- 1975: Chancellor Edwin Young establishes the Arts Consortium (AC) to coordinate arts activities and units on campus
- 1995: First Awards in the Creative Arts to faculty and graduate students from UW Foundation arts-related bequests
- 1995: AC hosts first artist in residence, Meredith Monk
- 1998: Chancellor David Ward establishes the Arts Institute (AI) as a formal center with a half-time director
- 1999: AI organizes first Wisconsin Film Festival; the Interdisciplinary Arts Residency Program is established through the Cluster Hire Initiative
- 2010-2011: AI coordinates Illuminate: Year of the Arts
- 2012: The Studio: Creative Arts Community established in Sellery Hall
- 2013: Chancellor Rebecca Blank establishes the Arts Institute as a stand-alone campus division with a full-time director
- 2015: AI takes over management of the Madison Early Music Festival
- 2016: Course subject listing “Integrated Arts” created to serve AI programs
- 2018: The Institute is renamed Division of the Arts
View a full detailed history here (PDF).