Aurora University Students Can Now Visit Art Institute For Free

AURORA, IL — Aurora University students no longer have to pay admission to see the nearly 300,000 works of art on display at the Art Institute of Chicago.

The university is a member of the museum's University Partner Program, which gives students the chance not only to visit the museum for free but also to access archival materials and attend lectures and performances at the Michigan Avenue museum.

The partnership began last fall but expanded in March when the Art Institute hosted its first AU Day, where students, faculty, staff and their guests were admitted free of charge to all galleries and special exhibits and took part in AU-exclusive programming.

"Being exposed to art allows students to understand the broader realm of culture at large," Mark Walter, associate professor of philosophy, said in a statement. "Students gain knowledge about ways of thinking, of concepts, and about how others approach and understand the world."