Request to view artwork
The Stanley Museum of Art’s collection belongs to the State of Iowa, and we want you to have access to all of it.
While only a small percentage of the full collection can be on view at any time, you can make a request to see a specific artwork during our public viewing hours.
Requests must be made at least one month in advance to allow time for the registrarial team to assess the object to determine whether it can safely be removed from storage for study and prepare it for viewing.
Contact Sarah Luko, Manager of Exhibitions and Collections (sarah-luko@uiowa.edu), with questions.
Request a tour
Families, friends, and organizations can request free tours of the Stanley’s collection.
Tours typically last one hour and occur during normal museum hours. Docents or museum staff lead all scheduled tours.
Minimum tour size is 7 people. Tours must be requested at least one month in advance.
Contact Josh Siefken, Associate Curator of Education (joshua-siefken@uiowa.edu), with questions.
Explore the collection online
Explore our digital guide through Bloomberg Connects.
Bloomberg Connects is a free digital guide to hundreds of cultural organizations around the world that makes it easy to access and engage with arts and culture from mobile devices, anytime, anywhere. Participating organizations include botanical gardens, historic houses, outdoor sculpture parks, and world-class museums. Bloomberg Connects features expert commentary, engaging audio content, accessibility feature, interactive maps, and is available in over 40 languages through Google Translate.
Our guide offers audio tours, collection highlights and other exhibition-related content developed by staff and students, interactive maps, and more.
Explore select collection highlights on our website.
In the midst of the Great Depression, the University of Iowa embarked on a visionary expansion. Seeking to integrate and professionalize arts teaching as part of its core identity, the Fine Arts and Performing Arts buildings were constructed on West campus. The UI was one of the first public universities to understand the power of art to encourage independent, creative, and responsive thought while fostering a robust civil society. In a period marked by economic and political crises, the UI established the first MFA program in the world and committed itself to collecting the best contemporary art from which students and faculty could learn and generate research.
Explore some of our collection through the Iowa Digital Library.
The Iowa Digital Library features a trove of digital objects created from the holdings of the University of Iowa Libraries and its campus partners. Included are illuminated manuscripts, historic maps, fine art, historic newspapers, scholarly works, and more.
Before the Stanley Museum of Art reopened in 2022, we collaborated with the UI Main Libraries and the Digital Scholarship & Publishing Studio to publish some of our collection online. The Iowa Digital Library allows you to explore a sample of the range, depth, and breadth of our extraordinary collection.
Teach with the collection
Schedule a K-12 Tour
The Stanley School Programs offers tailored tours for your K–12 class or organization. Led by trained docents or museum staff, students will learn about the history of the museum, view key works in our collection, and engage in lively discussions and activities to ignite their critical thinking skills and imaginations.
Access K-12 Instructor Resources
In addition to museum visits, we offer teacher resources about the Stanley School Programs Collection for K–12 teachers and students.
Schedule a University Visit
Faculty, staff, and students may request an exhibition tour in our galleries or a specialized viewing experience of work in our visual laboratory and classroom through our online visit request form.
Access University Instructor Resources
In addition to museum visits, we offer instructor resources about the collection and programs. This includes digital files, worksheets, downloadable PDFs, and videos.
Attend a museum program or event
The museum hosts a variety of programs and events which are free to attend for all members of the community.
Information about specific event series or events for specific audiences (children, UI students) can be found here.
Night at the Museum: Chill & Create
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...
Hayward Oubre Pop-Up | Veteran and Student at the University of Iowa
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...
Family Tour | Hayward Oubre: Structural Integrity
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
Sundays with the Docents | Rhythm and Blues tour
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...
School's Out at the Stanley | Quirky Bird
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 2:00 pm.
School's Out at the Stanley is offered on days when Iowa City Community Schools...
Write at the Stanley: A Generative Writing Workshop
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...