Why Iowa?

Nestled in the heart of Iowa's beautiful arts campus, on the banks of the Iowa River, generations of artists and art historians have launched their careers and artistic journeys here. Join them.

Create a foundation

Advance your work

Learn from experts

You belong here

Be part of a legacy of excellence—and the birthplace of the MFA. Learn from faculty who are leading artists, designers, and scholars. Create and learn in facilities that are architectural masterpieces.

Create your story

When you make art at Iowa—or explore the ways that art shapes and reflects culture—you'll blaze a unique artistic journey. Make Iowa your artistic and academic home. Join us.

printmaking class

Birthplace of the MFA

The first university to accept creative works as graduate theses

Our program also pioneered the practice of bringing established artists to the faculty.

MFA student with work

# 7

National Ranking: Printmaking

U.S. News & World Report, 2020

student painting a large canvas

# 23

National Ranking: Best Fine Arts Programs

U.S. News & World Report, 2020

Events

Student exhibitions

Light Work - Piper Hartman MFA Exhibition - School of Art, Art History, and Design promotional image

Light Work - Piper Hartman MFA Exhibition - School of Art, Art History, and Design

Wednesday, November 4, 2026 8:00am to 8:00pm
Visual Arts Building
Finding Beauty Everywhere - Sze Sze BFA Exhibition - School of Art, Art History, and Design promotional image

Finding Beauty Everywhere - Sze Sze BFA Exhibition - School of Art, Art History, and Design

Wednesday, November 4, 2026 8:00am to 8:00pm
Visual Arts Building

Visiting artists and scholars

Bandana Pottery: Naomi Dalglish and Michael Hunt, Visiting Artists in Ceramics promotional image

Bandana Pottery: Naomi Dalglish and Michael Hunt, Visiting Artists in Ceramics

Thursday, November 5 to Friday, November 6, 2026 (all day)
Visual Arts Building

Join Ceramics in welcoming Handwork Visiting Artists, Bandana Pottery: Naomi Dalglish and Michael Hunt! We have many exciting events planned for the week of Nov. 2–6, and we hope you’ll join us as you can.

Artist Demonstrations, W221 VAB
Monday, Nov. 2, 8:45 a.m.–5 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 3, 8:45 a.m.–noon
Friday, Nov. 6, 9:30 a.m.–1 p.m.

Artist talk, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 4:30–5:30 p.m. E125 VAB

Kiln Talk, Thursday, Nov. 5, 1:30–3 p.m. W221 VAB

Artist Round Table Discussion: How to be a Self-Sustaining...

Julia Galloway, Visiting Artist in Ceramics promotional image

Julia Galloway, Visiting Artist in Ceramics

Thursday, November 5, 2026 5:00pm
Visual Arts Building

Julia Galloway is a Potter and Professor of Ceramics at The University of Montana where she has served as Department Chair. Julia’s work is in the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Museum, the Long Beach Art Museum, The Ceramics Research Center at Arizona State University, and the Alfred Ceramic Art Museum, among others. For several years Julia has been working on a series of 1,100 burial urns, one for each North American endangered, threatened, extinct, or recovered species listed under the...

Bandana Pottery: Naomi Dalglish and Michael Hunt, Visiting Artists in Ceramics promotional image

Bandana Pottery: Naomi Dalglish and Michael Hunt, Visiting Artists in Ceramics

Friday, November 6, 2026 (all day)
Visual Arts Building

Join Ceramics in welcoming Handwork Visiting Artists, Bandana Pottery: Naomi Dalglish and Michael Hunt! We have many exciting events planned for the week of Nov. 2–6, and we hope you’ll join us as you can.

Artist Demonstrations, W221 VAB
Monday, Nov. 2, 8:45 a.m.–5 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 3, 8:45 a.m.–noon
Friday, Nov. 6, 9:30 a.m.–1 p.m.

Artist talk, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 4:30–5:30 p.m. E125 VAB

Kiln Talk, Thursday, Nov. 5, 1:30–3 p.m. W221 VAB

Artist Round Table Discussion: How to be a Self-Sustaining...

Burying Tutankhamun: Ritual, Politics, and the Making of a King promotional image

Burying Tutankhamun: Ritual, Politics, and the Making of a King

Monday, November 9, 2026 5:00pm
Art Building West

Burying Tutankhamun: Ritual, Politics, and the Making of a King
Lecture by Nicholas Brown, University of Iowa

Abstract:

This talk explores the state funeral in ancient Egypt through the burial of Tutankhamun, one of the few nearly intact royal burials ever discovered. Dr. Brown will analyze the funerary procession scene from Tutankhamun’s tomb, examining how the royal funeral functioned not only as a religious ritual but also as a carefully constructed expression of politics, power, and succession...

News and announcements

School of Art, Art History, and Design November 2026 Newsletter

Monday, November 2, 2026
Read the University of Iowa School of Art, Art History, and Design November 2026 Newsletter.

UI's Catlett among American Academy of Arts and Sciences legacy honorees

Thursday, October 22, 2026
The American Academy of Arts & Sciences has named Elizabeth Catlett to its 2026 class of legacy honorees, which recognizes people whose accomplishments were overlooked or undervalued due to their race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. Catlett, a sculptor and printmaker, was one of the first three students to receive an MFA from Iowa in 1940 and the first African American woman to earn the degree.

A lifetime behind the lens inspires a new darkroom for photography students

Monday, October 19, 2026
Johnny Brian and Caroline Pasierb are supporting a new darkroom for students, creating opportunities for future artists to explore traditional photographic processes.