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The Adolph Shulz Collection was originally acquired by the Indianapolis Museum of Art in 1971, at the time that the IMA acquired a series of Shulz artwork with the accession numbers 71.217.1-23. This collection contains black and white photographs of the Shulz family in the original photo album, including individual studio portraits of different members of the family through the years. There are several black and white landscape photographs of areas near the Shulz family home in Delavan, Wisconsin. Loose photographs portray Adolph frequently outdoors and several depict him sketching and painting. Other materials included are a handwritten description of a painting from September 24, 1917 and contact sheets and negatives of an unidentified scrapbook which contains sketches of multiple Shulz artworks. Three mounted black and white photographs of T.C. Steele paintings were stored inside of the photo album, and have been separated into an OVA folder.

The Arthur Deshaies Collection was originally housed in a binder subdivided into three categories: "Regional," "National," and "International." Due to the inconsistent and disorganized arrangement of the material within these categories, the decision was made to rehouse the material in folders grouped by type of material: correspondence, exhibition ephemera, clippings, and memorabilia. The correspondence is between Deshaies and multiple galleries and museums that wanted to exhibit or purchase his work, and has been organized in chronological order by date. Notable correspondence includes the Atlanta Art Association, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and Carleton College Art Gallery. Individual pieces of memorabilia have also been arranged chronologically by date.

The Attendance Records, 1906-2009, contains records regarding the attendance statistics of the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields. The earlier records, prior to the name change in 1969, refer to the John Herron Art Institute. While there are gaps where not every year is accounted for, a consistent increase in attendance can be seen as the records progress. Researchers will find the list of names collected in the records prior to 1938 of value.

The Benton Mural Records, 1997-2002, contains records regarding the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s assistance in the conservation of the Benton Murals, primarily the murals housed on Indiana University’s campus. The Benton Murals are a series of murals created by Thomas Hart Benton, a regionalist American painter, muralist, and printmaker from the Great Depression. A large portion of the collection consists of the file folders of paper documents. While there is a Media series, photos are also located in other series where they are relevant. The collection is comprised of records produced and collected by staff, including Martin J. Radecki, director of conservation. Many of the records were originally housed in binders and were kept in their original order. Researchers will find information regarding conservation efforts of value.

The Boards and Committees Records, 1987-2009 contains records pertaining to the various boards, committees, and organizations that have served the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields. The earlier records, prior to the name change in 1969, refer to the John Herron Art Institute. However, a large portion of the records in this collection were created after 1975. A majority of the records within this collection are agendas, minutes, and notes from various meetings. Other records include correspondence, reports, rosters, and plans. Most of the meeting records are arranged in chronological order. Early records created by the Art Association, beginning in 1897, may be of particular interest.

This collection consists of 18 scrapbooks, originally assembled by Booth Tarkington and his secretary, Elizabeth Trotter. While there are no precise dates for the creation of these works, included clippings indicate that they were largely assembled during the 1930s and 1940s, during the final years of Tarkington’s life; he spent much of this time at Seawood in Kennebunkport, Maine, but clippings and exhibition programs provide evidence of travel between Indianapolis and Seawood. In content, the materials center around the paintings Tarkington owned, including a great deal of quoted research material and biographical information about the artists and portrait subjects. Typically, each original binder contained materials related to one or more paintings, and several binders included title sheets/tags indicating that they referenced works from a particular room in Seawood (e.g., dining room). Materials include photographs of the works, often in situ on exhibit or in Tarkington’s home; newspaper and magazine clippings about artists or exhibitions; exhibition brochures and catalogs; gallery materials related to purchase and display of the works; correspondence related to acquisition, research, loans, and discussion of Tarkington’s portraits; book jackets and manuscripts or texts written by Tarkington about art; book reviews and critical reception; and many retyped, excerpted or quoted texts relating to the paintings derived from other authors, experts in the field, or historical/primary sources. Correspondence and reviews indicate interaction with prominent historical figures, including: the art historian Erwin Panofsky; art critic Royal Cortissoz; art gallery representatives Daniel H. Farr, Robert C. Vose, Bert Newhouse, Sophia Ruskin, and John Levy; and art museum curators and directors, including Wilbur D. Peat of the John Herron Art Institute (now Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields).

The Bradley Brooks Papers, 1914-2008, contains records during Brooks' time working at the Indianapolis Museum of Art as the Director of Historic Properties between 2006 and 2015. While some of the records were created by Brooks himself, many of the records he collected as background information used within educational binders to aid in projects and serve as resources. Most of the records pertain to the historical houses under Brooks' care, including the Lilly House, the Miller House, and multiple other historical sites. Researchers will find information regarding the architects and oral interviews pertaining to the histories of the sites of value.

The Bret Waller Papers, 1989-2000, document Waller's tenure as director of the Indianapolis Museum of Art during the 1990s. The collection is organized by subject; materials related to collections and exhibitions, and building operations (including strategic planning) make up the bulk of the collection. Also of note are the materials related to the Lila Wallace Reader's Digest Fund initiative that the museum received funding from to increase the diversity of its audience.

The Conservation Records, 1970-2005, contains records regarding the conservation department of the Indianapolis Museum of Art. A large portion of the collection consists of file folders of paper documents and photographs related to conservation efforts involving both art and historical preservation. The collection is comprised of records produced and collected by staff, including Claire Hoevel and Martin J. Radecki. Many of the records were originally housed in binders. When transferred to folders, these records were kept in their original order. Researchers will find information regarding forgery investigations and the GSA Federal Courthouse Murals of value.

The Dorothy Reifel Collection on J. Ottis Adams contains primary source documents and research files about the life and times of Indiana artist J. Ottis Adams, collected by Dorothy Reifel.