Stanley Museum of Art

Jackson Pollock's Mural

Detail photo by Dave Drogos

See yourself at the Stanley

Come explore our beautiful home - a campus and community hub of global visual culture.

Everyone is welcome.

Plan Your Visit Explore the Collections

east front of museum with sky reflected in the glass

Visit

Our beautiful building is a cultural and social center where you can explore, unwind, meet, and create. Everyone is welcome.

Two students thoughtfully viewing artwork

Explore

Spark your curiosity with something new or stop by and see your old favorites.

A group of three university students look at a large African mask

Discover

The world-class art collection provides exciting opportunities for teaching, learning, and research.

Two women sitting on a green couch having a conversation

Events

There’s always something exciting going on at your art museum. Find out what’s coming up on the calendar.

Multiple bookmarks and copies of a red book fanned out with the text "Beloved. A novel by Toni Morrison."

NEA Big Read | Free Book Pick Up

The NEA Big Read is here in Iowa City! 📚

Get your free copy of Beloved by Toni Morrison and be a part of this community-wide reading event. Available to pick up at 12 different locations across Iowa City. From February to May, our community will celebrate Beloved with a full calendar of events.

Gallery Hours

Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Wednesday: 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Thursday: 10 a.m.–8:00 p.m.
Friday: 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Sunday: 12:00–4:30 p.m.

Admission to the museum building will end 5 minutes before gallery closing.

Office Hours

Monday: 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Tuesday: 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Wednesday: 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Thursday: 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Friday: 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed

Current Exhibitions

A framed abstract image on a wall. Blurred colors of blue, green, orange, and black are beneath a mottled white pattern with a textured overlay.

Blurr #2
2016
23 3/4 x 35 1/2 x 1 1/2 in. (60.33 x 90.17 x 3.81 cm)
Unique picotage on inkjet print, colored
Museum purchase 2025.1
Image courtesy Jack Shainman Gallery

Paul Anthony Smith (1988 – )

Recent Acquisitions

March 2025 - October 2025

This installation celebrates some of the many artworks that have entered the collection within the last decade. Select African art acquisitions are joined by highlights from the museum’s growing photography holdings.

Recent Acquisitions

A woman in a white dress in the middle of an open field

Artist: Katherine Simone Reynolds

it's a fine thing

February 13, 2025 - July 20, 2025

Curated by Katherine Simóne Reynolds and supported by a five-person curatorial cohort of advisors, it's a fine thing explores the rich and often overlooked landscape of the Black Midwest and celebrates the resilience and creativity of Black Midwestern artists.

it's a fine thing

Swirls of paint in different colors on a canvas

Jackson Pollock, Mural, 1943. Oil and casein on canvas, 242.9 x 603.9 cm. University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art, Gift of Peggy Guggenheim, 1959.6 © Pollock-Krasner Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Homecoming

August 26, 2022–July 2025

The Stanley's inaugural exhibition reintroduces visitors to the museum's extraordinary collection. Homecoming comprises of a series of related installations: Generations, Fragments of the Canon, and History Is Always Now.

Homecoming

Aerial view of museum with campus recreation center on left and Main Library on right

The Building

Nestled between the Main Library and Campus Recreation and Wellness Center on the west side of Gibson Square Park, the new Stanley Museum of Art is a hub of learning and research for the University of Iowa and the state. The three-story, state-of-the-art building, designed by BNIM of Des Moines, Iowa, includes a range of flexible spaces for research, education, and exhibitions, and is ideally suited to serve as a center for interdisciplinary teaching, discovery, and community building.

Upcoming Events

An Artist's Life (Before, During and After Iowa) | Artist Talk by Bruce Dorfman

Thursday, March 27, 2025 6:30pm to 8:00pm

Stanley Museum of Art

Join us at the Stanley Museum of Art for a talk featuring artist and UIowa alumnus, Bruce Dorfman. Three works by Dorfman will be on view in the Visual Classroom. About the artist: Bruce Dorfman has had 60 solo exhibitions in New York, across the U.S.and abroad. He is represented by: June Kelly Gallery, NYC; Carrie Chen Gallery, Great Barrington, MA; and Elizabeth Clement Fine Art, Boston/Miami/NYC, where he will continue to have solo exhibitions during 2025. His very first solo exhibition...

Stanley Creates | Zany Trees

Saturday, March 29, 2025 2:00pm to 3:30pm

Stanley Museum of Art

Let your imagination run wild as you create your very own zany tree in bloom! In this hands-on workshop, children will use air-dry clay, pipe cleaners, pom-poms, and other colorful materials to design and assemble unique and whimsical trees. From towering giants to tiny saplings, the possibilities are endless! Space is limited; please reserve your spot at https://uiowa.doubleknot.com/event/stanley-creates-zany-trees-in-bloom/3087875 Please arrive in time for children to settle in and begin the...

SONG*LINES: Song Circle with Lyndsey Scott

Sunday, March 30, 2025 2:00pm to 4:00pm

Stanley Museum of Art

Join us at the Stanley Museum of Art for an uplifting singing circle in the lobby on Sunday, March 30, from 2-4 pm . The Stanley Museum of Art is the 5th stop of the SONG*LINES Project, a series of local song circles hosted by Grant Wood Fellow Lyndsey Scott to nourish the thriving of local community-building organizations and cross-pollinate new connections. Simple songs will be taught on the spot and refreshments will be provided. All voices are welcome! Register here. Lyndsey Scott is a...

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