Join us monthly to generate new creative writing inspired by works in the Stanley collection. Each session will be led by a different talented writer from our area, who will be offering a new prompt and a new approach to ekphrastic writing (writing inspired by visual art). Bring your own notebook and pencil or computer and leave with the beginning of a newly written piece.

Co-sponsored by Iowa City Poetry. Teen and adult writers in all genres are welcome.

Write at the Stanley meets every fourth...

Need a break at the end of the week? Swing by the Stanley on Friday afternoons for Crafternoons. Bring whatever low-mess craft you're currently working on (a sketchbook, knitting, embroidery, coloring books, origami — whatever you're into!) or just show up and use some of the various supplies we'll have on hand. No experience required! Light snacks provided. Stay for five minutes or hang out for a while, it's up to you.

Cozy up for an evening of cross-stitch, snacks, and good times at the Stanley. Free and open to all!

The Stanley has partnered with ICDD for the upcoming Free Week – a winter festival offering free programming at over 15 venues, celebrating Downtown Iowa City’s Cultural & Entertainment District from Feb. 16 to 22, 2026.

Snack and supplies provided.

Celebrate the spirit of carnival at the museum on your day off from school! Create your very own dazzling Mardi Gras mask using a variety of of colorful paint markers and embellishments.

Space is limited; please reserve your spot at https://uiowa.doubleknot.com/event/schools-out-at-the-stanley-mardi-gras-mask/3114198

Please arrive in time for children to settle in and begin the project at 2 p.m.

School's Out at the Stanley is offered on days when Iowa City Community Schools District has no classes...

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...

Kick of your Valentine's Day celebration at the Stanley Museum of Art with love-themed tours led by docents.

Tours start at 2 p.m. followed by refreshments in the lobby. Perfect for those wishing for a pre-dinner activity and those who prefer to spend a cozy evening at home after enjoying some art.

Space is limited; registration recommended. Register at https://uiowa.doubleknot.com/event/valentines-tour/3128647.

Tour time 2–3 p.m.

Refreshments 3–4 p.m.

Photo by Grace Troutman.

This February, the Stanley has partnered with students at the Afro-American Cultural Center to celebrate Black History Month through two Crafternoons. Our Friday, Feb. 13 and Friday, Feb. 27 Crafternoons will be collaborative events, focused on helping highlight Black voices and cultural heritage through making activities and community building. Join us on Feb. 13 for self-led crafting, and on Feb. 27 for a led craft from the Afro-American Cultural Center's executive directors.

--

Need a break at...

Happy Valentine’s Week, Hawkeyes!

For this month’s Night at the Museum, stop by for Date Night on Feb. 12. We’ll have delectable Valentine’s desserts, mocktails, a Valentine’s card collaging station, and a Polaroid photo booth. Bring friends, partners — the people you love!

Once a month, the Stanley hosts events designed to introduce the museum to University of Iowa students through engaging and creative activities. Nights at the Museum events occur on Thursday nights when the museum is open late...

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...

Need a break at the end of the week? Swing by the Stanley on Friday afternoons for Crafternoons. Bring whatever low-mess craft you're currently working on (a sketchbook, knitting, embroidery, coloring books, origami — whatever you're into!) or just show up and use some of the various supplies we'll have on hand. No experience required! Light snacks provided. Stay for five minutes or hang out for a while, it's up to you.

Join us for a Gallery Talk that offers an engaging, hands-on exploration of artworks that use repetition to spark emotion, movement, and meaning.

Visitors will start with a tour of the works on view in the Visual Lab led by Isabel Cazares, followed by close-looking exercises that will deepen their understanding of the works on display.

After the tour, enjoy a creative session inspired by the patterns using colored pencils and paper. Participants will experiment with pattern making to translate...

Experience an evening of art and music at the Stanley Museum of Art with a jazz ensemble performance featuring the Ben Banta Trio & Mathuin Smith Trio. Explore the galleries before or after the performance as the museum will remain open late till 8 p.m. This program is in collaboration with SCOPE and is free for all.

Need a break at the end of the week? Swing by the Stanley on Friday afternoons for Crafternoons. Bring whatever low-mess craft you're currently working on (a sketchbook, knitting, embroidery, coloring books, origami — whatever you're into!) or just show up and use some of the various supplies we'll have on hand. No experience required! Light snacks provided. Stay for five minutes or hang out for a while, it's up to you.

Join the 2025–2026 Grant Wood Fellows artists for an evening of discussion about their work and research. The event will be accompanied by light refreshments.

Panel members:

Ada Friedman (Painting & Drawing)

Elizabeth Claire Rose (Printmaking)

Kyle Marshall (Interdisciplinary Performance—Dance)

The Grant Wood Art Colony seeks to provide a creative home for the next generation of artists and continue Grant Wood’s creative advocacy in the School of Art & Art History and the Division of Performing Arts...

