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...

In this class, participants will draw artworks in the museum's collection. Each session will focus on a different piece. The sessions will begin with an introduction to and discussion of the selected work. Participants will be encouraged to pursue their own visions and to take inspiration from the piece. Classes will be held Feb. 19, April 16, and May 21. Pencils and sketchbooks/paper are the only art-making materials allowed in the galleries. The museum has golf pencils with erasers and...

Study for finals and wrap up semester projects at the Stanley with snacks, study supplies, and stress relief toys in the lobby. Then, take a break in our galleries to find a new favorite artwork.

Study for finals and wrap up semester projects at the Stanley with snacks, study supplies, and stress relief toys in the lobby. Then, take a break in our galleries to find a new favorite artwork.

Study for finals and wrap up semester projects at the Stanley with snacks, study supplies, and stress relief toys in the lobby. Then, take a break in our galleries to find a new favorite artwork.

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...

Join us on the front steps on Friday, after the museum closes, to witness the performance of an independent research project choreographed by Dance BFA and Stanley Museum of Art Events Intern Katherine Shamdin.  Living Art(i)facts Choreographed by Katherine Shamdin  This work explores the importance of art in the wild. It draws inspiration from the architecture and liveliness of the Stanley Museum of Art. What draws our focus when we take time to really see?

What is forgotten? What is remembered? How reliable are our recollections? What ethical questions could or should guide how we engage with others’ memories? Join us at the Stanley Museum of Art as six scholar-artists reflect on memory from the perspective of various disciplines. This is the second gathering in the UI's new Wide Lens series, in which researchers, scholars, and artists from across the university briefly present their work on a shared topic of interest, pecha kucha–style, at the...

This unique and hands-on program integrates art viewing, art making and mindfulness strategies to provide students with tools to de-stress, manage anxiety, and develop wellness practices. During the 2-hour workshop, participants will learn new ways to improve well-being, while benefiting from the positive effects of viewing and making art. No prior art-making experience necessary. The workshop will be led by Dana Keeton, a local board-certified art therapist and licensed mental health...

Join the Stanley Campus Council for a fun close-of-the-semester event, focused on celebration and de-stressing!  Stop by the Stanley Museum of Art lobby on Thursday, May 4, from 6 to 7 p.m. for snacks, board games, arts and crafts, and to pick up a finals week goodie bag.  Then, come back during finals week to Study at the Stanley!

UI Tuba + Euphonium recital accompanied by the members' own original artwork.

This spring, the Stanley Reads book group features What Napoleon Could Not Do, the debut novel of Derek (DK) Nnuro, the museum’s curator of special projects. The club will meet three times over the spring semester to discuss the novel and discover how objects in the Homecoming exhibition connect with themes in the book. Nnuro will also be on hand to answer questions about the novel and engage participants in craft discussions. We encourage budding writers—especially writers of fiction—to join us...

Be a part of the premiere of a new one-act, immersive opera by composer Nathan Felix. Performers will move throughout the galleries, with different movements or pieces set around the audience. At some points, you may find yourself in the middle of the ensemble. Nathan Felix (born 1981) is a Mexican American composer based in Brooklyn. His music has been premiered in Bulgaria, Portugal, Spain, Denmark, Mongolia, and the United States, and his music has been featured on the BBC, MTV, and NPR. In...

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...

Join the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s head curator, Randall Griffey, as he discusses Alice Neel’s 1967 painting The Black Boys, on loan to the Stanley from the Tia Collection in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Griffey, who co-curated the blockbuster exhibition Alice Neel: People Come First, which opened at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2021, will share insights into Neel’s work and career and discuss how this exhibition helped the Met widen and diversify its audience. Randall Griffey is the new...

Join us on Earth Day for Art Education Community and Family Earth Day!  Graduate students from the University of Iowa College of Education will lead a range of activities, from creating an art passport to weaving with found natural materials. Programs will be geared towards a variety of audiences including young children and their families, K-12 students, and adults.  PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS & TIMES Sketchbook Creation with Monica David, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Create your own souvenir sketchbook...

On your days off from school, stop at the Stanley for kid-centered activities and snacks in our lobby. Then, head up to the galleries to try your hand at our scavenger hunts and find a new favorite artwork.

This is the first in a series of roundtable discussions between contemporary artists working in Africa and the United States funded by the Henry Luce Foundation.

Join Madde Hoberg for a guided tour of Out & About: Queer Life in Iowa City.

In this class, participants will draw artworks in the museum's collection. Each session will focus on a different piece. The sessions will begin with an introduction to and discussion of the selected work. Participants will be encouraged to pursue their own visions and to take inspiration from the piece. Classes will be held Feb. 19, April 16, and May 21. Pencils and sketchbooks/paper are the only art-making materials allowed in the galleries. The museum has golf pencils with erasers and...