Events Calendar

Feb 8, 2023

7:00 PM

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Derek (DK) Nnuro will read from his debut novel, What Napoleon Could Not Do, followed by a conversation with esteemed poet and educator Tameka Cage Conley about the book and its themes. What Napoleon Could Not Do is a gripping novel in which America is seen through the eyes and ambitions of three characters with ties to Africa.  Derek (DK) Nnuro is a Ghanaian-born writer and is a graduate of Johns Hopkins and the Iowa Writers' Workshop. He has taught novel writing at the University of Iowa...

Feb 9, 2023

5:00 PM - 6:00 PM

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Join us for our February Stanley Campus Council event—Date Night at the Stanley! Bring your lovers, your friends, or just yourself and celebrate all things art, beauty, and love with us. Dress to the nines (really—formal wear encouraged) and swing by the Stanley for an evening of fancy desserts, Valentine's day origami crafts, a cute Polaroid photo opportunity, and the chance to dance with a live DJ (@simeontalley)! Then head to the galleries for some romantic alone-time with your sweetie a...

Feb 9, 2023

5:30 PM - 6:30 PM

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Learn how to propagate native plants from seed! Dominic Balestrieri-Fox and Max Friton will discuss the different preparation techniques for starting native plants, both indoors and outside. The talk will include a demonstration of some of the equipment used, as well as a native seed door prize. There will be a Q&A where audience members can ask about specific plants. Attendees will leave with the knowledge to start native plants from seed at home. All are welcome.

Feb 11, 2023

2:00 PM

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Did you know that the average human eye can detect more shades of green than of any other color? Green also has many meanings and interpretations, such as wealth, peace, springtime, and envy. Join us for Stanley Creates as we examine and learn about the abstract painting Portrait in Green (1969) by Lee Krasner. Then we’ll create our own abstract artwork using just one color—green. Let's create together! Megan Dehner, master's candidate in art education, will lead this workshop. Stanley Cre...

Feb 12, 2023

2:00 PM

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Nina Roth-Wells holds a BA in French and art history from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, and an MA in art conservation, specializing in painted surfaces, from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. For over 20 years Roth-Wells has been a conservator in private practice in the state of Maine. She conserves paintings for both museum clients and private collectors. In addition to her conservation work, Roth-Wells is passionate about conservation education. She teaches professional devel...

Feb 15, 2023

4:00 PM - 6:00 PM

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Enjoy refreshments and an open house in recognition of the Spring 2023 Main Library Gallery exhibit, Out & About: Queer Life in Iowa City, curated by Madde Hoberg with Aiden Bettine. All are welcome! Remarks at 4:30 p.m. Gallery open until 6 p.m. This is an open house drop-in style event. Through documents, photos, artifacts, and ephemera, this exhibition shares about some of the many LGBTQ+ people, organizations, and publications in Iowa City's history. Items on display are from the Iowa...

Feb 16, 2023

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

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Join us for a special Exhibition Spotlight (virtual) in which we examine the latest installation at the Old Capitol Museum with special guests. Shadow and Light: Honoring Iraqi Academics features photography and narratives from a variety of artists who created in contemplation of Iraqi academics slain. We are all part of this important project. Whether you've seen it, intend to, or are simply curious, we invite you to learn more and hear firsthand from project leaders, artists, and academics...

Feb 18, 2023

2:00 PM

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"Unpacking the Demons: Within, Between, and Beyond Race" with 2022–23 Grant Wood Fellow for Painting and Drawing Michael Dixon This chronological overview of Michael Dixon’s art career, research, and personal narrative will include past projects leading up to his most current work, influences, relevant research topics, and a discussion of Dixon’s biracial identity formation. The content will be delivered through a series of stories.   Michael Dixon is an oil painter who was born in San Die...

Feb 19, 2023

2:00 PM

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In this class, participants will draw artworks in the museum's collection. Each session will focus on a different piece. The sessions will begin with an introduction to and discussion of the selected work. Participants will be encouraged to pursue their own visions and to take inspiration from the piece. Classes will be held Feb. 19, April 16, and May 21. Pencils and sketchbooks/paper are the only art-making materials allowed in the galleries. The museum has golf pencils with erasers and cl...