Join us monthly to generate new creative writing inspired by works in the Stanley collection. Each session will be led by a different talented writer from our area, who will be offering a new prompt and a new approach to ekphrastic writing (writing inspired by visual art). Bring your own notebook and pencil or computer and leave with the beginning of a newly written piece.

Co-sponsored by Iowa City Poetry. Teen and adult writers in all genres are welcome.

Write at the Stanley meets every fourth...

Need a break at the end of the week? Swing by the Stanley on Friday afternoons for Crafternoons. Bring whatever low-mess craft you're currently working on (a sketchbook, knitting, embroidery, coloring books, origami — whatever you're into!) or just show up and use some of the various supplies we'll have on hand. No experience required! Light snacks provided. Stay for five minutes or hang out for a while, it's up to you.

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...

Join us for an informal, guided tour of the Stanley Museum of Art. Our team of docents will lead you through the galleries, exploring highlights from our collection. Perfect for small groups or walk-in visitors, this tour offers a flexible and engaging way to learn about the collection.

No reservations required. Simply drop in and join us for an hour of art appreciation but note that space is limited.

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...

Make the Stanley your study spot for finals week. We'll have free cocoa, coffee, cider, and snacks available all day Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday (10 a.m.–4 p.m.).

Stop by for a few hours to study for your exams: grab a snack, replenish your study supplies (we'll have post-its, highlighters, and more) and take a quick break — either by exploring the galleries or playing with a fidget toy.

Make the Stanley your study spot for finals week. We'll have free cocoa, coffee, cider, and snacks available all day Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday (10 a.m.–4 p.m.).

Stop by for a few hours to study for your exams: grab a snack, replenish your study supplies (we'll have post-its, highlighters, and more) and take a quick break — either by exploring the galleries or playing with a fidget toy.

Make the Stanley your study spot for finals week. We'll have free cocoa, coffee, cider, and snacks available all day Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday (10 a.m.–4 p.m.).

Stop by for a few hours to study for your exams: grab a snack, replenish your study supplies (we'll have post-its, highlighters, and more) and take a quick break — either by exploring the galleries or playing with a fidget toy.

Feeling stressed at the end of the semester? We invite you to take a creative relaxation break at the Stanley Museum of Art with Chill & Create, a workshop led by Dana Keeton, a local artist, art therapist, and mental health counselor.

Students will have the opportunity to choose from a variety of collage materials to put together a collage with colors, textures and materials that feel relaxing and peaceful. The workshop will include strategies for calming and focusing.

This special holiday-themed session of Stanley Creates will begin with children reading Memoirs of an Elf by Devin Scillian, a delightful story that captures the magic of the holidays through the eyes of an elf named Spark.

Following the story, children will design their very own festive elf hats!

Please arrive in time for children to settle in; program begins at 2 p.m. with story time, followed by a project inspired by the book.

Workshop led by Debra Marqusee.

Stanley Creates is a free, family...

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...

Spread some festive cheer on your day off from school! Create your very own grapevine wreath using an assortment of miniature holiday items, wire, bottle caps and so much more.

Space is limited; please reserve your spot at https://uiowa.doubleknot.com/event/schools-out-at-the-stanley-bottle-cap-wreath/3114196.

Please arrive in time for children to settle in and begin the project at 2 p.m.

School's Out at the Stanley is offered on days when Iowa City Community Schools District has no classes. Art...

Write at the Stanley: A Generative Writing Workshop is back for the Fall Semester!

Join us monthly to generate new creative writing inspired by works in the Stanley collection. Each session will be led by a different talented writer from our area, who will be offering a new prompt and a new approach to ekphrastic writing (writing inspired by visual art). Bring your own notebook and pencil or computer and leave with the beginning of a newly written piece.

Co-sponsored by Iowa City Poetry. Teen and...

Create your very own "quirky bird" using a foil relief technique! Children will think outside the box as they design and construct a low foil relief quirky bird using cardboard shapes, glue, tin foil and sharpies.

Space is limited; please reserve your spot at https://uiowa.doubleknot.com/event/schools-out-at-the-stanley-quirky-bird/3114194

Please arrive in time for children to settle in and begin the project at 2 p.m.

School's Out at the Stanley is offered on days when Iowa City Community Schools...

The Rhythm and Blues tour will be led by docent Ellen Link. During this special tour, Ellen will lead visitors on how art can be influenced by music, as well as the emotions evoked with color and the blending of hues.

