All University Museums programs and events are free and open to the public unless noted. Programs and events are subject to change. Some events require registration. Some events have optional registration to receive updates and emails. Other events have no registration.
Support for programs provided by the Kathy & John Howell Art Enrichment Program and University Museums Membership.
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Take a stroll with ISU Horticulture professor Jeff Iles and Anderson Sculpture Garden curator Sydney Marshall to explore the central campus landscape. Learn more about what makes each of these towering works of art, living and not, distinct to the Iowa State campus.
Read More on The Campus Environment: Trees and Sculpture on Central CampusPeter Pincus, Assistant Professor of Ceramics, Rochester Institute of Technology, will discuss the complex nature of balancing life as a ceramic artist, tenured professor, researcher, and full-time parent.
Read More on Completely IncompleteAnne Pagel, Curator of the Karen and Robert Duncan Art Collection will provide a gallery walk of the photography exhibition Barragán: A Spiritual Master. Pagel will present insights into artist Robert Duncan’s visual responses to Luis Barragán’s elegant residences and gardens of Cuadra San Cristóbal and Case Gilardi, located in Mexico City.
Read More on Curator’s Tour of "Barragán: A Spiritual Master" with Anne PagelThis presentation discusses how religion was represented at world’s fairs and the significance of these sites for the development of religious pluralism and the academic study of religion.
Read More on Religious Pluralism at the Chicago World’s FairAs summer rolls into fall, visit some of the botanically inspired public art across Iowa State! Features art from both the Art on Campus Collection and in the Anderson Sculpture Garden. Led by docents Cindy Scholten and Rick Bartosh.
Read More on Art Walk: In the GardenLearn about collecting seeds from examples in the Anderson Sculpture Garden and take home pre-packaged seeds from the Seed Library.
Read More on Seed Saving with the Ames Seed Library Pop-Up Seed ExchangeJoin Pohlman Fellow Monet Butler, a Junior undergraduate majoring in Political Science, for a presentation on her research uncovering the life and legacy of Zenobia Brumbaugh Ness and the significant contributions of Ness to the fine arts at Iowa State College in the 1930s and 1940s.
Read More on Zenobia Ness: Life & LegacyJoin Midwest Art Conservation staff Megan Emery, Chief Conservator and Senior Objects Conservator; Dianna Clise, Senior Papers Conservator; and Kristy Jeffcoat, Senior Paintings Conservator, in a conversation about their work.
Read More on Conservation in PracticeJoin us for the public rededication of the Fountain of the Four Seasons, featuring remarks from Iowa State President Wendy Wintersteen, University Museums Director and Chief Curator Lynette Pohlman, and Student Government President Martin Hursh. Celebrate the completion of this two-year project as the iconic fountain is turned on for the first time!*
Read More on Public Rededication of the "Fountain of the Four Seasons"Join University Museums curators, Allison Sheridan and Adrienne Gennett, to explore art exhibited throughout In Their Time that can make visitors and museums staff uncomfortable because of the imagery, material, or provenance.
Read More on Uncomfortable Art Curator’s Tour | "In Their Time"REGISTRATION REQUIRED. Join Dr. Jeff Bremer, Professor of History at Iowa State, as he examines life in post-Civil War Iowa. Opportunity to meet Dr. Bremer and purchase a signed copy of A New History of Iowa.
Read More on "A New History of Iowa" | Book Lecture with Dr. Jeff BremerAt World Expos, a snack is never just a snack: in smelling and tasting food and drink at the fairgrounds, visitors have been invited to taste the world. Join Emily Kathryn Morgan, Associate Professor of Art History at Iowa State, in exploring displays of food and drink at World's Fairs and International Expositions.
Read More on Eating the World at the World's FairDrawn primarily from University Museums’ permanent collection, the exhibition Artists of an Era: A New Deal, Iowa Artists, and Iowa State College examines the heritage and history these images carry with them. Meet new Christian Petersen Art Museum curator Alison Ranniger, for a tour of works of art from the 1930s and 1940s that offer a view of the early visual culture found on campus and works of art created throughout the federal Public Works of Art Project (PWAP) and Works Progress Administration (WPA) administered through the Treasury Department.
Read More on Curator’s Tour of "Artists of an Era: A New Deal, Iowa Artists, and Iowa State College"Celebrate the end of midterms with Date Night at the Farm House Museum! Join us for treats originally showcased at World Fairs, crafts, and music for everyone to enjoy.
Read More on Date Night at the Farm House Museum
with Cameron Campbell, Associate Professor and Interim Chair of Architecture, Iowa State
Campbell will connect the modern masters of architectural photography, with his work, and the work of Mexican architect Luis Barragán.
