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
Curator showing a group a carved wooden object

Applications and requests

University Museums’ staff cannot provide estimates, evaluations or appraisals for objects or art. We suggest you find online groups, forums, and/or marketplaces. A list of appraisers certified by the American Society of Appraisers is available at www.appraisers.org.

Accreditation

Mission

The University Museums exist to foster understanding and delight in the visual arts with a focus on the creative interactions in arts, sciences and technology. The University Museums nurture knowledge of and appreciation for the University's cultural heritage and its present cultural context. The University Museums serve the Iowa State University community and the public as an educational and cultural resource.

Goals

  • Collect, preserve and interpret objects of aesthetic and cultural value.
  • Exhibit and disseminate knowledge of Museums and borrowed collections through a variety of programs that stimulate and challenge all audiences.
  • Create vital partnerships within Iowa State University to enhance higher education by exploring creative interactions in arts, sciences and technology.
  • Create public partnerships to foster integration of the arts and cultural heritage as a central part of peoples' lives.