For students, faculty, and community members looking for the perfect artwork to spice up a dull dorm room or office walls, the annual Art Lending Open House may be a good place to start. The Open House, which takes place today in the Pioneer Room of the Memorial Union, includes posters and prints from world renowned artists such as Claude Monet and Vincent Van Gogh, as well as original pieces by Iowa artists and former ISU students. “The collection includes reproductions as well as originals, contemporary art, and traditional museum pieces,” Kathy Svec, marketing coordinator for the Memorial Union, said. “We have an array of images that would appeal to a broad population.” Renting artwork can be much more cost-efficient than purchasing the same pieces. All artwork available for rent is matted, framed and ready to hang. According to Jerry Wilson, a graduate assistant in the programming department of the Memorial Union, most renting prices range from $6 to $30 per year. “A lot of our prints were originally $60 to several hundred dollars,” he said. Another advantage to renting art as opposed to buying it is that it can be returned after a semester or a year, and a new piece can be selected, Wilson said. “People can bring back a piece at the end of a semester if they get tired of it, and choose a new one,” Wilson explained. Renting artwork from the lending program is a simple process. After making a selection, renters must sign a contract stating that they will be responsible and will pay for the art if damaged. The Art Lending Program has been at Iowa State for over 20 years, with the bulk of business coming from various campus administrative offices. Other customers include students, private businesses and individuals of the community. Vice President of Student Affairs Thomas Hill said his office has taken advantage of the program for several years, usually renting wildlife and scenery prints. “It helps us decorate the office and it changes every year. It really is a great program,” he said. Although art is available for rent to anyone at any time throughout the year, today is the only time that all of the pieces will be on display in one place. After the open house, the programming department maintains a book that contains color photographs of the pieces that can be accessed at any time by someone wishing to rent art.