The NIU Art Museum hosts free public programming in conjunction with exhibitions including guest lectures, panel discussions, symposiums, and gallery talks with visiting artists and scholars or museum staff. The museum also organizes a "Get-On-The-Bus" excursion program to the local and university community to visit art fairs, museums, exhibitions, and collections relating to art and architecture for a fee to participants. In conjunction with select exhibitions, workshops with artists are available to students and the local community, sometimes requiring a fee to participate.