The Memorial Union’s annual Art Lending open house seeks to offer a fun and affordable way for students, faculty and Ames community members to liven up their living spaces.

The open house will be held from 3-6 p.m. on Wednesday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Thursday in the Memorial Union Art Gallery, located on the first floor. Nearly 300 pieces of artwork will be on display and available for rental including prints, posters and other original creations from artists around the world. 

Artworks range in shape, size and style, and typically rent for $10-$25 per year. Cash and credit will be accepted for rentals. University members can also elect to charge it to their departmental account. All artworks rented can be taken home directly from the gallery. For those interested in renting but are unable to attend the open house, appointments can be scheduled by contacting Fine Arts Coordinator Letitia Kenemer.

The annual Art Lending open house promotes art rental which aims to be an affordable way to liven up a home, dorm or office space with premium artworks, originally priced at hundreds of dollars for just a fraction of the cost. The annual event provides the opportunity to swap out chosen artwork for a new one at the following year’s event. Renters must sign an agreement form claiming responsibility for any damages that take place during the time of rental. 

While the Memorial Union does offer some art rentals throughout the year, the annual open house event is a major chance to see the full collection on display together in person. Several of the pieces from the collection come from Iowa artists and Iowa State alumnus. Proceeds from artwork rentals directly support art programs hosted through the Memorial Union. All are welcome to attend the event, and rent artwork including members of the Ames community not affiliated with Iowa State.

Further information on this year’s annual open house can be found on the Student Engagement website or by contacting Fine Arts Coordinator Kenemer at [email protected].