"Grant Wood On the Radar in the ‘60s and 70s" by Elaine Mattingly

Mattingly will discuss her research into Grant Wood's resurgence during the 1960s and '70s, including the first Grant Wood Art Festival and a teaser for Stranded in Stone City, a new musical of which Mattingly is writer/producer/editor.

Elaine Mattingly’s connection to all things Grant Wood goes back six generations in the Anamosa, Stone City, Viola and Cedar Rapids areas of Iowa. She presses into service her experience as a...

Join us for a Gallery Talk that offers an engaging, hands-on exploration of artworks that use repetition to spark emotion, movement, and meaning.

Visitors will start with a tour of the works on view in the Visual Lab led by Isabel Cazares, followed by close-looking exercises that will deepen their understanding of the works on display.

After the tour, enjoy a creative session inspired by the patterns using colored pencils and paper. Participants will experiment with pattern making to translate...

Join the long, rich, historical tradition of artists creating in our spaces.

Professional, aspiring, and amateur artists alike, make our museum your muse. The return of this popular program series welcomes guests into the Museum of Natural History's magical gallery spaces after-hours to work on sketching or writing projects with other campus and community artists.

Tell a friend, grab a notebook, and join us on the first Friday of each month. We'll provide a new inspo prompt for each session and...

"Grant Wood and Hollywood" by Dorothy Bunting Montgomery and Debbie Beilstein

Learn about a 1940 Hollywood art happening in which nine Associated American Artists created twelve paintings. That Hollywood commission was the largest of Grant Wood’s career and resulted in perhaps his least-known painting, Sentimental Ballad. Plus, hear from a relative of Grant Wood, Debbie Beilstein.

Dorothy Bunting Montgomery is a nonfiction writer, novelist, and a native of Iowa, whose stories capture the rhythms...

Dushko Petrovich Córdova works across media as a painter, writer, and publisher. He is a co-founder of Paper Monument, which has published numerous critically acclaimed books, including Draw It with Your Eyes Closed: The Art of the Art Assignment. Petrovich has also produced Adjunct Commuter Weekly and The Daily Gentrifier under his personal imprint, DME. He has written about art and visual culture for many publications including n+1, Bookforum, and the NY Times.

His work has been exhibited at...

This February, the Stanley has partnered with students at the Afro-American Cultural Center to celebrate Black History Month through two Crafternoons. Our Friday, February 13 and Friday, February 27 Crafternoons will be collaborative events, focused on helping highlight Black voices and cultural heritage through making activities and community building. Join us on February 13 for self-led crafting, and on February 27 for a led craft from the Afro-American Cultural Center's executive directors.

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Kick of your Valentine's Day celebration at the Stanley Museum of Art with love-themed tours led by docents.

Tours start at 2 p.m. followed by refreshments in the lobby. Perfect for those wishing for a pre-dinner activity and those who prefer to spend a cozy evening at home after enjoying some art.

Space is limited; registration recommended. Register at https://uiowa.doubleknot.com/event/valentines-tour/3128647.

Tour time 2–3 p.m.

Refreshments 3–4 p.m.

Photo by Grace Troutman.

The Drawing Salon focuses on drawing artworks from the museum's collection. Each session will focus on a different artwork. The sessions will begin with an introduction and discussion of the selected work. Participants will be encouraged to pursue their own visions and to take inspiration from the artworks in the gallery.

Pencils and sketchbooks/paper are the only artmaking materials allowed in the galleries. The museum has golf pencils with erasers and clipboards for participants to use. Stools...

"Grant Wood: Seriously Silly" by Tara Templeman

Gain insight into the Linn County History Center's newest exhibit that focuses on the humor and satire of Grant Wood's genius.

Tara Templeman is the Curator and Collection Manager at The History Center, a role they have loved for six years. They received two Bachelor of Science degrees in Biology and Earth and Planetary Sciences at the University of New Mexico, graduating Cum Laude with a certificate in Museum Studies. They received a Master’s of...

Cozy up for an evening of cross-stitch, snacks, and good times at the Stanley. Free and open to all!

The Stanley has partnered with ICDD for the upcoming Free Week – a winter festival offering free programming at over 15 venues, celebrating Downtown Iowa City’s Cultural & Entertainment District from February 16 to 22, 2026.

Snack and supplies provided.

"Wild and Tame Flowers: Context, Symbolism and Musings on Possible Meanings in Grant Wood’s Flower Lithographs," by Thomas Harvran

Havran will explore the paired prints, Wild Flowers and Tame Flowers, during this talk and share an original poem inspired by the works.

Thomas Havran, occasional artist and writer, but perpetually obsessed plant nerd, cultivates a simple life within Grant Wood’s “Young Corn” landscape near Amana, Iowa.

This February, the Stanley has partnered with students at the Afro-American Cultural Center to celebrate Black History Month through two Crafternoons. Our Friday, February 13 and Friday, February 27 Crafternoons will be collaborative events, focused on helping highlight Black voices and cultural heritage through making activities and community building. Join us on February 13 for self-led crafting, and on February 27 for a led craft from the Afro-American Cultural Center's executive directors.

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"The Book’s the Thing: Grant Wood’s Book Covers," by Paul C. Juhl

Paul C. Juhl is a graduate of the University of Iowa, Iowa City, with majors in history and education; holds a master’s Degree in College Student Personnel Work from the University of Northern Iowa and has completed additional graduate work at the University of Northern Colorado, Greeley. He is a retired educator (teacher, counselor and administrator) in public and private schools in Iowa and Switzerland and earned Iowa High School...

Join the long, rich, historical tradition of artists creating in our spaces.

Professional, aspiring, and amateur artists alike, make our museum your muse. The return of this popular program series welcomes guests into the Museum of Natural History's magical gallery spaces after-hours to work on sketching or writing projects with other campus and community artists.

Tell a friend, grab a notebook, and join us on the first Friday of each month. We'll provide a new inspo prompt for each session and...

"Grant Wood and the Paradox of Art for Everybody,” by Joe Coffey

Joe Coffey is a Chicago-based writer who examines Grant Wood’s legacy through a dual lens of journalistic storytelling and critical cultural analysis. With a background in television news and a Master’s in Journalism & Mass Communication from the University of Iowa, his work is informed by both a reporter’s eye for narrative and a scholar’s engagement with cultural context. His connection to the material is also personal: for nearly...