The Christian Petersen Art Museum is named for the nation's first permanent campus artist-in-residence, Christian Petersen, who sculpted at Iowa State from 1934 through 1955, and is considered the founding artist of the Art on Campus Collection. Petersen was on the Iowa State faculty from 1937 through 1955.

An affiliate of University Museums, the Christian Petersen Art Museum at Morrill Hall is the home of the Christian Petersen Art Collection, the Art on Campus Program, the University Museums' Visual Literacy and Learning Program, and Contemporary Changing Art Exhibitions Program.

Located within the Christian Petersen Art Museum are the Lyle and Nancy Campbell Art Gallery, the Roy and Bobbi Reiman Public Art Studio Gallery, the Margaret Davidson Center for the Study of the Art on Campus Collection, the Edith D. and Torsten E. Lagerstrom Loaned Collections Center, and the Neva M. Petersen Visual Learning Gallery. University Museums shares the James R. and Barbara R. Palmer Small Objects Classroom in Morrill Hall.