The NIU Anthropology Museum was opened to the public on February 12, 2012 in Cole Hall. The Anthropology collections are extensive, with foci on North American native collections and cultural artifacts from throughout Southeast Asia. NIU's School of Music also is home to the internationally renowned NIU Jazz Ensemble, the NIU Steelband, and the Avalon String Quartet, described by the Chicago Tribune as "an ensemble that invites you – ears, mind and spirit – into its music."