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In 1855, the University of Iowa became the first public university in the country to admit women and men on an equal basis. To this day, the will to break down walls and challenge ideas continues to define what it means to be a Hawkeye.
The University of Iowa provides an engaging, interdisciplinary learning environment that encourages exploration, critical thinking, and creativity. Expert faculty members work alongside undergraduates on projects and research, helping Hawkeyes get involved and gain crucial hands-on skills in their desired fields.
The Iowa Idea
The University of Iowa has earned its reputation as an international pioneer in the arts, being home to the world-renowned Iowa Writers’ Workshop and leaders across every form of creative expression. UI’s history of leadership in the visual arts is a proud part of this storied heritage.
In 1938, the Iowa School of Art and Art History was created by combining the scholarly and artistic practice of studying art into one discipline. This way, academics exploring the arts and creators of all disciplines could work together, combining theory and practice in a way no other school of the visual arts had ever attempted before. This innovative blended approach would become known as the “Iowa Idea,” and it would serve as the exemplary model for successful arts programs across the country.
Throughout its history, Iowa has drawn many acclaimed artists as faculty and students, including “American Gothic” creator Grant Wood and sculptor Elizabeth Catlett. Acclaimed visionary artists continue to gather at Iowa, offering students the opportunity to work directly with masters of their craft.
Where creativity lives
This history of integrated study and practice continues to live on in UI’s new Visual Arts Building, a breathtaking facility that houses private studios for graduate students, striking student gallery spaces, and classrooms created specifically for the artistic medium taught there. Kilns, lathes, presses, and computers with advanced design software are all accessible to students, making it possible for anyone to get hands-on practice and bring their vision to life.
The art world has taken notice of Iowa’s dedication to leadership in thearts. Iowa is the proud home of Jackson Pollock’s immortal painting “Mural,” having received it as a donation from Peggy Guggenheim in 1951. The University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art collection is one of the foremost in the country, including roughly 15,500 pieces that range from paintings by Kandinsky and Picasso to art from Africa and China. These works are on display on campus and at venues across the state of Iowa, helping students find inspiration in some of the world’s most powerful artwork.
