As the NEA Big Read draws to a close, immerse yourself in the powerful story of Beloved on the big screen!For one day only, FilmScene presents the critically acclaimed film based on Toni Morrison's novel, starring Oprah Winfrey, Danny Glover, and Thandiwe Newton. This cinematic masterpiece will enrich your understanding of Morrison's novel before the final discussion of the book the following Saturday.Beloved on 35mm is free for all and is presented in partnership with the Stanley Museum of Art...

Ciraj Rassool, PhD is Senior Professor of Historical Studies at the University of the Western Cape in South Africa, and director of the African Programme in Museum and Heritage Studies. He has published widely on changing old museums & making new museums, race in museums, restitution, political movements and the politics of nonracialism. He served on the boards of the District Six Museum & Iziko Museums of South Africa and is a member of the South African National Advisory Board for Restitution...

NOTE: The April 4th occurrence in this series will move to the Old Capitol Museum for a very special Art & Write Night!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...

Mellon Research staff, Dr. Peju Layiwola and Fernanda Campos will present their work and examine the questions that lie at the core of provenance research.

Join us for a thought-provoking and timely panel discussion in partnership with the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council, featuring esteemed representatives from the Stanley Museum of Art, the Pentacrest Museums, and the Office of the State Archaeologist.Together, they will explore the University of Iowa’s leadership and evolving practices in the restitution and repatriation of African and Indigenous American cultural objects. This conversation sheds light on the critical role of institutions in...

Write at the Stanley: A Generative Writing Workshop is back for the Spring 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...

Join us for a special evening of film screenings and conversation with acclaimed filmmakers/artists Christopher Harris and Cameron Granger. This program is part of the Grant Wood Art Colony's 8th Biennial Symposium, Race and Regionalism: Representation in the Heartland, and is held in conjunction with the Stanley Museum of Art's exhibition, it's a fine thing.Featured FilmsChristopher HarrisDistant Shores (2016, 3min)Christopher Harris’s Distant Shores, to take one, models a necessary imaginative...

Join us for a compelling panel discussion moderated by Katherine Simóne Reynolds and featuring Kelley Lemon, Naima Green, and Alicia Olushola Ajayi. This conversation will illuminate the many ways Black artists and practitioners are engaging with ecological narratives, uncovering hidden histories, and shaping future landscapes. This event is held in conjunction with the exhibition, it's a fine thing, currently on view at the Stanley Museum of Art.Moderator:Katherine Simóne Reynolds is an artist...

Hop to it! In this fun and creative workshop, children will transform ordinary socks into adorable bunny friends. Using rice to fill their bodies and buttons for eyes and noses, kids will design and create their own unique and cuddly companions. Space is limited; please reserve your spot at https://uiowa.doubleknot.com/event/schools-out-at-the-stanley-april-18/3... 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...

Join us for our last installment of Night at the Museum this academic year, a series of monthly events for UI students that occurs on Thursday nights, when the museum is open late. This month we want to celebrate our student artists! Working with student artists across the University and the Undergraduate Art History Society, we have created our very own student gallery—gallery guide and all! Student works will be displayed in the Stanley's lobby for one night, during this event. Students are...

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...

Join us at the Stanley Museum of Art for the 2025 Bette R. Spriestersbach Endowed Lectureship, featuring Siddhartha V. Shah, PhD, and John Wieland 1958 Director at the Mead Art Museum at Amherst College. Our Wounds and Our Weapons: Artmaking in India as Liberatory Practice, 1947 to TodayIndependence from British rule in 1947 signaled the end of nearly 350 years of British occupation, leaving the people of India to grapple with tremendous trauma and the task of building a nation that was...

Join us for a tour of the Stanley Museum of Art's latest exhibition, it's a fine thing. This tour is presented in conjunction with the NEA Big Read and will draw connections between the show and Toni Morrison's novel Beloved. . This tour is part of the Sundays with the Docents program where Stanley docents create unique tours to share with our audiences throughout the year. Registration is strongly recommended. Walk-ins are welcome, but tours are capped at 20 participants. Reserve your spot at...

The final discussion session of Beloved will be led by Tameka Cage Conley."In a time when dreams might feel distant, I count it 'sheer, good fortune'—a Morrisonian quote from Sula--to return to Iowa City, which remains home to me, and join DK Nnuro for the final discussion of Beloved, a novel that has been seared into my consciousness and all meaning of life for over thirty years. A homecoming of enormous import, we will step into the mercy and splendor of Morrison's language—its gifts and...

NOTE: The April 4th occurrence in this series will move to the Old Capitol Museum for a very special Art & Write Night!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...

