Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in a tour or program, please contact the Stanley Museum of Art in advance at 319-335-1727.

Friday Crafternoons  promotional image

Friday Crafternoons

Friday, January 23, 2026 1:00pm to 3:30pm
Stanley Museum of Art

Need a break at the end of the week? Swing by the Stanley on Friday afternoons for Crafternoons. Bring whatever low-mess craft you're currently working on (a sketchbook, knitting, embroidery, coloring books, origami — whatever you're into!) or just show up and use some of the various supplies we'll have on hand. No experience required! Light snacks provided. Stay for five minutes or hang out for a while, it's up to you.

Write at the Stanley: A Generative Writing Workshop promotional image

Write at the Stanley: A Generative Writing Workshop

Sunday, January 25, 2026 2:30pm to 4:15pm
Stanley Museum of Art

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 adult writers in all genres are welcome.

Write at the Stanley meets every fourth...

Grant Wood Fellows Artist Talks & Panel | 2026 promotional image

Grant Wood Fellows Artist Talks & Panel | 2026

Thursday, January 29, 2026 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Stanley Museum of Art

Join the 2025–2026 Grant Wood Fellows artists for an evening of discussion about their work and research. The event will be accompanied by light refreshments.

Panel members:

Ada Friedman (Painting & Drawing)

Elizabeth Claire Rose (Printmaking)

Kyle Marshall (Interdisciplinary Performance—Dance)

The Grant Wood Art Colony seeks to provide a creative home for the next generation of artists and continue Grant Wood’s creative advocacy in the School of Art & Art History and the Division of Performing Arts...

Friday Crafternoons  promotional image

Friday Crafternoons

Friday, January 30, 2026 1:00pm to 3:30pm
Stanley Museum of Art

Need a break at the end of the week? Swing by the Stanley on Friday afternoons for Crafternoons. Bring whatever low-mess craft you're currently working on (a sketchbook, knitting, embroidery, coloring books, origami — whatever you're into!) or just show up and use some of the various supplies we'll have on hand. No experience required! Light snacks provided. Stay for five minutes or hang out for a while, it's up to you.

Jazz at the Stanley  promotional image

Jazz at the Stanley

Thursday, February 5, 2026 5:45pm to 7:45pm
Stanley Museum of Art

The Stanley Museum of Art and SCOPE present a jazz ensemble performance at the museum, free and open to all. More information to come.

Gallery Talk | Abstract Patterns promotional image

Gallery Talk | Abstract Patterns

Friday, February 6, 2026 12:30pm to 1:30pm
Stanley Museum of Art

Join us for a Gallery Talk that offers an engaging, hands-on exploration of artworks that use repetition to spark emotion, movement, and meaning.

Visitors will start with a tour of the works on view in the Visual Lab led by Isabel Cazares, followed by close-looking exercises that will deepen their understanding of the works on display.

After the tour, enjoy a creative session inspired by the patterns using colored pencils and paper. Participants will experiment with pattern making to translate...

Friday Crafternoons  promotional image

Friday Crafternoons

Friday, February 6, 2026 1:00pm to 3:30pm
Stanley Museum of Art

Need a break at the end of the week? Swing by the Stanley on Friday afternoons for Crafternoons. Bring whatever low-mess craft you're currently working on (a sketchbook, knitting, embroidery, coloring books, origami — whatever you're into!) or just show up and use some of the various supplies we'll have on hand. No experience required! Light snacks provided. Stay for five minutes or hang out for a while, it's up to you.

Art & Write Night promotional image

Art & Write Night

Friday, February 6, 2026 6:00pm to 8:00pm
University of Iowa Museum of Natural History

Join the long, rich, historical tradition of artists creating in our spaces.

Professional, aspiring, and amateur artists alike, make our museum your muse. The return of this popular program series welcomes guests into the Museum of Natural History's magical gallery spaces after-hours to work on sketching or writing projects with other campus and community artists.

Tell a friend, grab a notebook, and join us on the first Friday of each month. We'll provide a new inspo prompt for each session and...

Night at the Museum: Date Night promotional image

Night at the Museum: Date Night

Thursday, February 12, 2026 5:00pm to 7:00pm
Stanley Museum of Art

Happy Valentine’s Week, Hawkeyes!

For this month’s Night at the Museum, stop by for Date Night on February 12th. We’ll have delectable Valentine’s desserts, mocktails, a Valentine’s card collaging station, and a Polaroid photobooth. Bring friends, partners – the people you love!

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Once a month, the Stanley hosts events designed to introduce the museum to University of Iowa students through engaging and creative activities. Nights at the Museum events occur on Thursday nights when the museum is...

Friday Crafternoons  promotional image

Friday Crafternoons

Friday, February 13, 2026 1:00pm to 3:30pm
Stanley Museum of Art

Need a break at the end of the week? Swing by the Stanley on Friday afternoons for Crafternoons. Bring whatever low-mess craft you're currently working on (a sketchbook, knitting, embroidery, coloring books, origami — whatever you're into!) or just show up and use some of the various supplies we'll have on hand. No experience required! Light snacks provided. Stay for five minutes or hang out for a while, it's up to you.