Born and raised in Mississippi, Byron Burford was drawn to the University of Iowa through an interest in one of its professors: Iowa’s Regionalism artist, Grant Wood. The American Gothic painter mentored Burford as an undergraduate, helping him hone his talents and lifelong love of circuses and carnivals into a distinctive oeuvre. Burford earned his […]
Stanley Museum of Art
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Stanley Museum debuts exhibition of work by Hayward Oubre, a trailblazing UI art student and HBCU instructor
This fall, the University of Iowa will welcome home the work of Hayward Oubre, whose career was as disciplined and deliberate as the artist that shaped it. “Hayward Oubre: Structural Integrity,” on display now through Dec. 7, brings together a collection of sculptures, paintings and prints in the first comprehensive solo exhibition of his work. […]
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Refuel at these restaurants within walking distance of Iowa museums
Don’t let hunger cut your museum visit short. These local eateries are mere blocks away from some of Iowa’s coolest culture centers. Listed hours are may vary. IOWA CITY Stanley Museum of Art 160 W Burlington St, Iowa CityAlso nearby: Old Capitol Museum, UI Museum of Natural History Le Gourmet Korean Restaurant 201 S Clinton […]
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Reimagining the Black Midwest with a new exhibition at the Stanley Museum of Art
Curated by Reynolds and supported by a five-person curatorial cohort of advisors, “it’s a fine thing” explores the rich and often overlooked landscape of the Black Midwest, including the Rust Belt.
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Peak Iowa: Ana Mendieta’s aching, unsettling absence
In Árbol de la Vida (1976) Ana Mendieta covered herself in mud and foliage and pressed her body against a tree, blending into it as if becoming part of it. It is simultaneously body art, sculpture and performance. I am stunned by the absolute physicality of her work, the bodily engagement with the land itself: […]
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Jim Leach, who put principle before party during his 30 years representing Iowa in Congress, has died
Jim Leach, who represented eastern Iowa in Congress for 30 years and later went on to lead the National Endowment for the Humanities, died on Wednesday. He was 82 years old. Even before he first ran for Congress in 1976, Leach demonstrated he was committed to upholding important principles rather than political or personal advancement. […]
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The importance of being Colleen Ernst
Colleen Ernst did not blend in, even in 1980s Iowa City. She was imposingly tall, with brightly dyed red hair, multicolored plastic glasses and homemade earrings. I met her because my sons were in a home daycare with her son Max, named for the surrealist artist Max Ernst. She’s best known now for striking up […]
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Photos: ‘Keith Haring and Iowa City’ exhibition at the Stanley features iconic paintings, local lore
It’s been a month since the exhibition “To My Friends at Horn: Keith Haring and Iowa City” debuted at the University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art, but the arrival of Pride Month and the Downtown Summer Gallery Walk are sure to bring new visitors this Friday, June 7. More than a brief escape into […]
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Keith Haring left his mark on Iowa City. Thirty-five years later, it will go on public display for the first time.
From kindergarten through sixth grade, I spent countless hours staring at a wall in the Horn Elementary School library, daydreaming while an adult read a book to the class. Far more compelling than a fire alarm or a poster of LeVar Burton, I would fixate on a massive mural mounted on the wall of the […]
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Elizabeth Catlett documentary captures a trailblazing UI grad who helped shape the 20th century art world
In a new documentary on artist Elizabeth Catlett, Heather Nickels, a curator at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, remarks that Catlett’s mission as a sculptor and printmaker was to excavate the stories of “nameless and faceless” Black women. Standing Strong, directed by Kevin Kelley — and screening at the Des Moines Arts Center on […]
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Book Review: ‘What Napoleon Could Not Do’ by DK Nnuro
Early in DK Nnuro’s debut novel, a Ghanaian father presiding over his son’s divorce ritual is introduced by his well-read brother to the concept of schadenfreude. “Delighting in [someone else’s] misery,” it’s defined. Again and again, the characters in What Napoleon Could Not Do (out Feb. 7 from Riverhead Books) dance around this concept, and […]
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An experts’ guide to Stanley Museum must-sees (besides ‘Mural’)
Sure, Mural represents a breakthrough, American ascendency in the art world. Yeah, yeah, it has its own documentary film. And sure, the new University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art where it’s housed is gorgeous, sexing up Burlington Street like the Voxman before it. But what else should you look for in the Stanley’s collections? […]
