Data Artist Norwood Viviano’s ‘Mapping Infrastructure / Mapping Agriculture’ Exhibition Opens at the Brunnier Art Museum
PLUS: New Commission for Permanent Collection Merges Data, Technology, and Art to Explore Ames's Agricultural Legacy
AMES, Iowa – Jan. 20, 2026 – University Museums at Iowa State University is opening Norwood Viviano’s Mapping Infrastructure / Mapping Agriculture at the Brunnier Art Museum on January 20, 2026. The exhibition, which runs through July 24, 2026, features artist Norwood Viviano's data-driven sculptures alongside the debut of the new commission for University Museums' permanent collection: two sculptures specifically designed to recognize Iowa State's legacy of agriculture and innovation.
Norwood Viviano operates at the intersection of technology, data collection, and art to visually depict change in many forms. From shifts in population and industry to sea level rise, he synthesizes complex data into impactful art. Through blown glass paired with vinyl images, cast glass and metal sculptures, Viviano engages extensive research to recontextualize historic environmental and industrial change bringing light to the effect of those changes on communities over time.
Stemming from his own personal narrative of growing up in Detroit, Michigan—a city where the loss of manufacturing had a devastating impact—he developed a deep interest in understanding the effects of various climate and historical issues on communities and populations. Through significant research with experts in many fields, Viviano has developed an artistic practice that delves into these concerns to reconcile what has happened in the past with what may occur in the future. He employs multiple methods of data collection and mapping from GIS (Geographic Information System), LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), photogrammetry, and more, to inform his 3-D computer modeling and printing. Viviano then merges the various imagery into 3-D prints used to create the final sculptures through traditional methods of glass blowing and casting, engaging the past with the future.
The New Commission
Over the last year and a half, Viviano has worked with Iowa State University faculty and staff to develop a new work of art that relates to the significant shifts in land and population within central Iowa. The cast glass sculpture includes a portion of the structure of the Farm House Museum to highlight the origins of the campus, and Agronomy Hall, where years of research and innovation on Iowa agriculture have continued to expand knowledge. Three maps connect to these structures: a map of the campus as it looks today, a map that includes the Doolittle Prairie to examine the original landscape of Iowa, and a map of a portion of the Ag 450 Farm. The maps examine the past, present, and future of agricultural research and stewardship at Iowa State University.
"Iowa State University is a place where art and technology are united, where beauty has always been a priority for the campus, and where interdisciplinary innovation continues to spark ideas and change," said Adrienne Gennett, curator of the Brunnier Art Museum. "Through the dynamic unification of technology, data, and art, Viviano has developed a practice perfectly suited for a campus such as Iowa State University."
The Exhibition
Mapping Infrastructure / Mapping Agriculture presents a selection of Viviano's series of sculptures and visual explorations of change over time. The art on exhibition gives insight into his interest in understanding particular topics through examination of the information and data collected. On view is the "Recast" series, which looks specifically at manufacturing history in several U.S. cities, combining imagery from each city's manufacturing past with the current architecture of the urban landscape. The exhibition also features "Cities Underwater," a project that visualizes the dramatic loss of land predicted to occur in the next 500 years in areas that some 127 million Americans call home. Using existing LiDAR data and scientific projections, the installation shows projected loss of land mass due to sea level rise in eight coastal cities.
This exhibition is curated and organized by Norwood Viviano, Heller Gallery, and University Museums. Generous support for the exhibition was given by Marcia and Jim Borel, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the College of Engineering, Dr. Amy Kaleita, Marilyn and Paul Gennett, and University Museums Membership.
Associated Events
(more information below)
|
Date |
Event |
Type |
|
Feb 12, 5:00-6:30pm |
Mapping Change: Norwood Viviano artist lecture + conversation with Beth Lipman |
Artist lecture |
|
Feb 13, 12:00-1:00pm |
Casting Data in Glass: Data Visualization as Art (partnership with University Library & GIS faculty) |
Workshop/lecture |
|
Feb 28, 10:00am-1:00pm |
Explore! Artful Engineering and Technology |
Family event |
|
April 9, 6:00-8:00pm |
Museum Meetup: Storytellers Abound |
Student event |
|
May 31, 2:00-3:00pm |
Curator's Tour: Mapping Infrastructure/Mapping Agriculture |
Curator-led tour |
About Norwood Viviano
Norwood Viviano is an associate professor and sculpture program coordinator at Grand Valley State University in Michigan. His art has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including a project at the Venice Biennale. Viviano's installations utilize deep research and data collection about population change, land usage, and environmental shifts. His art is held in major museum collections and has been featured in numerous exhibitions exploring the relationship between manufacturing, population changes, and landscape transformation in American cities.
About University Museums
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 art to add to the permanent collection, conserves and preserves collections, conducts and publishes curatorial scholarship, and fosters student engagement.
Each year, University Museums presents dozens of educational programs, free to the public; serves students across all colleges through the Visual Literacy and Learning program; curates and presents major exhibitions; commissions, researches and publishes high-quality scholarship books on topics related to Iowa State's arts, history, and the permanent collection; commissions new public art for the Iowa State University campus; and staffs three museums with trained educators.
