The Herron School of Art and Design records document the activities of administrators, faculty, students, and alumni, the development of the school's academic programs, its relationship with other arts, cultural, and arts education organizations in the city, state, and nation, and its role in promoting the arts in Indianapolis through exhibitions and other events. The records are divided into twelve series:

Director/Dean Records, 1921-2002, consist of the records of the school's chief administrative office. The position was known as director until the school's incorporation into the IU system in 1967, when the title was changed to dean. The records contain correspondence, committee minutes, and reports. The series includes records from Edna Mann Shover. While Shover's job title was principal of the art school, her duties were similar to those of the individuals who had the title of director.

Administrative Records, 1902-2014, contain records relating to the day-to-day operations of the school. The series includes the records of assistant deans, development officers, and other administrative personnel. The records include reports, budgets, correspondence, and minutes.

Academic Records, 1933-1997, contain course descriptions, syllabi, and correspondence related to Herron academic programs.

Faculty Records, 1930-2003, contain minutes, evaluations by students, correspondence, faculty handbooks, and newspaper articles relating to the faculty.

Student Records, 1902-1988, contain correspondence, student handbooks, lists of students, tuition records, and examples of student work. Student records that are more than 75 years old may be viewed without restriction.

Alumni Records, 1922-2007, contain lists of alumni, newsletters, correspondence from alumni, materials relating to alumni events, and minutes and correspondence relating to the Alumni Association.

Exhibition Records, 1905-2012, contain programs, promotional materials, and correspondence from Herron-related exhibitions. Early exhibitions are classified as alumni (those featuring Herron alumni), faculty (those featuring Herron faculty members), student (those featuring Herron students), Herron (exhibitions held at Herron by artists not connected to the school), and general (exhibitions held away from Herron that could include works by Herron students, faculty, and alumni). Later exhibitions are arranged chronologically. Materials from the 2004 "Some Things Happening" exhibition, held at the Indiana State Museum, provide a 25-year overview of exhibiting artists.

Events Records, 1912-2002, contain correspondence and promotional materials for Herron-related events, most notably the annual Honors and Awards Night ceremony and the Janus Ball fundraising event.

Publications Records, 1902-2002, include school bulletins, class schedules, newsletters, and calendars.

History Records, 1921-2003, include newspaper articles and other publications about the history of the school.

Art Association of Indianapolis Records, 1909-1981, contain minutes, annual reports, newsletters, and other publications from the organization that started and operated the Herron School of Art for its fist 65 years.

Audiovisual Records, 1902-1999, include an audiotape from the 1975 homecoming, promotional videotapes, and glass slides that include black and white photographs of the school, paintings by Indiana artists, and buildings in Indiana. The slides of the paintings and buildings were used for instructional purposes.