Read More on Document • Story • Expressionwith Dr. Pamela Riney Kehrberg, Professor of History, Iowa State Univ.
Dr. Kehrberg will discuss the historical agricultural context of the 1930s and 40s, during which Christian Petersen was creating the imagery for the Fountain of the Four Seasons. Discover what farming practices were typical during that time and compare them to the depictions in the fountain as well as modern practices.
Read More on Agriculture in Context: The 1930s and the "Fountain of the Four Seasons"Join University Museums for a celebration of German culture at the Christian Petersen Art Museum! Play classic German games, practice your German language skills, and take home some sweet German treats.
Read More on Museums After Hours – German Culture NightIowa State has held a central role in the Midwest for its’ Food and Dairy Science research, which is reflected in the Art on Campus Collection. Follow the journey of Iowa State’s Food and Dairy Sciences throughout various works of public art. Led by docent Rae Reilly.
Start at the south front entrance of the Food Science Building.
Read More on Art Walk – Food and DairyFlourishing in hard times requires creativity and Iowans rose to the challenge during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Drawing upon the exhibition, Artists of an Era: A New Deal, Iowa Artists, and Iowa State College, this vividly illustrated lecture by Joni Kinsey, Ph.D., will explore how ISU administrators and faculty collaborated with federal programs to develop a lively arts scene that established Iowa as a national model.
Read More on Creativity in Challenging Times: Art for ISC in the New Deal EraThinking of applying to graduate school or a change in career that may focus on museums or archives? Join museum and archives employees as they share their educational journeys through graduate studies to their current positions, and answer questions on pursuing postgraduate degrees in these fields. You can submit questions in advance or ask them during the Zoom session.
Read More on Dig In! Exploring Museums and Archives Zoom TalkJoin Dr. Emily K. Morgan, Associate Professor of Art History, her class of graduate students, and University Museums curators for mini object tours and a peek into the Museums’ collections history on exhibit throughout In Their Time.
Read More on A Closer LookToday, museums with global art collections face many legal, ethical, and historical considerations that guide collection policies, practices, and provenance research priorities. Join the staff of the Denver Art Museum’s Provenance Research Department as they present case studies and contextualize collections impacted by current cultural patrimony concerns, including the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, Nazi-era looting, theft surrounding ancient art and archaeological sites, and Colonial-era injustices. Presented by Denver Art Museum Provenance department.
Read More on Provenance Research in Global Museum CollectionsJoin University Museums for a celebration of Arab culture at the Brunnier Art Museum! Witness the beauty of Arabic calligraphy, learn and practice the Arabic language, and taste the diverse treats found throughout the Arab world.
Read More on Museums After Hours: Arab Culture NightLearn from expert and Antiques Roadshow contributor David Rago about the rich history of the American Art Pottery created during the late 19th and early 20th centuries in Ohio, beginning with Rookwood.
Read More on The Ohio Experience: Art Pottery from the Ohio Valley with David RagoAs home to the ever-growing Ivy Business of College, the Gerdin Business Building features public art of various mediums and styles. Explore the public art of this campus hub, including the large-scale murals of Rose Frantzen. Led by docent, Rae Reilly.
Start at the east entrance to the Gerdin Business Building
Read More on Art Walk: Highlights of the Ivy College of BusinessThe Christian Petersen Art Museum and Farm House Museum are CLOSED November 25–29, 2024 for Thanksgiving Break. The Brunnier Art Museum will be open the weekend before, Tuesday & Wednesday before, and the weekend after Thanksgiving. The University Museums office have open hours some days this week.
Read More on Farm House Museum & Christian Petersen Art Museum CLOSED for BreakAll University Museums and the office are CLOSED for Thanksgiving. The Anderson Sculpture Garden and Art on Campus Collection are open all hours every day.
Read More on Museums and Office Closed for ThanksgivingHosted by the University Museums’ interns, in conjunction with ISU Winterfest, celebrate the holiday season at the Farm House Museum. Take part in free Victorian yuletide themed activities and crafts while you enjoy holiday treats.
Read More on Yuletide 2024: Winterfest Open HouseLooking for a quiet place to study? Want to relax away from your dorm room? Come to the Christian Petersen Art Museum for extended study hours with relaxing activities and a calming, artistic atmosphere.
Read More on Study @ the MuseumThere’s more to Morrill Hall than just the Christian Petersen Art Museum! Explore the public art and preparatory studies found in historic Morrill Hall across the mediums of glass, bronze, paper and more.
Start at the lobby of Morrill Hall. Led by Caitlin Patton, UM Education Specialist.
Read More on Art Walk: Treasures of Morrill Hall