Exhibition Information
Exhibition Title: Norwood Viviano: Mapping Infrastructure/Mapping Agriculture
Dates: Jan. 20-July 24, 2026
Location: Brunnier Art Museum, Scheman Building’s top floor, Iowa State Center, 1805 Center Drive, Ames, Iowa
Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday 1-4 p.m. (Closed Mondays and university holidays.)
Admission: Free and open to the public
For more information, visit museums.iastate.edu or call 515-294-3342.
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CyBox with images and promotional files
Associated events
Thursday, Feb. 12, 5-6:30 p.m.
Mapping Change: Norwood Viviano Artist Lecture and Conversation with Special Guest Beth Lipman
Brunnier Art Museum
Taking data visualization into another dimension, Norwood Viviano utilizes a variety of mapping techniques to create sculptures that tell stories of American cities, industry, and change. Surrounded by his solo exhibition in the Brunnier Art Museum, Viviano will provide insights into his deep research methods and the use of computer modeling, printing technology and engineering in his creative process. After Viviano's lecture, fellow artist Beth Lipman—renowned for glass still-life compositions, including those in an exhibition closing soon at the Christian Petersen Art Museum—will join him for a unique opportunity to hear two nationally recognized artists discuss how they engage similar processes in completely different ways and the importance of knowledge-sharing and accessibility in artistic creation. Free and open to the public; no registration required.
Friday, Feb. 13, noon-1 p.m.
Casting Data in Glass: Data Visualization as Art with Norwood Viviano
Partnership with University Library and GIS faculty
The Catalyst, University Library
What if you could turn research data into art? Learn how artist Norwood Viviano uses Geographic Information Systems (GIS) throughout his artistic practice to create sculptural and visual representations of data, making abstract information tangible. Viviano will examine his unique processes and ask attendees to consider how they can create visually impactful objects or even art with their own collected data. This presentation is especially great for students, researchers and anyone interested in GIS, data visualization, science communication, or the intersection of science and art. Free and open to the public; no registration required.
Saturday, Feb. 28, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Explore! Artful Engineering and Technology
Brunnier Art Museum
Explore the fascinating connections between art and technology at the Brunnier Art Museum. Free activities and crafts for children and families will focus on cityscapes, mapmaking, 3D modeling, and technology. Find inspiration from the exhibition Mapping Infrastructure/Mapping Agriculture by artist Norwood Viviano. Activities geared for grades K-5; all are welcome. Stop by any time during the three-hour window, while supplies last. Free and open to the public; no admission fee or registration required.
Thursday, April 9, 6-8 p.m.
Museum Meetup: Storytellers Abound
Brunnier Art Museum
Fairytales can be some of the first stories we're told, sparking imagination and curiosity. Visit the Brunnier Art Museum to explore the visual storytelling exhibitions Tell Me A Story and Mapping Infrastructure / Mapping Agriculture. Create your own name or letter sign inspired by illuminated manuscripts and grab a take-home snack. Guests are encouraged to come dressed as their favorite fantasy character. Museum Meetups are free and open to all ISU students and their guests. Drop in anytime between 6-8 p.m.; no registration required.
Sunday, May 31, 2-3 p.m.
Curator's Tour: Mapping Infrastructure/Mapping Agriculture
Brunnier Art Museum
How can data become sculpture? Brunnier Art Museum curator Adrienne Gennett will lead visitors on an exploration of Norwood Viviano's complex glass sculptures which aim to visualize complex information through striking works of art. Viviano's sculptures merge GIS mapping, LiDAR, and photogrammetry with traditional glassblowing and casting to translate agricultural and infrastructure data into three-dimensional glass forms. The exhibition features his new commission for University Museums' permanent collection: cast glass architecture incorporating Iowa State's 1860 Farm House and the Agronomy Building, each embedded with topographical maps tracing the complex relationship between Iowa agriculture's past and future. Admission and the tour are free and open to the public.
Media Contact:
Nicky Christensen
Marketing Specialist II
University Museums, Iowa State University
njac@iastate.edu
515-294-3342
Images
Image info for process image:
Norwood Viviano is working with the Museum of Glass Tacoma's Hot Shop team to create a blown glass three-dimensional population graph of New York City during Viviano’s 2017 residency at the Museum of Glass, Tacoma. This population graph is part of the larger installation, "Manufacturing Cities" which includes 24 graphs examining population trends as they are connected to manufacturing in US cities over approximately 400 years.
Photo Credit: Walter Lieberman 
Photo Info: Norwood Viviano (second from right), Julian Goza, Benjamin Cobb, Sayuri Fukuda, Pablo Soto, Niko Dimitrijevic, Gabe Feenan, and Sarah Gilbert 
Image info for headshot:
John Michael Kohler Arts/Industry Residency, Pottery Factory, Sheboygan, WI, summer 2010. Image taken during a three-month collaborative residency in the Kohler Factory Pottery with Sarah Lindley.
Photo credit: John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, WI
High resolution images of individual works of art, credit: Tim Thayer/Robert Hensleigh.