The University Museum at Texas Southern has collected a rich body of artwork by students, faculty, alumni, and outside artists. Dr. John T. Biggers, who founded the art department at Texas Southern University in 1949, established a tradition of collecting a selection of works from every graduating senior art student. Over the years, the collection has grown to include more than a thousand pieces of student artwork. Also included are works donated by alumni of the art program and art faculty members, including iconic artists John Biggers and Carroll Harris Simms. Lastly, there is a small but significant body of work by outside artists that has been donated by various collectors. The art of the permanent collection ranges from paintings, drawings, photography, and prints, to textiles, sculptures, carvings, and various multimedia works. It shows the wealth of creativity, talent, and inspiration that TSU artists have drawn from over the last eight decades. A project is currently underway to digitize the collection and create an online catalog.