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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 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.

The collection is comprised of press releases, personal statements, correspondence between Elenor Cheney and several writers of art columns for local Indianapolis publications, and black and white photographs of the artist, her works, and installations of those works. Also included are several pieces of exhibition ephemera relating to different art shows and contests Cheney participated in.

The IMA Alliance Records document the philanthropic efforts of the Alliance of the Indianapolis Museum of Art over the course of more than 50 years, through multiple retail initiatives, events like the Fine Arts Ball, and other activities. As a collection of original records produced by the Alliance, it chronicles the history and inner-workings of one of the most prolific fundraising groups in the United States. The collection has been organized into eight series described below.

The IMA Asian Art Society (AAS) Records document the efforts of the AAS to help grow the IMA’s Asian art collection through donations and funding acquisitions. It also details the Society’s efforts to interest and educate members and the public about Asian art through lectures, speakers, and trips.

The Contemporary Art Society (CAS) records document the group ’s efforts to bring greater awareness and interest to contemporary art since the group’s founding in 1962. CAS members were often invited to travel to art museums and galleries across the U.S. and abroad. Member funds were used to procure contemporary art acquisitions. CAS frequently hosts lecturers, artists, and other speakers, as well as arranging local visits to art museums and artist studios.
Due to the small amount of material in this collection it has not been divided into series. Due to privacy concerns, half of the collection is restricted to access by IMA staff and members of the Contemporary Art Society at the discretion of the archivist. The detailed box inventory below indicates which materials are open and which are closed. Instead, like materials were grouped together and then arranged chronologically. In Box 1 you will find materials related to ephemera, trips, lecture invites and reminders, affiliate orientation manual, and membership materials. Housed in the second box are member lists, directories, dues statements, acquisitions voting, and Resource Committee agendas. You will also find the information, evaluations, or materials CAS created with the help of Trustee Leadership Development in 1999. During that time, CAS re-evaluated their mission statement, mailed out member surveys, and held meetings to decide what they wanted for their organization’s future.
This collection includes thirteen binders. The first twelve are the binders of past presidents of CAS and are arranged chronologically by president. Binder 13 includes material related to membership. The binders contain a variety of minutes, correspondence, notes, study group plans, speaker invites, schedule of events, financial records, etc. Also included may be trip planning notes, member lists, or news clippings.

The IMA Archives Exhibition Records document the planning and execution of exhibitions created by and/or held at the Art Association of Indianapolis, the John Herron Art Institute, and the Indianapolis Museum of Art starting in 1883 and continuing through the present day. This collection is ongoing, as the Indianapolis Museum of Art continues to create new exhibition records each year. Individual exhibition files may include checklists, exhibition catalogs, installation photography, correspondence, press clippings, curatorial research files, shipping, receiving, and lending records, and other documentation. A file and listing have been created for every exhibition, regardless of whether any archival material survives. File listings with "[empty]" indicate that there is no archival material available for the exhibition. Many early exhibitions do not have any surviving archival documentation. This is an ongoing project to process these exhibition records, starting with the earliest records.