Join us at the Stanley Museum of Art for insightful talks by artists Sonya Clark and Taiye Idahor, followed by a conversation with Cory Gundlach, Curator of African Art.Both Clark and Idahor, whose works are included in the Stanley’s collection, explore critical themes of identity, memory, and cultural heritage through their art, with a shared interest in the visual and symbolic power of hair. Their multidisciplinary approaches, spanning sculpture, textiles, and more, create compelling...

The Museum Studies program is excited to offer the program's first "Internship Story Panel" where Museum Studies students get the chance to present the work they completed for their Museum Studies internship and learn from each others' experiences. A panel of several student presenters will each talk about and feature their work with photos and videos. Afterwards, we’ll have time for Q&A from the audience. Hear about the exciting work our students are proud of completing for their Museum Studies...

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...

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...

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...

Write at the Stanley: A Generative Writing Workshop is back for the Spring 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...

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...

Join us for a tour of the Stanley Museum of Art's latest exhibition, it's a fine thing. This tour is presented in conjunction with the NEA Big Read and will draw connections between the show and Toni Morrison's novel Beloved. . This tour is part of the Sundays with the Docents program where Stanley docents create unique tours to share with our audiences throughout the year. Registration is strongly recommended. Walk-ins are welcome, but tours are capped at 20 participants. Reserve your spot at...

Join us for another installment of Night at the Museum, a series of monthly events for students that occur on Thursday nights, when the museum is open late. In honor of Women’s History Month, we're teaming up with the Women's Resource and Action Center (WRAC) to host a collage night! We will provide copies of historical materials to pick through, along with journals to work in. If you're already an avid journaler (or junk-journaler), you are welcomed to bring your own journal or paper goods you...

The Stanley Museum of Art, Hancher Auditorium, and the University of Iowa welcome Ronni Favors, a former dancer and current rehearsal director for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. Born and raised in Iowa City, Favors will be in conversation with assistant professor of history and African American studies Ashley Howard, about artistic expression, home and the Black Midwestern experience.

Join the UI Libraries, the Stanley Museum of Art, and the UI Museum of Natural History for the Iowa City Downtown District's annual Spring Gallery Walk! Celebrating over 25 years, the Gallery Walk is a free event that invites everyone on a self-guided tour of shops and galleries showcasing curated artwork. Be sure to get a stamp at each location you visit, 10 stamps could win you a big prize! For your first stamp, start the tour on campus at the Main Library Gallery, featuring the new...

Children are invited to build their very own tin box robots using tin boxes, bolts, and a variety of other hardware. This inventive artmaking program encourages young artists to explore their imaginations and transform everyday materials into whimsical robot sculptures. Perfect for kids of all ages and skill levels, this hands-on activity promises a day of fun, creativity, and discovery. Space is limited; please reserve your spot at https://uiowa.doubleknot.com/event/schools-out-at-the-stanley...

Join the Weaving Our Community Network (part of the Women’s Resource and Action Center) in collaboration with Stanley Museum of Art and UI Libraries Special Collections and Archives to share the stories we tell through our clothing. Come together to enjoy food and conversation as we explore traditions of handmaking, and embellishment of objects passed down through generations of artisans. Alicia Velasquez will lead a beading workshop during the event. Each participant will have the opportunity...

Write at the Stanley: A Generative Writing Workshop is back for the Spring 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...

Interested in learning about the ancient art practice of weaving? 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. 18 to 22, 2025. Weaver and Graduate Assistant at the Stanley Museum of Art, Melanie Landsittel, will lead a workshop featuring many types of DIY looms and demonstrate the process of weaving. Visitors will be shown how to create...

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...

Join us at the Stanley Museum of Art for our Sundays with the Docents tour where Stanley docents create unique tours to share with our audiences throughout the year. In the Art by Indigenous Americans tour, Docent David Duer will look at some of the ways Native artists examine and express their cultural heritage. The Muscogee poet and musician (and former U.S. poet laureate) Joy Harjo, in her poem “Conflict Resolutions for Holy Beings,” offers words that serve as our tour theme: “Recognize...

Join us for another 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, we're celebrating Valentine's Day for a whole week! Visit the Stanley Museum of HeARTs anytime from Tuesday, Feb. 11 to Friday, Feb. 14 — we'll have paper hearts available at the front desk for guests to leave on the floor in front of their favorite artworks in the galleries.  We will also have a special Valentine's Day...

Join us for the opening of the exhibition, it's a fine thing This exhibition explores the rich and often overlooked landscape of the Black Midwest, challenging conventional narratives and celebrating the resilience and creativity of Black Midwestern artists.  Program begins at 6 p.m. with opening remarks, followed by refreshments and music. Event concludes at 8 p.m. Learn more: https://stanleymuseum.uiowa.edu/its-a-fine-thing it’s a fine thing is generously supported by the Terra Foundation...

