student blog

Along with the Stanley's belief in getting students into and engaged with the museum physically, we also believe students should have a space to share their research, creative projects, writing, and other achievements, expertise, and thoughts about art, art history, and the Stanley with their peers. 

The Stanley Student Blog will not only serve as a way to make our events accessible, but also to preserve the work that students do;  their work isn't gone once the event they helped coordinate is over or their employment ends, but lives on here, for future students to engage with days, weeks, months, or maybe even years later. 

If you're interested in contributing to our blog in some type of way, please reach out to Assistant Curator of Student Engagement Allie Tokarski at allison-tokarski@uiowa.edu. We'd love to hear your thoughts on the art on display at the Stanley, the work you're doing related to the Stanley or the arts community on campus, or how the arts are impacting your time here at Iowa. 

Two students stand together in front of the Odita mural in the Stanley lobby. Each of them is holding their clay creation in their hands. They're smiling, posing with the two clay snowmen they've made.

Monthly Meetup: Dec 8 Winter De-Stress Fest

Thursday, December 8, 2022
For our December Monthly Meetup, we focused on creating a space for students to de-stress before finals week. We set out some board games, offered some arts and crafts activities, ordered food, and put on Wallace and Grommit on the lobby's big screen. Read this blog post to learn more about what the SCC got up to this month!
A photo of Lily Hester: they are posing in Art Building West, wearing a very colorful sweater.

Stanley Campus Council Intern 2022/2023: Lily Hester

Sunday, November 20, 2022
Click here to learn more about Lily Hester and the work they do as the Stanley Campus Council Intern at the Stanley Museum of Art.
A photo of the class gathered at the table. Fifteen or twenty students sit at a long conference table covered in fabric scraps, books, and garments. At the head of the table is a screen that is displaying a close up of varying sashiko stitches.

Monthly Meetup: November 10

Thursday, November 10, 2022
For our November Monthly Meetup, we wanted to focus on concepts like sustainability and community. We hosted a food drive, put on a sashiko stitching and mending workshop, and curated a special little display of garment and textile art from the Stanley's collection in the Visual Classroom. Read this blog post to learn more about what the SCC got up to this month!
Another example of the event's crafts: Three votive candles (two orange and one purple) decorated with stickers, rhinestones, and markers, and then several pompom creatures with google eyes and other embellishments.

DIY Halloween Crafts

Monday, October 17, 2022
For their October 13th Monthly Meetup Event, the SCC taught students how to make some fun Halloween crafts. If you missed the meeting--or even if you attended--and are interested in learning how to make some of these fun crafts, you can follow our instructions in this blog post.
A photo of four students gathered around a folding table in the Stanley Museum of Art lobby. They are all in the midst of making crafts: cutting yarn to make pompoms and assembling Halloween garlands.

Monthly Meetup: October 13

Thursday, October 13, 2022
For our October Monthly Meetup, the SCC was unanimous in our decision: we HAD to find a way to celebrate Halloween with students at the Stanley! Our October event included candy, a movie, Halloween crafts, and a special display of creepy art in one of the Stanley's classroom spaces. Read this blog post to learn more about how the event went down!
A photo of three gallery hosts standing at the Stanley Museum of Art front desk. Carter, Rachel, and Lily are crowded together, Rachel's arms around Carter's shoulders on her right, and Lily's shoulders on her left.

Academic Year 2022/2023 Gallery Host Team

Monday, October 10, 2022
Meet the Gallery Host team for the 2022 - 2023 academic year! These twelve students were instrumental during our first year open.
A photo of Emalie Brannigan: she is posing, half hidden by her laptop screen, smiling down at the camera.

Campus Engagement Coordinator 2022/2023: Emalie Brannigan

Sunday, September 18, 2022
Click here to learn more about Emalie Brannigan and the work she does as the Campus Engagement Coordinator at the Stanley Museum of Art.
Students doing yoga in Gibson Square Park. The photo is taken from behind, with the Stanley Museum of Art visible in the background.

Monthly Meetup: September 8

Thursday, September 8, 2022
After the hustle and bustle of the first few weeks of classes, the grand opening of the Stanley Museum of Art, and the Student Kickoff, we decided we wanted our first SCC Monthly Meetup event to be a bit more lowkey. Read this blog post to learn about what we did, and about some other campus resources you won't want to miss out on!
Eight tote bags fill the photograph--they are laid out along the floor to dry, all in different but similar shades and mixes of blue, green, and turquoise.

DIY Screenprinting

Sunday, September 4, 2022
Curious how we made the one-of-a-kind screenprinted tote bags for our Student Kickoff event in September? Follow along with this blog post for an in-depth behind-the-scenes look at the messy and exciting process.