In 1888, 67 people met in Lincoln to form a society focused on fine arts. Previously known as the Haydon Art Club, it has now been renamed to the Sheldon Art Association. When its first piece of artwork was displayed in the museum, thousands of people lined up and paid fifty cents each just to see the artwork.

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In 1895, the University Library Building, which is now known as Architecture Hall, opened and become the display center for the Sheldon’s exhibits and its collection. The museum continued to grow from there.

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The Sheldon itself was built in 1963 by Mary Frances Sheldon and her brother, Adams Bromley Sheldon. In 1972, the Sheldon received accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums,  the highest recognition that a museum can get in the United States.

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In 1987, the Sheldon began taking original art from the permanent collection to communities throughout the state. To this day, the museum has reached over 350,000 Nebraskans. Since 1992, the art association has put on Jazz in June, a concert series that attracts thousands of people to the sculpture garden every Tuesday during the month of June.

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The Sheldon contains over 12,500 different kinds of artwork, including 19th century landscape, impressionism, early modernism, geometric abstraction, abstract expressionism, minimalism and over 3,000 photographs regarding the history of the Sheldon.

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The Sheldon’s goal is to focus on supporting exhibitions, acquisitions, education, and outreach.