View All Events

Albert Paley: Origins

Model for Animals Always by Albert Paley
Time

Sunday, Mar 01, 2026 to Friday, Jul 24, 2026

Location

Christian Petersen Art Museum

Albert Paley is a pioneering American metal sculptor whose work merges traditional forging techniques with contemporary design to create expressive, monumental forms. "Origins" invites viewers to delve into the origins of Paley’s creative process, revealing how ideas emerge in response to specific sites and project requirements, how he balances the poetic with the pragmatic, and how meaning is embedded within form. This exhibition brings together a selection of maquettes and preliminary designs that highlight the interplay of material and symbolism central to Paley’s practice, which lay the groundwork for his large-scale public art commissions embedded in landscapes across Iowa and the United States.

This exhibition is curated and organized by University Museums in partnership with the Clarinda Carnegie Art Museum's Art on the Fly program. Support for the exhibition and programming was given by the Kathy and John Howell Art Enrichment Program and University Museums Membership. 
Albert Paley's Transformation sculpture at the entrance to Morrill Hall

Paley's Art on Campus

Albert Paley’s Transformation (2007) is prominently displayed at the Christian Petersen Art Museum. Commissioned for the entrance of the renovated Morrill Hall, the sculpture serves as a symbolic gateway, reflecting the building’s evolution from historic campus structure to contemporary museum and educational space. The exhibition traces Paley’s process from maquettes to monumental metal, highlighting his engagement with architecture and public art.

Albert Paley next to a model of Animals Always

Artist Bio

Albert Paley (b. 1944) began his career as a jeweler and goldsmith, earning his MFA from Tyler School of Art in 1969. That year he began teaching goldsmithing at Rochester Institute of Technology Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Smithsonian American Art Museum, and over 40 other institutions worldwide, and he has completed more than 50 major public commissions, including the Animals Always Gateway Sculpture at the St. Louis Zoo, the largest zoo sculpture in the United States.

Related Articles

  • Exhibitions
  • Collections
Cardboard Giraffes and Steel Giants: Works of Art by Sculptor Albert Paley Return to Iowa State with Behind-the-Scenes Exhibition

This spring, University Museums presents Albert Paley: Origins, a look at the preparatory phase of artistic creation. The exhibition features a selection of objects from Paley's 50-year career, including a menagerie of zoo animals created for the St. Louis Zoo's huge Animals Always commission, completed in 2006.