Kluge Ruhe Aboriginal Art Museum

The Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection of the University of Virginia is the only museum in the United States dedicated to the exhibition and study of Australian Aboriginal Art. Working with living artists, international scholars and arts professionals, we provide a wide range of learning experiences to the University community and the public through exhibition, research and educational programs.

The museum was established through a gift by American businessman John W. Kluge in 1997. Influenced by the Dreamings exhibition in New York, Kluge began collecting Aboriginal art in 1988. He compiled one of the finest private collections of Australian Aboriginal art in the world with a focus on contemporary works from Arnhem Land and the Western Desert. In 1993, Kluge purchased the collection and archives of the late Professor Edward L. Ruhe of Lawrence, Kansas. Ruhe began collecting Aboriginal art while visiting Australia as a Fulbright Scholar in 1965. He exhibited his collection widely in the United States between 1966 and 1977. Ruhe’s library and archives comprise the core of the Kluge-Ruhe Study Center.

Free admission and parking. Open to the public.

Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 10 am – 4 pm; Sunday, 1 – 5 pm