This tour is part of the Sundays with the Docents program. Walk-ins are welcome on the tour, but using the sign-up is strongly recommended as tours are capped at 20 participants. Register now this the following link: https://uiowa.doubleknot.com/event/sundays-with-the-docents-rhythm...

Join docent Laurie Zaiger for a special, family-friendly tour of Hayward Oubre: Structural Integrity! We encourage you to bring children and family members of all ages to learn together about the works of the American modernist and University of Iowa alumnus, Oubre. This tour is free and open to all and is the perfect weekend experience to share with family and friends.

Space is limited, registration here: https://uiowa.doubleknot.com/Event/3123223

Visit the Stanley Museum of Art for a pop-up display showcasing items from the University of Iowa Libraries’ Special Collections and Archives related to Hayward Oubre’s student experience.

Visitors are invited to view materials on display in the lobby, including summer art show details, art program brochures, and campus life materials. Take part in an origami craft activity inspired by Oubre’s first wire sculpture.

Bring a friend to experience the pop-up and the Oubre exhibition for a great day at...

Join us for our next installment of Night at the Museum, a series of monthly events for UI students that occurs on Thursday nights when the museum is open late.

This month, our session is aimed at helping students destress around midterms by making and viewing art. To do this, we're teaming up with Dana Keeton, a local artist, art therapist and mental health counselor.

All night in the lobby, we'll have snacks and art materials provided for creative mask making. Dana will take interested students...

Part of Hancher's 53rd season

Presented in collaboration with the Stanley Museum of Art

A free conversation reflecting on the restaging of historic collaborations between visual artist Robert Rauschenberg and choreographers Trisha Brown and Merce Cunningham — exploring the creative process, archival challenges, and the enduring influence of these groundbreaking works. The conversation will feature Carolyn Lucas (associate artistic director, Trisha Brown Dance Company), Andrea Weber (associate...

Write at the Stanley: A Generative Writing Workshop is back for the Fall Semester!

Join us monthly to generate new creative writing inspired by works in the Stanley collection. Each session will be led by a different talented writer from our area, who will be offering a new prompt and a new approach to ekphrastic writing (writing inspired by visual art). Bring your own notebook and pencil or computer and leave with the beginning of a newly written piece.

Co-sponsored by Iowa City Poetry. Teen and...

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...

It's time for another Night at the Museum! Calling all paper-lovers and journal-keepers: this month, we're hosting an entire evening of collage arts! Whether you're new to collage or a seasoned artist, feel free to stop by the Stanley for snacks and craft supplies. Have a junk journal or other materials you like to work with? Go ahead and bring them--otherwise, we've got supplies to get you started.

Make sure to bring your Stanley Student Challenge card with you to get a stamp for attending the...

Join us for the 2025 Downtown Fall Gallery Walk at the Stanley Museum of Art! The museum will be open late for a special evening of art, food, and exploration.

Stop by to discover the latest exhibition, Hayward Oubre: Structural Integrity, which explores a previously unexamined history of American modernism, or revisit the early years of the University of Iowa's MFA program in In the Studio: Art at Iowa in the 1940s.

Enjoy a self-guided tour of the galleries, take in our beautiful outdoor spaces...

Make your own world from drawing shapes, creating stamps, and printing them onto paper in a creative and fun landscape! Various pre-cut shape stamps will be provided for visitors to use, as well as materials like cardboard and string to create an infinite number of designs as they come together on a sheet of paper.

School's Out at the Stanley is offered on days when Iowa City Community Schools District has no classes. Art projects are developed with school-aged children in mind. All abilities and...

Write at the Stanley: A Generative Writing Workshop is back for the Fall Semester!

Join us monthly to generate new creative writing inspired by works in the Stanley collection. Each session will be led by a different talented writer from our area, who will be offering a new prompt and a new approach to ekphrastic writing (writing inspired by visual art). Bring your own notebook and pencil or computer and leave with the beginning of a newly written piece.

Co-sponsored by Iowa City Poetry. Teen and...

Join us for a special workshop this Hispanic Heritage Month, Weaving Our Connections: Remembering and Honoring the Dead across Cultures, led by artist Miriam Alarcón Ávila.

Participants will explore the positive and celebratory ways different cultures view loss and remembrance. Miriam will guide you in creating your own ofrenda (offering), a beautiful tradition often seen in Día de los Muertos celebrations. This is a chance to connect with others, share stories, and create a meaningful tribute to...

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...

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...

We’re welcoming students back to the Stanley Museum of Art with the semester’s first Night at the Museum! Night at the Museum is our series of monthly events for students, hosted Thursday evenings when we are open late. 

This month we are once again collaborating with Hawk The Vote, a student group dedicated to helping folks here at the University of Iowa register to vote in local, state, and federal U.S. elections. HTV representatives will be available in our lobby to help you register, and...