Iowa State’s University Museums hosts guided tours of the many works of art across campus. The Art Walks are hosted by University Museum staff and docents on a monthly basis, guided by the Director of University Museums, Lynette Pohlman.

This semester’s art walks will explore different materials in the public art spread out across campus. Focusing on the artists behind the works, their artistic process and innovation with materials, Art Walks offer a much greater understanding and appreciation for the works that are often overlooked.

The first art walk of the spring semester will take place on Wednesday, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Wednesday’s Art Walk: Metal Work in Public Art, will focus on metallic artworks and the various ways the material is used in artworks.

The art walk will begin in Sukup Atrium in the Biorenewables Complex. There the tour begins with a look at “Floating World” which hangs from the ceiling of Sukup Atrium.

Art Walks are free and open to the public, registration is encouraged, but not required. To register for the tour, follow this link to the University Museums website.

Art Walks will be hosted monthly throughout the semester, each focusing on different materials within art. This semester’s lineup of art walks is as follows:

• Feb. 23, focusing on textiles

• March 30, focusing on glass

• April 27, focusing on painted murals

• May 25, focusing on ceramics

• June 29, focusing on stone

• July 27, focusing on wood 

Iowa State’s commitment to public art is a long-standing part of Iowa State’s aesthetic. Since it became the nation’s first land grant university, Iowa State has worked to make education accessible to all. This desire applies not only to the university’s agricultural and engineering roots but extends to the arts and humanities which make life so much fuller. 

For most of the university’s history, it has remained dedicated to building up its collection of artistic works and making them accessible to the general public. Today campus features hundreds of works of art, as well as aesthetically pleasing architecture and landscaping that are often overlooked.

For individuals who are looking for a greater appreciation of the beauty spread across campus, art walks can highlight some of the campus’s un-hidden gems.