Creating art within art
The faculty, students, and staff of the School of Art, Art History, and Design create art, conduct scholarly research, teach, learn, work, and engage the public in a pair of architectural masterpieces, Art Building West and the Visual Arts Building.
The arts are central to the University of Iowa's past, present, and future—so the State of Iowa, the university, and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences have invested in arts facilities intended to inspire.
Art Building West and the Visual Arts Building—designed by Steven Holl, whom Time magazine has named America's Best Architect, for "buildings that satisfy the spirit as well as the eye"—are the most prominent examples of this philosophy.
Learn more about our home spaces by exploring the information below.
Art Building West (ABW)
With its signature cantilevered Art Library extending over a pond, interplay of light, technologically advanced instruction and exhibition spaces, and welcoming gathering areas, Art Building West has received international recognition. Learn more about this stunning home for the study and creation of art.
Visual Arts Building (VAB)
The Visual Arts Building, opened in 2016, is hailed as one of the nation's most innovative studio art facilities--an appropriate accomplishment for the nation's most innovative art schools. Learn more about this beautiful and unique building.