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Tuesday 10am - 4:30pm Wednesday 10am - 4:30pm Thursday 10am - 8pm Friday 10am - 4:30pm Saturday 10am - 4:30pm Sunday 12pm - 4:30pm

University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art

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University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art

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The University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art is a leading university art museum that is always free and open to all...
We reserve the right to delete profane, harassing, abusive, commercial, and spam comments and to block repeat offenders. The University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art aspires to transform lives by connecting the University of Iowa community, Iowans and the world with extraordinary works of art. Founded in 1969, the museum now holds one of the nation’s foremost university art collections, including artworks from around the world and in a range of media from paintings, sculptures, and works on paper to textiles, metalwork, and ceramics. On August 26, 2022, the Stanley Museum of Art will open the doors of its new home—a sustainable, state of the art building designed by Rod Kruse of the Des Moines-based architectural firm BNIM. The beautiful new museum will sit adjacent to the University of Iowa Main Library and Gibson Square Park and will encompass spaces designed for experiential learning, performance, and social events as well as elegant galleries for the display of art. Before the new Stanley Museum of Art building opens, visitors can view selections from our world-class collection at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport, where visitors who present proof of Stanley Museum membership are also admitted free of charge. At the Figge Art Museum, you can see examples of the Stanley’s world-renowned modern painting collection, including works by Marsden Hartley, Robert Motherwell, Stuart Davis, Sam Gilliam, Yayoi Kusama, and Alma Thomas, among others.

10/21/2026

Grant Wood’s legacy continues to inspire local creativity as University of Iowa School of Music professor Jean-François Charles brings a new cinematic vision to life.

Following its commission by the Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre, Charles’s acclaimed opera inspired the new 8-minute short film, “An Alphabet for Grant Wood,” capturing the artist’s years at 5 Turner Alley with his mother, during which he also painted the famous “Plaid Sweater,” currently on view at the Stanley.

The film has been selected for the Refocus film festival's "Monograph Shorts" program at FilmScene, with screenings running Friday, October 23 through Sunday, October 25.

For full schedule details and tickets, visit FilmScene and stop by the Stanley Museum of Art to view “Plaid Sweater” in person.

10/19/2026

Get your live portrait drawn at the museum this week!

Students from the "Concepts in Drawing" class at the School of Art, Art History, and Design are offering free, 3-minute portraits of visitors and staff in the lobby 👩‍🎨👨‍🎨

🗓 Wednesday, October 21, 2026
🕥 10:30 am to 12:15 pm
📍 Stanley Museum of Art Lobby

Drop in, pull up a chair, and watch your likeness come to life in minutes. Explore the galleries after to keep the creativity going🎨
Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa–sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact Stanley Museum of Art in advance at 319-335-1727 or [email protected].

10/17/2026

This weekend, visit the Stanley and discover an extensive range of African art on view across three must see exhibitions.

An exploration of identity and memory through the eyes of six photographers, artist Ibrahima Thiam’s visions of myths and beliefs in Senegal, and a student-curated look at the Stanley collection of African art.

Admission to the museum is always free. Plan your visit today through the link in the comments below.

10/15/2026

Join us for the 2026 Bette R. Spriestersbach Endowed Lectureship, featuring artist Duane Slick.

🗓 Thursday, October 29, 2026
🕡 6:30pm to 7:30pm
📍 Stanley Museum of Art
🆓 Free and open to all

Slick, an internationally acclaimed artist and educator, will discuss 36 years of studio practice across printmaking, painting, storytelling, artist books, and collaboration. The talk draws on his Indigenous heritage and upbringing in the Midwest, and on how these environments continue to shape his work.

This lecture serves as a prelude to the exhibition "Plants and Power: Art's Botanical Imagination," opening November 17. A recently acquired painting, "Daylight Armature on Slow Substrate" (2026), is the first work by the artist to enter the Stanley Museum of Art collection and it will feature in the upcoming exhibition.

Diana Tuite, Visiting Senior Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, will introduce the artist, and his talk will be followed by a Q&A session with the audience.

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa–sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact Stanley Museum of Art in advance at 319-335-1727 or [email protected].

10/05/2026

Get ready for Halloween this Thursday with "Night at the Museum: Spooky Crafts"!