Feb 23, 2023

7:00 PM

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Groundbreaking painter, Iowa alumnus, and founding member of the Black Artists Group, Oliver Lee Jackson presents "The Alchemy of Making," a public talk at the Stanley. Jackson's five-decade career began at Iowa and now his monumental Painting (4.78-I) and Painting (4.78-II) are proudly featured at the Stanley Museum of Art in Gallery 6 as part of Homecoming. Please join us to meet the artist and and learn more about his career and artistic process.  If you are not able to attend in person,...

Feb 24, 2023

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

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Join the Pentacrest Museums for this special, one-time-only, wintertime edition of our popular Tree Tour program. On this guided stroll around the Pentacrest, we'll feature the ecological diversity, symbolism, history, and lore of our campus trees. We'll use the lunch hour for discovery, restoration, mindfulness, & movement. Together, we'll stay connected with nature and each other even during the coldest time of the year—it's possible, we promise! Meet outside near the main entrance to Ma...

Feb 25, 2023

2:00 PM

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This spring, the Stanley Reads book group features What Napoleon Could Not Do, the debut novel of Derek (DK) Nnuro, the museum’s curator of special projects. The club will meet three times over the spring semester to discuss the novel and discover how objects in the Homecoming exhibition connect with themes in the book. Nnuro will also be on hand to answer questions about the novel and engage participants in craft discussions. We encourage budding writers—especially writers of fiction—to joi...

Feb 26, 2023

3:00 PM

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Join us monthly to generate new creative writing inspired by works in the Stanley collection. Each session will be led by a different talented writer from our area, who will be offering a new prompt and a new approach to ekphrastic writing (writing inspired by visual art). Bring your own notebook and pencil or computer and leave with the beginning of a newly written piece. Co-sponsored by Iowa City Poetry. Teen and adult writers in all genres are welcome. Write at the Stanley meets every fo...

Mar 2, 2023

7:00 PM

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Academic museums are uniquely positioned to act as catalysts in higher education, to serve as bridges between campuses and communities, and to enhance the future of museums. How can we unlock the particular potential of campus museums in our evolving world? Focusing on the early planning of a new building for the Williams College Museum of Art (WCMA) as a case study, this talk explores how academic art museums offer rich possibilities for collaborative and responsive approaches to museum pra...

Mar 3, 2023

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

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This unique and hands-on program integrates art viewing, art making and mindfulness strategies to provide students with tools to de-stress, manage anxiety, and develop wellness practices. During the 2-hour workshop, participants will learn new ways to improve well-being, while benefiting from the positive effects of viewing and making art. No prior art-making experience necessary. The workshop will be led by Dana Keeton, a local board-certified art therapist and licensed mental health coun...

Mar 3, 2023

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

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Join the long, rich, historical tradition of artists creating in our spaces. Professional, aspiring, and amateur artists alike, make our museum your muse. The return of this popular program series welcomes guests into the Museum of Natural History's magical gallery spaces after-hours to work on sketching or writing projects with other campus and community artists. Tell a friend, grab a notebook, and join us on the first Friday of each month. We'll provide a new inspo prompt for each sessio...

Mar 5, 2023

1:30 PM

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Piano Sundays at the Old Capitol: Uriel Tsachor and Studio Piano Sundays returns for the 2022-23 season! The University of Iowa School of Music, in partnership with the Old Capitol Museum and West Music, is proud to host this annual tradition. Performances will be at the Old Capitol Museum Senate Chambers this year, performed on their historic, rebuilt Steinway grand piano “Rose.” This is an incredible opportunity for the community to see and hear the university’s talented piano students an...

Mar 9, 2023

6:00 PM - 7:30 PM

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Join the Stanley Campus Council for an exploration into female artists and artistry during Women's History Month! 

Mar 11, 2023

2:00 PM

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In this Stanley Creates kids, teens, and their families will draw inspiration from quilts in the Stanley's collection to create our own paper quilt. Using collage, paper-cutting techniques, and colorful paper, each participant will design and execute their own unique quilt square. At the end of the workshop we will combine our individual squares to create a communal artwork. This activity is accessible for all ages and ability levels.   Led by Angie Bar, master's candidate in art education....

Mar 23, 2023

7:00 PM

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This event has been cancelled. We are working to find a new time when Franklin Peters can come to campus. Acoma potter Franklin Peters will discuss his art and process. This talk culminates a five-day visit to the university that includes a studio demonstration and collections research. Pots made by Peters' grandmother, Rosalie Vallo, will be on view in the third-floor Visual Laboratory. Franklin Peters was born into the Sky Clan in Acoma Pueblo. He learned the art of pottery making as he ...

