Please read the entirety of the gallery agreement carefully! It contains a lot of very helpful information. If you still have questions after reading it and this FAQ, please consult your faculty advisor; they will be able to point you in the right direction. If you have specific questions about hanging your work in a particular gallery, send an email to the Exhibition & Event (E&E) Techs listed on this page.

A PDF of the gallery agreement is available at the top of this page. Copies are also available in the main office (150 ABW).

You should give yourself plenty to time to consider how you plan to display your work and how you plan to clean up afterward. Any additional materials you might need should be discussed with your faculty advisor before you turn in your gallery agreement. The E&E Techs are not responsible for helping you plan your show.

In the spring semester we generally do not allow shows for more than one week due to space restrictions. In the fall, additional week requests should be part of your detailed gallery use proposal in your gallery agreement. One week is the standard time slot—if there is additional time available due to low demand, then these requests will be considered.  All proposals are subject to current demand for space.

If you are a BFA student you may use a gallery once for your BFA show. We do not reserve galleries for any other reason for undergraduate students at this time.

Yes.

No. All required faculty signatures must be on the form and submitted to the main office before keys will be issued to your gallery. We highly recommend planning ahead and submitting your form at least 3 weeks ahead of time.

Please turn the form in to the main office or email it to the gallery scheduling coordinator. As long as your gallery agreement is legible, detailed, and complete, it will be forwarded on to the faculty gallery coordinator for final approval. Please ensure you’re submitting it with enough time for signatures to be returned to the main office so you’re able to get your key when you need it.

If you are a BFA student your faculty advisor is who you registered with for ARTS 4195. For all other students, your faculty advisor is a faculty member who agrees to work with you on your show.

There is currently no standing meeting for the E&E Techs. Checking in with them prior to your show is highly recommended; please do so at least a week before your installation date.

The E&E Techs will be able to help you with this! Please reach out to them to organize and select the pedestals you’d like to use the week before your show. Pedestals can be picked up on the Sunday of your installation date, and carts are usually available on the second floor near the loading dock. All pedestals must be returned to the room where you pick them up; if the room is locked, simply leave them outside and then let the E&E Techs know.

Do not drill into the walls! Please read the entirety of the gallery agreement carefully! It contains a lot of very helpful information. If you still have questions after reading it about the appropriate way to hang your work, please reach out to your faculty advisor to discuss details for your pieces. Many of the galleries have specific requirements.

Email the E&E Techs and they will be happy to get you some! These screws are rated to 100lbs; there is no need for you to find a stud in the wall before hanging as long as you are following the proper procedure for your gallery.

All keys are issued by the main office (150 ABW). 

Pick up your key the Friday morning before your show. If you are unable to make it that Friday due to extenuating circumstances, contact the office manager to make alternate arrangements. All gallery reservations run Sunday to Sunday (consult your gallery agreement for more information).

The main office is open from 8am-12:00pm and 12:30-4:30pm Monday through Friday. If you would like to drop off your key outside of office hours, there is a drop box to the left of the main office door (between the door and the mailboxes).

No.

Don’t panic! Please let the main office know ASAP—we will be happy to open it for you.

Yes! A table may be reserved with Betsey at the time you check out your key.

Any promotional materials (show title, flier, etc.) you’d like on the electronic signage should be emailed to Betsey at least two weeks prior to your show and should contain all the requisite logos and disability language. All shows must also have some sort of attribution—we want to know who is making the work on display! (See this page for University of Iowa Brand Manual guidelines.)

Do not tape/hang/glue your showcards or promotional materials to the walls; they may only be displayed in approved spaces. There are bulletin boards throughout ABW and VAB. There are also plastic signage holders on some walls and in the elevators; you may attach your flier anywhere on the plastic. Please do not pin/tape/hang/glue your promotional materials to the walls, doors, bathroom mirrors, etc. Any fliers/show cards that are improperly displayed will be removed. If you’re unsure about where you can advertise your show, drop by the main office in 150 ABW and we will be happy to help.

All our galleries have their dimensions and floorplans online here.

Most of our gallery lights are floodlights; this is to ensure light is even and uniform in our spaces. It is not possible to adjust them to create spotlights in many of the galleries, but it is possible to turn off some of the lights. If you have questions about what can or cannot be done in a given space, please discuss your ideas with your faculty sponsor and then reach out to the E&E Techs for more information.

Use of the terraces is by special permission only; any terrace use must be approved in your gallery agreement and outlined in your detailed use proposal.

The lottery selection process for fall galleries happens the preceding spring, usually in March or April. For spring galleries, it happens the preceding fall (usually September or October).

Yes! An email goes out to all MFA, MA, and BFA students with instructions prior to the lottery.

Due to the number of students required to have a show in a given semester, we conduct a lottery to determine who picks their space first. MFA students are given priority, then MA students, then BFA students. All students interested in having a show are put into the lottery, and names are drawn at random to determine the selection order. If there are spaces remaining after everyone in the lottery has selected their space and week, then a general email will go out to anyone wishing to have an at-will show.

If you are a BFA student interested in a two-person BFA show, please reach out to your program head to get their permission for a joint BFA show. Once approved, reach out to the Scheduling Coordinator for further instruction. If you are an MA or MFA student interested in an at-will group show in the fall, great! You still need to fill out a gallery agreement (it’s helpful for the main office if you list all the participants, but it’s not required).

Please reach out to the E&E Techs if you have questions about cleaning/painting your gallery at least a week prior to your show.

Please read the entirety of the gallery agreement carefully! It contains a lot of very helpful information. Your installation begins at 3pm on the Sunday before your show. All work must be removed, walls repaired, and gallery returned to its original state by 12pm on the Sunday following your show. You will be held responsible for any unrepaired damage.

The ladder training course is available through ICON. Go to “My Training,” then click “Enroll in Courses,” under “Find a Course,” enter W040OS to search for the ladder training course and enroll. Once you have passed the course, email the E&E Techs a screenshot of your grade and they will be able to help you locate and unlock the ladder you need. Ladders must be returned to their designated location and locked up after use; if a ladder is too heavy for you, please ensure you find a friend and/or a cart to help you. If you have further ladder questions after taking the course, please reach out to the E&E Techs for help.

Please read the entirety of the gallery agreement carefully! It contains a lot of very helpful information. We also recommend planning ahead to minimize surprises the week of your show—we want your show to be everything you had imagined it could be, too!