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 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

Stanley Creates | Chihuly-Inspired Suncatchers

Saturday, July 12, 2025 2:00pm to 3:30pm

Stanley Museum of Art

Create dazzling suncatchers to capture the summer sun inspired by Dale Chihuly's brightly colored, organically shaped glass sculptures.Spots are limited, register here: https://uiowa.doubleknot.com/event/stanley-creates-chihuly-inspired-suncatchers/3105243Stanley Creates is a free, family-friendly event offered twice a semester at the Stanley Museum of Art. It provides an opportunity for families to experience the museum together through an art-making activity that takes inspiration from the...

Stanley Creates | Recycled Tin Can Robots

Saturday, July 26, 2025 2:00pm to 3:30pm

Stanley Museum of Art

Reduce - Reuse - Reboot! Assemble a robot sculpture by reusing tin cans and other materials.Spots are limited, register here: https://uiowa.doubleknot.com/event/stanley-creates-recycled-tin-robot/3105245Stanley Creates is a free, family-friendly event offered twice a semester at the Stanley Museum of Art. It provides an opportunity for families to experience the museum together through an art-making activity that takes inspiration from the Stanley collection. During their visit to the Stanley...

Art & Write Night

Friday, August 1, 2025 6:00pm to 8:00pm

University of Iowa Museum of Natural History

Join the long, rich, historical tradition of artists creating in our spaces.Professional, aspiring, and amateur artists alike, make our museum your muse. The return of this popular program series welcomes guests into the Museum of Natural History's magical gallery spaces after-hours to work on sketching or writing projects with other campus and community artists.Tell a friend, grab a notebook, and join us on the first Friday of each month. We'll provide a new inspo prompt for each session and...

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