Stop by the museum lobby to make scary monsters out of air-dry clay, color Halloween-themed coloring sheets, make fall mood boards, decorate masks, and explore a fall scavenger hunt in the galleries.

Bring your friends to enjoy free snacks, craft, and get into the Halloween Spirit!

🗓Thursday, October 8, 2026
🕔 5pm to 7pm
📍Stanley Museum of Art Lobby
🔗Link in comments for more
Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa–sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact Allie Tokarski in advance at 319-335-1727 or [email protected].

10/01/2026

Nothing special to see here*

*Just more shoes
👟👟👟👟

Captions:
Wangechi Mutu, "Heeler III," 2016. Red soil, acrylic shoes, paper pulp, wood glue, rocks, and wood. Museum purchase. 2022.4

Don Nice, “Double Sneaker,” 1975. Lithograph. The Allen Frumkin Collection. 2004.101.

Andy Warhol, “Shoes,” 1980. Photograph. Gift of the Andy Warhol Foundation Photographic Legacy Program. 2008.159.

Ed Blackburn, “Shoe Stuck in the Desert,” 1976. Earthenware. Gift of Joan E. Mannheimer. 1986.279.

09/29/2026

Now on view: the latest iteration of the "Thresholds: Poetry" series that features rotating works by poets affiliated with the University of Iowa.

American poet, Guggenheim Fellow, Pulitzer Prize finalist, and Iowa Writers' Workshop alum Robyn Schiff will speak at the unveiling of the new lobby installation featuring an excerpt from her book, "Information Desk: An Epic."

The presentation will be followed by refreshments and the 2026 Fall Downtown Gallery Walk. Copies of the book will be available for purchase in the lobby.

🗓 Friday, October 2, 2026
🕔 5:00 pm
🆓 Free and open to all
🔗 Link in comments for more

Robyn Schiff's "Information Desk: An Epic" is a book-length poem inspired by Schiff's tenure at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's information desk over the course of five years. The poem moves between art history and the everyday life of the museum. It brings artworks, visitors, and observations into a constantly shifting conversation. In this excerpt, Schiff reflects on Rembrandt and the distance traditionally prescribed between viewer and painting.
Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in a tour or program, please contact the Stanley in advance at 319-335-1727.

09/28/2026

This month’s art pairing is weighty. A large iron work made to resemble the giant blade of a hoe makes your arms feel heavy even from a distance. The weight is intentional: this iron currency represented bride wealth in a marriage ceremony for Afo/Angas communities, a symbolic acknowledgement from the groom of the value that marrying the family’s daughter holds, and a way to solidify social ties.

Paired with this currency is another type, specifically “Metal Type,” a book of various fonts on a selection of paper. The assortment of stylized metal letters dug into the fields of paper, permanently changing the landscape. Metal crafted by human hands and used strategically to mark the possibilities.

Much like the metal type, the iron currency, which can be pushed into the ground to line a matrimonial path, marks the land with its own language. The wonderful patina on the blade feels like a unique fingerprint, a unique font. Both of these tangible materials impress upon their audiences.

“Iron Currency”, Afo/Angas Style, early 20th century. Metal, 38 ¾ x 26 ¾ x 3 in. Estate of Keith Achepohl. 2018.55. Unrecorded artist; Nigeria

“Metal Type” by Rolin Milroy, Claudia Cohen, and Heavenly Monkey, UI Libraries’ Special Collections and Archives, x-Collection, Z232.H385 M47 2013

09/21/2026

The inaugural installation of "Thresholds: Poetry" draws to a conclusion this week.

Donika Kelly's poem, “Dear—” has greeted visitors in the museum's lobby space since March 2026, the first in a series of rotating works by poets affiliated with the University of Iowa.

The next installation will be unveiled during the Iowa City Downtown District Gallery Walk next Friday, October 2, 2026, at 5:00 pm. Learn more about the featured poem through the link in the comments!

Address

160 W. Burlington Street, SMA
Iowa City, IA
52242

Opening Hours

Tuesday	10am - 4:30pm
Wednesday	10am - 4:30pm
Thursday	10am - 8pm
Friday	10am - 4:30pm
Saturday	10am - 4:30pm
Sunday	12pm - 4:30pm

Telephone

+13193351727

Website

https://stanleymuseum.uiowa.edu/

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