Mar 23, 2023

7:00 PM

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Acoma potter Franklin Peters will discuss his art and process. This talk culminates a five-day visit to the university that includes a studio demonstration and collections research. Pots made by Peters's grandmother, Rosalie Vallo, will be on view in the third-floor Visual Laboratory. Franklin Peters was born into the Sky Clan in Acoma Pueblo. He learned the art of pottery making as he grew up surrounded by some of Acoma’s most well-known potters: Ella Peters (his mother), Florence Aragon, ...

Mar 25, 2023

2:00 PM

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This spring, the Stanley Reads book group features What Napoleon Could Not Do, the debut novel of Derek (DK) Nnuro, the museum’s curator of special projects. The club will meet three times over the spring semester to discuss the novel and discover how objects in the Homecoming exhibition connect with themes in the book. Nnuro will also be on hand to answer questions about the novel and engage participants in craft discussions. We encourage budding writers—especially writers of fiction—to joi...

Mar 26, 2023

3:00 PM

Save to My Events

Join us monthly to generate new creative writing inspired by works in the Stanley collection. Each session will be led by a different talented writer from our area, who will be offering a new prompt and a new approach to ekphrastic writing (writing inspired by visual art). Bring your own notebook and pencil or computer and leave with the beginning of a newly written piece. Co-sponsored by Iowa City Poetry. Teen and adult writers in all genres are welcome. Write at the Stanley meets every fo...

Mar 28, 2023

4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

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Join curator Madde Hoberg for a special guided tour of the Out & About: Queer Life in Iowa City exhibition in the Main Library Gallery! All are welcome to attend this free event. About the exhibit: Through documents, artifacts, and ephemera, this exhibition shares about some of the many LGBTQ+ people, organizations, and publications in Iowa City's history. Items on display are from the Iowa Women's Archives, University Archives, and Special Collections & Archives at the University of Iowa L...

Apr 2, 2023

1:30 PM

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Piano Sundays at the Old Capitol: Alan Huckleberry and Studio Piano Sundays returns for the 2022-23 season! The University of Iowa School of Music, in partnership with the Old Capitol Museum and West Music, is proud to host this annual tradition. Performances will be at the Old Capitol Museum Senate Chambers this year, performed on their historic, rebuilt Steinway grand piano “Rose.” This is an incredible opportunity for the community to see and hear the university’s talented piano students...

Apr 6, 2023

7:00 PM

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The Fusion of African Retentive and Continued Trinbagonian dances and Contemporary American dance for the classroom and stage Kieron Dwayne Sargeant’s artist talk will focus on his work deconstructing and fusing African -Trinbagonian dances to create movement vocabulary, creative processes, and aesthetics which read as contemporary and can be fused with American modern and contemporary dance sensibilities and aesthetics. Kieron Dwayne Sargeant is a Trinidadian-born interdisciplinary artist...

Apr 7, 2023

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

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This unique and hands-on program integrates art viewing, art making and mindfulness strategies to provide students with tools to de-stress, manage anxiety, and develop wellness practices. During the 2-hour workshop, participants will learn new ways to improve well-being, while benefiting from the positive effects of viewing and making art. No prior art-making experience necessary. The workshop will be led by Dana Keeton, a local board-certified art therapist and licensed mental health coun...

Apr 7, 2023

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Save to My Events

Join the long, rich, historical tradition of artists creating in our spaces. Professional, aspiring, and amateur artists alike, make our museum your muse. The return of this popular program series welcomes guests into the Museum of Natural History's magical gallery spaces after-hours to work on sketching or writing projects with other campus and community artists. Tell a friend, grab a notebook, and join us on the first Friday of each month. We'll provide a new inspo prompt for each sessio...

Apr 8, 2023

10:45 AM - 11:30 AM

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Patricia (Patty) Brennan is interested in the morphological evolution of genital morphology in vertebrates and the mechanisms that drive genital diversification, sexual conflict in particular.  She has a BSc in Marine Biology from her native Colombia, where she studied the cardiac physiology of marine mammals. She went on to work in the Galapagos Islands aboard a research vessel (R/V Odyssey).  Brennan completed her Ph.D. dissertation at Cornell University, where she studied the breeding bio...

