About

University Museums is a distinctive organization that encompasses two art museums, a National Historic Landmark historic home museum, a sculpture garden, and one of the largest campus public art collections in the nation.

University Museums brings world-class exhibitions with educational programming to Iowa State University, actively acquires works of art to add to the more than 30,000 permanent collection objects, conserves and preserves collections, conducts and publishes curatorial scholarship, and fosters student engagement.

Each year, University Museums:

• Presents 80 educational programs, free to the public

• Serves more than 8,000 students in more than 30 departments and across all colleges through the Visual Literacy and Learning program.

• Curates and presents 10 to 15 major exhibitions

• Commissions, researches and publishes high-quality scholarship books on topics related to Iowa State’s arts, history, and the permanent collection

• Commissions over 20 new public works of art (PDF) for the Iowa State University campus

• Staffs three museums with trained educators

Reporting Structure

University Museums is part of Auxiliary Enterprise for the Iowa State University. Auxiliary Enterprise is under the Senior Vice President of Operations and Finance.

Auxiliary Enterprise oversees a diverse group of units offering goods and services to the university community that are essential to academic and administrative success as well as educational, cultural, and entertainment programs and experiences that engage broad audiences, enhance understanding and enjoyment of visual arts and nature, and foster community relations. By providing convenient, customer-focused, and cost-effective goods and services and offering public experiential learning and engagement opportunities, Auxiliary Enterprise supports the university’s mission and enhances the student and community experience. The Office of the Assistant Vice President, Auxiliary Enterprise  has the following unit direct reports: University Book Store; Printing Services; Reiman Gardens; Transportation Services; University Museums; and Veenker Memorial Golf Course.

Accreditation

The University Museums is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums since 1986. As the museum field’s mark of distinction, accreditation offers high-profile, peer-based validation of a museum’s operations and impact. Accreditation increases a museum’s credibility and value to funders, policy makers, community, and peers. Accreditation is a powerful tool to leverage change and helps facilitate loans between institutions. For more than 50 years, the Accreditation Program has been recognized as the gold standard of museum excellence.