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.

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 blue map of Iowa with the rivers shown as black lines. On the top left of the map is an area highlighted in red with the text "Mill Creek Cultural Area" and the bottom left with the text "Glenwood Cultural Area"

Ethics, Art, and Connections with Nature: Exploring the Archaeological Cultures of Mill Creek and Glenwood

July 2025

This student-curated exhibition utilizes artifacts of the Indigenous people from Mill Creek (1100-1250 CE) and Glenwood (1200-1350 CE) cultures.

Ethics, Art, and Connections with Nature: Exploring the Archaeological Cultures of Mill Creek and Glenwood

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

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

Stanley Creates | Happy Birthday, Oubre!

Saturday, September 20, 2025 2:00pm to 3:30pm

Stanley Museum of Art

Join us for a special Stanley Creates event celebrating the birthday of artist Hayward Oubre!Enjoy cupcakes and learn to make a wire sculpture inspired by his artwork in the exhibition Hayward Oubre: Structural Integrity, currently on view in the galleries. Participants will be provided materials and guidance to bend, twist, and shape wire into imaginative sculptures and designs. The workshop will be led by Agnes Harry Mills, Graduate Assistant in Learning & Engagement at the Stanley Museum of...

Drawing Salon with Robert Caputo

Sunday, September 21, 2025 2:00pm to 3:30pm

Stanley Museum of Art

The Drawing Salon focuses on drawing artworks from the museum's collection. Each session will focus on a different artwork. The sessions will begin with an introduction and discussion of the selected work. Participants will be encouraged to pursue their own visions and to take inspiration from the artworks in the gallery.Pencils and sketchbooks/paper are the only artmaking materials allowed in the galleries. The museum has golf pencils with erasers and clipboards for participants to use. Stools...

Mondays at the Plaza

Monday, September 22, 2025 11:00am to 1:00pm

Becker Communication Studies Building

Grab lunch and connect with the campus community at the Plaza!Presented by the College of Engineering and the Stanley Museum of Art, Mondays at the Plaza is a weekly event series held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the North Library Plaza.Enjoy a rotating selection of food trucks, engaging activities, and informational booths all designed to foster cross-departmental networking and celebrate scientific discovery. It’s a vibrant community-building effort that brings together students, faculty, and...

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