Iowa State’s various campus museums opened as early as the week before classes started with their new exhibits. 

The earliest exhibit to open on campus was the Anderson Sculpture Garden Exhibition outside of Morrill Hall and the Hub on Aug. 20. The theme for the exhibit is “Take a walk on the wild side” and features large-scale bronze sculptures of wild animals. These sculptures are created by Gwynn Murrill, based in Los Angeles. 

The sculptures will on display for the next two years until July 24, 2016. In the Christian Petersen Art Museum inside Morrill Hall, more than 60 small bronze maquettes, small models, and six larger sculptures have been on display since Aug. 25. 

These sculptures will feature mostly wild animals as well as domestic animals. Sixteen photographs of Gwynn Murrill in the process of making her sculptures will also be on display. The photographer who took these shots is Wayne Shimabukuro, also from Los Angeles.

“She is an artist we’ve already had in our permanent collection,” said Allison Sheridan, collections manager and communications coordinator for University Museums. “It’s just kind of a fun, fanciful, joyful exhibition of animals. It’s animals you recognize.”

Previously, Murrill entered her art in the Campus Collection in 2011 with three bronze sculptures entitled “Midnight and Varna,” “Circle Cat” and “Running Saluki.” These are permanently placed at the College of Veterinary Medicine’s entrance at the Small Animal Hospital.

The Brunnier Art Museum, located in 295 Scheman Building, opened Aug. 26 and features many exhibits. Among them are N.C. Wyeth’s “America in the Making: 75th Anniversary,” “After ‘America in the Making'” and “Asian Export: The Future of Carrie Chapman Catt and Selections from the Decorative Arts Collection.”

The Art Walk: Legacy of Murals at Lagomarcino took students on a welcome tour of the newest public art addition to Lagomarcino Hall and the School of Education on Aug. 27. Participants joined David Faux, nterpretation specialist for University Museums, in the Lagomarcino courtyard for the walk. 

The Farm House Museum is currently being renovated and is now closed until Jan. 11, 2015. The windows and wallpapers are being updated and objects in Farm House Museum are being curated before it reopens in January. 

“It gives it a fresher look,” Sheridan said. “So if you were at the Farm House last year, come back again in 2015 and it will look different and will have a fresh interpretation.”

“It’s always kind of nice to get a face lift. So that’s what Farm House is doing right now.” 

The Christian Petersen Art Museum is closed Sept. 1 for Labor Day. 

The art on campus is free to all students. Hours for each museum are available online at http://www.museums.iastate.edu. Tours and programs are also offered throughout the year.