PUBLIC SPACE ONE, 225–229 N. Gilbert St., Iowa City. PublicSpaceOne.com. Parades, Plays and Protests: The Large-Scale Puppetry of Brant Bollman. Bollman’s oversize puppets are not static art objects but works that are meant to move, perform, provoke, and connect. January 11-February 1 at PS1 Northside, 229 N. Gilbert. Art from the Inside Out. Work from current and former incarcerated artists is presented in partnership with Inside Out Reentry Community, celebrating the talent and hard work of these artists and promoting the humanity of incarcerated people. PS1 Close House, 538 S. Gilbert. February 7-15.
DES MOINES ART CENTER. 4700 Grand Ave., Des Moines. (515) 277-4405. Op Art: Abstract Illusion. The exhibition explores a pivotal moment in the history of art when artists began to experiment with color and form to create disorienting perceptual effects. Through April 13. Figments and Phantoms. A selection of prints depicts the body are fragmented, distorted, or absent. January 10-April 20. Time Travelers. Featuring two ambitious large-scale installations: Mike Rottenberg’s Cheese and Tuan Andrew Ngugen’s The Boat People. February 14-May 11.
STANLEY MUSEUM OF ART, 160 W. Burlington St., Iowa City. (319) 335-1727. One An Other. With a deceptively lighthearted touch, Jiha Moon (b. 1973, South Korea) examines the entanglements of, as she puts it, “globalization, identity, and the visual information overload of contemporary society.” Incorporating painting, drawing, collaged Hanji paper, and ceramics, One An Other is on view in the museum lobby. Moon received her MFA at the University of Iowa in 2002. It’s a fine thing. Celebrating the resilience and creativity of Black Midwestern artists, this exhibition explores the rich and often overlooked landscape of the Black Midwest through works by Elizabeth Catlett, Kara Walker, Beauford Delaney, Betye Saar, and Sonya Clark. February 13-July 20. To My Friends at Horn: Keith Haring and Iowa City. The 1989 mural Keith Haring painted for Ernest Horn Elementary School anchors this exhibition that honors the many individuals who shaped Haring’s visits to Iowa City during the 1980s. Through March 9, 2025. Homecoming. See new artworks and old favorites, now displayed in fresh ways that transcend genre or geopolitical organization and bring out the synergies between disparate pieces. Through July 2025. Hayward Oubre: Structural Integrity. A key figure in the history of Black American art, Oubre (1916-2006) received his MFA from the University of Iowa and is best known for his work with wire coast hangers to create modernist masterworks. August 26-December 7.
GRINNELL COLLEGE MUSEUM OF ART, 1108 Park St., Grinnell. (641) 269-4660. Everything Left Unsaid. Featuring work from art faculty members. January 23-March 30.
MUSCATINE ART CENTER, 1314 Mulberry Ave., Muscatine. (563) 263-8282. Mirrors and Milagros: A Collection of Art Collage. Poet, memoirist and artist Corinne Stanley currently resides in Iowa City, but spent several years living in Mexico, which inspired her recent collection of mixed-media collages. January 11-March 9. Beth Van Hoesen: Prints from the Permanent Collection. Inspired by the work of Albrecht Durer and Hans Holbein, Van Hoesen created a remarkable body of graphic in over five decades. The 26 prints in this collection depict the artist’s beautifully rendered flowers. January 11-March 9.
ICON GALLERY, 58 N. Main St., Fairfield. (641) 469-6252. Icon-art.org. Joanie McGinnis: Chromatic Journey. Recent abstract works from the Fairfield artist. February 7-April 12. Transformational Visions. A small selection if Shiva Linga paintings from the Hudson Collection are juxtaposed with modern abstract photographs. Through August 29, 2025.
CEDAR RAPIDS MUSEUM OF ART, 410 3rd Ave. S.E., Cedar Rapids. (319) 366-7503. Beyond the Prairie: Midwestern Art from the Collection. Longtime museum favorites share gallery space with contemporary artworks in this changing exhibition showcasing the work of artists inspired by life in Iowa and surrounding states. Ongoing. The Vessel: Form and Function. Featuring a wide variety of vessels from the permanent collection. Through March 30, 2025.