Apr 8, 2023

11:30 AM - 12:15 PM

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Kim TallBear (Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate) (she/her) is Professor and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience, and Society, Faculty of Native Studies, University of Alberta. She is the author of Native American DNA: Tribal Belonging and the False Promise of Genetic Science. In addition to studying genome science disruptions to Indigenous self-definitions, Dr. TallBear studies colonial disruptions to Indigenous sexual relations. She is a regular panelist on the weekly podcast, ...

Apr 13, 2023

6:00 PM - 7:30 PM

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Join the Stanley Campus Council for an exciting monthly event. Check back later for more details!

Apr 16, 2023

2:00 PM

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In this class, participants will draw artworks in the museum's collection. Each session will focus on a different piece. The sessions will begin with an introduction to and discussion of the selected work. Participants will be encouraged to pursue their own visions and to take inspiration from the piece. Classes will be held Feb. 19, April 16, and May 21. Pencils and sketchbooks/paper are the only art-making materials allowed in the galleries. The museum has golf pencils with erasers and cl...

Apr 19, 2023

4:00 PM - 5:00 PM

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Join curator Madde Hoberg for a special guided tour of the Out & About: Queer Life in Iowa City exhibition in the Main Library Gallery! All are welcome to attend this free event. About the exhibit: Through documents, artifacts, and ephemera, this exhibition shares about some of the many LGBTQ+ people, organizations, and publications in Iowa City's history. Items on display are from the Iowa Women's Archives, University Archives, and Special Collections & Archives at the University of Iowa L...

Apr 20, 2023

6:30 PM

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This is the first in a series of roundtable discussions between contemporary artists working in Africa and the United States funded by the Henry Luce Foundation. Work by both Cole and Youmbi is featured prominently in Homecoming, the Stanley’s inaugural exhibition. Both Youmbi—a Cameroonian artist who lives and works in Douala—and Cole—an American sculptor, printer, and perceptual engineer—make works that respond to and build upon African art-making traditions while interrogating the colonia...

Apr 22, 2023

2:00 PM

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Join us for a conversation between the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s head curator, Randall Griffey, and University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art director, Lauren Lessing, as they discuss Alice Neel’s 1967 painting The Black Boys, on loan to the Stanley from the Tia Collection in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Griffey, who co-curated the blockbuster exhibition Alice Neel: People Come First, which opened at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2021, will share insights into Neel’s work and career and ...

Apr 23, 2023

3:00 PM

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Join us monthly to generate new creative writing inspired by works in the Stanley collection. Each session will be led by a different talented writer from our area, who will be offering a new prompt and a new approach to ekphrastic writing (writing inspired by visual art). Bring your own notebook and pencil or computer and leave with the beginning of a newly written piece. Co-sponsored by Iowa City Poetry. Teen and adult writers in all genres are welcome. Write at the Stanley meets every fo...

Apr 27, 2023

6:30 PM

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Be a part of the premiere of a new one-act, immersive opera by composer Nathan Felix. Performers will move throughout the galleries, with different movements or pieces set around the audience. At some points, you may find yourself in the middle of the ensemble. Nathan Felix (born 1981) is a Mexican American composer based in Brooklyn. His music has been premiered in Bulgaria, Portugal, Spain, Denmark, Mongolia, and the United States, and his music has been featured on the BBC, MTV, and NPR....

Apr 29, 2023

2:00 PM

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This spring, the Stanley Reads book group features What Napoleon Could Not Do, the debut novel of Derek (DK) Nnuro, the museum’s curator of special projects. The club will meet three times over the spring semester to discuss the novel and discover how objects in the Homecoming exhibition connect with themes in the book. Nnuro will also be on hand to answer questions about the novel and engage participants in craft discussions. We encourage budding writers—especially writers of fiction—to joi...

May 4, 2023

6:00 PM - 7:30 PM

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Join the Stanley Campus Council for a fun close-of-the-semester event!

May 5, 2023

2:00 PM - 4:00 PM

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This unique and hands-on program integrates art viewing, art making and mindfulness strategies to provide students with tools to de-stress, manage anxiety, and develop wellness practices. During the 2-hour workshop, participants will learn new ways to improve well-being, while benefiting from the positive effects of viewing and making art. No prior art-making experience necessary. The workshop will be led by Dana Keeton, a local board-certified art therapist and licensed mental health coun...

