resource for area schools and colleges, researchers, Native American groups, and the general public. In its museum and educational work, the Center is committed to maintaining the highest standards of professional, scholarly and ethical excellence.