Join us for another 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, we're celebrating Valentine's Day for a whole week! Visit the Stanley Museum of HeARTs anytime from Tuesday, Feb. 11 to Friday, Feb. 14 — we'll have paper hearts available at the front desk for guests to leave on the floor in front of their favorite artworks in the galleries.  We will also have a special Valentine's Day...

Join us for another 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, we're celebrating Valentine's Day for a whole week! Visit the Stanley Museum of HeARTs anytime from Tuesday, Feb. 11 to Friday, Feb. 14 — we'll have paper hearts available at the front desk for guests to leave on the floor in front of their favorite artworks in the galleries.  We will also have a special Valentine's Day...

Join us for another 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, we're celebrating Valentine's Day for a whole week! Visit the Stanley Museum of HeARTs anytime from Tuesday, Feb. 11 to Friday, Feb. 14 — we'll have paper hearts available at the front desk for guests to leave on the floor in front of their favorite artworks in the galleries.  We will also have a special Valentine's Day...

Join us for a creative adventure at the Stanley Museum of Art! Children are invited to design their very own 4x4 inch mosaic tiles. This engaging artmaking program will allow young artists to explore patterns, colors, and textures as they piece together their unique creations. Perfect for kids of all ages and skill levels, this activity encourages imagination and creativity, while developing fine motor skills. Come and let your artistic side shine! Space is limited; please reserve your spot at ...

NOTE: The April 4th occurrence in this series will move to the Old Capitol Museum for a very special Art & Write Night!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...

Join the 2024-2025 Grant Wood Fellows artists for an evening of discussion about their work and research. The event will be accompanied by light refreshments. Panel members: Rush Baker IV (Painting & Drawing) Matthew Willie Garcia (Printmaking) Lyndsey Scott (Interdisciplinary Performance—Music) 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...

Curator of African Art, Cory Gundlach and UI Professor Anny-Dominique Curtius will be part of a post-screening discussion of the documentary Dahomey. Pre-screening meal: 6:15 p.m. Showitme: 7 p.m. Post-screening discussion: 8:15 p.m. The latest from acclaimed filmmaker Mati Diop (Atlantics), Dahomey is a poetic and immersive documentary that delves into real perspectives on far-reaching issues surrounding appropriation, self-determination and restitution. Set in November 2021, the film...

Join us Feb. 4 for Sarah Bond's lecture about her new book: Strike: Labor, Unions, and Resistance in the Roman Empire (Yale University Press, 2025). 

Enjoy refreshments, curator remarks, and an open house in recognition of the spring 2025 Main Library Gallery exhibit, A Roll of the Dice: Symbolism in the Sackner Archive, curated by Rich Dana. Event Schedule  4–6 p.m.: Reception and open house with curator Rich Dana 4:30 p.m.: Brief remarks in the Main Library Gallery  6 p.m.: Opening event ends 8 p.m.: Main Library Gallery closes (open late on Tuesdays) Admission to the gallery is always free. No RSVP required for this event. About the...

Get ready to unleash your inner engineer and artist! In this exciting workshop, children will use a variety of materials, including wire, beads, and Legos, to create their own unique sculptures. From towering skyscrapers to whimsical creatures, the possibilities are endless. Kids will develop their problem-solving skills, creativity, and fine motor skills while having a blast. Space is limited; please reserve your spot at https://uiowa.doubleknot.com/event/schools-out-at-the-stanley-january-29...

Write at the Stanley: A Generative Writing Workshop is back for the Spring 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...

Be a part of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration of Human Rights Week from Jan. 20–26.  On Thursday, day 4 of MLK Week, the Stanley Museum of Art will be hosting an all day art workshop in collaboration with Multicultural and International Student Support and Engagement. The program, Art and Expression, will be led by different mural artists throughout the day and will focus on creating a collaborative mural on large sheets of paper that reflects themes of justice, equality, and unity that...

The Stanley Museum of Art will launch its National Endowment for the Arts Big Read program on Jan. 20, 2025, Martin Luther King Jr. Day. This event features a community wide reading of the novel Beloved by Toni Morrison. Pick up a free copy of Beloved at 12 pickup locations across Iowa City between Jan. 20 and Feb. 12, 2025.  Register here to pickup a free copy: https://uiowa.doubleknot.com/event/nea-big-reads-beloved-by-toni-morriso... An email confirmation must be presented to claim a book...

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...

Join us at the Stanley Museum of Art on Jan. 12, 2025, at 12:30 p.m. for our Sundays with the Docents tour where Stanley docents create unique tours to share with our audiences throughout the year. Form and Purpose will be led by Docent Jill Maahs who will look at the tradition of objects from the African continent. The tour will cover the beauty of these objects, as well their uses, from everyday items to the sacred. Jill Maahs is a graduate of the University of Iowa with a BA in Art and Art...