FIGGE ART MUSEUM, 225 W. 2nd St., Davenport.(563) 345-6632. Art Bridges: Partner Loan Network. Masterworks from the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art are paired with artworks from the Figge in thematic groupings. Through January 2026. Leo Villareal: Interstellar. Nine works from the light sculptor’s Nebulae series. Through Feb. 23. Marvin Cone: Painter. January 18-June 8. Myrland Constant: DRAPO. Constant has been creating drapo, or Vodou flags, for over 35 years, using beading techniques that she learned from her mother. February 1-May 4.
HOYT-SHERMAN THEATRE, 1501 Woodland Ave., Des Moines. (515) 244-0507. Notable artworks in Hoyt-Sherman’s collection are on view, including paintings by American artists George Inness, Thomas Moran, Elihu Vedder, and Frederick Frieseke. The highlight of the entire collection is Apollo and Venus by the Flemish artist Otto van Veen, which is regarded as the most important Old Master painting in the state of Iowa. In 2018, it was rediscovered in a storage closet by Executive Director Robert Warren and restored to its original beauty by Barry Bauman, an art conservator in Chicago. Permanent display.
SIOUX CITY ART CENTER, 225 Nebraska St., Sioux City. (712) 279-6272. Grant Wood’s Corn Room Mural. The Corn Room mural was one of four murals commissioned by Omaha businessman Eugene Eppley for his hotels in Council Bluffs, Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, and Sioux City. Originally part of the historical Martin Hotel, the Corn Room was created by Grant Wood in 1927, then lost for decades under paint and old wallpaper, only to be rediscovered in 1979. Ongoing.
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AMERICUS DIAMOND, corner of Main St. and Burlington, Fairfield. Featuring the artwork of Christopher Kufner.
AMANA ARTS GUILD. 1 block north of Highway 220, High Amana. (319) 622-3678.
ANOMALY GALLERY, 105 N. Court, Ottumwa. (641) 777-8446.
ART CENTER OF BURLINGTON, 301 Jefferson St., Burlington. (319) 754-8069.
CATICH GALLERY, Galvin Fine Arts Center, St. Ambrose University, 518 W. Locust St., Davenport. 563-333-6444.
CSPS, 1103 3rd St. SE, Cedar Rapids. (319) 364-1530.
DUBUQUE MUSEUM OF ART, 701 Locust St., Dubuque. (563) 557-1851. DBQArt.org.
FIGGE ART MUSEUM, 225 W. 2nd St., Davenport.(563) 345-6632.
FORT MADISON ART CENTER, 1314 Mulberry Ave. (319) 372-8780.
FREEFORM GALLERY, 508 N. 2nd Street, Fairfield.
GILDED PEAR GALLERY, 808 Third Ave SE, Cedar Rapids. (319) 366-0205. GildedPearGallery.com.
GRINNELL COLLEGE MUSEUM OF ART, 1108 Park St., Grinnell. (641) 269-4660.
INDIAN HILLS ART GALLERY, Indian Hills Community College, Ottumwa. (641) 683-5144.
JANALYN HANSON WHITE GALLERY. Mount Mercy University, 1330 Elmhurst Dr. NE, Cedar Rapids, IA. (319) 363-8213.
MARVIN CONE GALLERY. Coe College, 1220 First Avenue NE, Cedar Rapids. (319) 399-8500.
MOUNT VERNON CREATES. 121 1st St. NW, Mount Vernon. (319) 895-2682.
MUSCATINE ART CENTER, 1314 Mulberry Ave., Muscatine. (563) 263-8282.
OCTAGON CENTER FOR THE ARTS, 427 Douglas Ave., Ames. (515) 232-5331.
OLSON LARSON GALLERIES, 542 5th St, West Des Moines. (515)-277-6734.
PUBLIC SPACE ONE, 225–229 N. Gilbert St., Iowa City. PublicSpaceOne.com.
SIOUX CITY ART CENTER, 225 Nebraska St., Sioux City. (712) 279-6272.
STANLEY MUSEUM OF ART, 160 W. Burlington St., Iowa City. (319) 335-1727.
TAAG GALLERY, 1041 Arthur St., Iowa City. (319) 855-4755.
WATERLOO CENTER FOR THE ARTS, 225 Commercial St., Waterloo. (319) 291-4490.
WEGE GALLERY, Wege Center for the Arts, Maharishi International University, 1000 N. 4th St., Fairfield.