Mission
The David Owsley Museum of Art follows the University's mission and enduring values. Read about them here, and learn about Destination 2040: Our Flight Path, the 2025-30 Strategic Plan for Ball State University.
Message from the Director 
Welcome to the David Owsley Museum of Art!
Many generous supporters, including the Ball, Burkhardt, Harper, and Petty families, have enriched the permanent collection. In recent years, our main benefactor has been David T. Owsley, grandson of one of the university’s founders, Frank C. Ball. Owsley trained as an art historian; his gifts reflect a true connoisseur’s eye and a taste for global art honed by a curatorial career.
The museum not only displays a venerable collection of art from Europe and the United States, but the galleries also exhibit hundreds of works of art from Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas. The collection encourages students and visitors to open their eyes and minds to the wide diversity of world cultures and the spectacular art that is our common heritage. I call it “Muncie’s gateway to the world of art.”
The David Owsley Museum of Art (DOMA) is a remarkable resource and a point of pride for the university, city, and the region. It is conveniently located between Indiana’s two largest cities, Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, and not a long drive by Midwestern standards from Chicago, Columbus, Louisville, Cleveland, or Detroit. Learn more about our rich history and plan a visit for your family, your class, or yourself.
Please consider becoming a member of the museum to unlock special events and rewards. Friends of the Museum support museum activities; the Museum of Art Alliance stimulates public engagement with the museum; and the Benefactor’s Society recognizes substantial contributors who maintain, enhance, and expand the museum and its global art collection.
I urge you to visit one of the best-kept secrets in Indiana—the David Owsley Museum of Art.
Robert G. La France