Northern Illinois University
Art Museum
College of Visual and Performing Arts

This fall, the NIU Art Museum is presenting one of the most distinctive exhibitions ever hosted on campus: The Olmec Heads Experience. The exhibition features twenty-five monumental, artist-designed sculptures inspired by the ancient Olmec civilization. The exhibition will open in the Art Museum South Gallery, Wednesday, September 16 and will run throughout the fall semester. 

Visitors will discover colorful sculptures across campus while exploring an accompanying museum exhibition featuring educational displays, family activities, and an engaging graphic history of the Olmec civilization. The exhibition is inspired by the stone sculptures carved out of basalt boulders by the Olmec civilization of Mesoamerica from 1200 B.C. to 400 A.D. in what is now the tropical lowlands of Mexico.

Sixteen of the sculptures have been installed around campus in front of Founders Memorial Library, Altgeld Hall, Davis Hall and Jack Arends Hall.

View locations on interactive map.

Founders Memorial Library (red)
Chichimeca Saxophones and Masks, Jazzamoart
Seguimos Emergiendo, Cesar Viveros
Tradition and Color, Dailia Maria Gonzalez Garcia
Xi Wey, Pablo Hernandez

Davis Hall (yellow)
Fuerza Regia, Miguel Angel Bravo Carica
Fuerza Mexica Jr., Jose Manuel Jacobo Torrecilla

Davis Hall (blue)
The Sun Archer, Adolfo Cantu
Echoes of Identity, Flavio Lopez
Motion, Joy Hernandez

Altgeld Hall (green)
Guerrerense Resistance, Ysenia Mejia Urieta
Jaguar Warrior, Manuel Cruz Gonzalez Veracruz

Jack Arends Hall (purple)
Yellow Serenade, Allan Rodriguez
New Indigenous Jaguar Warrior, Victor Quinonez
I'll Never Forget You, Luis Novoa
Hosts to New Paths, Juan Chawuk
The Cycle of Life, Sergio Gomez

Visit the NIU Arts Blog's gallery of the 16 Olmec Heads installed around campus.

The Olmec Heads Experience is made possible by the NIU Art Museum, NIU University Libraries, the NIU College of Visual and Performing Arts, the NIU Arts and Culture Fee, Shaw Media, and Northern Public Radio. 

Tag us in your Olmec Head selfies and win a prize

Take a selfie with one of the Olmec Heads and share it with everyone by tagging @niuartmuseum on Facebook or @niu_cvpa on Instagram! And, you could win a prize for your efforts.