May 5, 2023

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Save to My Events

Join the long, rich, historical tradition of artists creating in our spaces. Professional, aspiring, and amateur artists alike, make our museum your muse. The return of this popular program series welcomes guests into the Museum of Natural History's magical gallery spaces after-hours to work on sketching or writing projects with other campus and community artists. Tell a friend, grab a notebook, and join us on the first Friday of each month. We'll provide a new inspo prompt for each sessio...

May 21, 2023

2:00 PM

Save to My Events

In this class, participants will draw artworks in the museum's collection. Each session will focus on a different piece. The sessions will begin with an introduction to and discussion of the selected work. Participants will be encouraged to pursue their own visions and to take inspiration from the piece. Classes will be held Feb. 19, April 16, and May 21. Pencils and sketchbooks/paper are the only art-making materials allowed in the galleries. The museum has golf pencils with erasers and cl...

May 28, 2023

3:00 PM

Save to My Events

Join us monthly to generate new creative writing inspired by works in the Stanley collection. Each session will be led by a different talented writer from our area, who will be offering a new prompt and a new approach to ekphrastic writing (writing inspired by visual art). Bring your own notebook and pencil or computer and leave with the beginning of a newly written piece. Co-sponsored by Iowa City Poetry. Teen and adult writers in all genres are welcome. Write at the Stanley meets every fo...

Jun 2, 2023

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Save to My Events

Join the long, rich, historical tradition of artists creating in our spaces. Professional, aspiring, and amateur artists alike, make our museum your muse. The return of this popular program series welcomes guests into the Museum of Natural History's magical gallery spaces after-hours to work on sketching or writing projects with other campus and community artists. Tell a friend, grab a notebook, and join us on the first Friday of each month. We'll provide a new inspo prompt for each sessio...

Jul 7, 2023

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Save to My Events

Join the long, rich, historical tradition of artists creating in our spaces. Professional, aspiring, and amateur artists alike, make our museum your muse. The return of this popular program series welcomes guests into the Museum of Natural History's magical gallery spaces after-hours to work on sketching or writing projects with other campus and community artists. Tell a friend, grab a notebook, and join us on the first Friday of each month. We'll provide a new inspo prompt for each sessio...

Aug 4, 2023

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Save to My Events

Join the long, rich, historical tradition of artists creating in our spaces. Professional, aspiring, and amateur artists alike, make our museum your muse. The return of this popular program series welcomes guests into the Museum of Natural History's magical gallery spaces after-hours to work on sketching or writing projects with other campus and community artists. Tell a friend, grab a notebook, and join us on the first Friday of each month. We'll provide a new inspo prompt for each sessio...

Sep 1, 2023

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Save to My Events

Join the long, rich, historical tradition of artists creating in our spaces. Professional, aspiring, and amateur artists alike, make our museum your muse. The return of this popular program series welcomes guests into the Museum of Natural History's magical gallery spaces after-hours to work on sketching or writing projects with other campus and community artists. Tell a friend, grab a notebook, and join us on the first Friday of each month. We'll provide a new inspo prompt for each sessio...

Oct 6, 2023

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Save to My Events

Join the long, rich, historical tradition of artists creating in our spaces. Professional, aspiring, and amateur artists alike, make our museum your muse. The return of this popular program series welcomes guests into the Museum of Natural History's magical gallery spaces after-hours to work on sketching or writing projects with other campus and community artists. Tell a friend, grab a notebook, and join us on the first Friday of each month. We'll provide a new inspo prompt for each sessio...

Nov 3, 2023

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Save to My Events

Join the long, rich, historical tradition of artists creating in our spaces. Professional, aspiring, and amateur artists alike, make our museum your muse. The return of this popular program series welcomes guests into the Museum of Natural History's magical gallery spaces after-hours to work on sketching or writing projects with other campus and community artists. Tell a friend, grab a notebook, and join us on the first Friday of each month. We'll provide a new inspo prompt for each sessio...

Dec 1, 2023

6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

Save to My Events

Join the long, rich, historical tradition of artists creating in our spaces. Professional, aspiring, and amateur artists alike, make our museum your muse. The return of this popular program series welcomes guests into the Museum of Natural History's magical gallery spaces after-hours to work on sketching or writing projects with other campus and community artists. Tell a friend, grab a notebook, and join us on the first Friday of each month. We'll provide a new inspo prompt for each sessio...