Skip to main content

University of Iowa makes $50m art museum application

News
University Iowa Art Museum Willowwind-at-UIMA

Officials at the University of Iowa have asked for approval to build a new $50 million art museum.

Due to a flood in 2008, the former University of Iowa Museum of Art (UIMA) building was deemed unsuitable for the return of artwork. Since that time, works from the UIMA collections (undamaged by the flood) have been on show at temporary facilities and via creative outreach projects throughout the state of Iowa. Nevertheless, UIMA set a new attendance record during the academic year 2015-16 when 627,672 visitors participated in various events.

The University of Iowa entered into a public-private partnership several ago to include a museum space in an new development near the corner of Burlington and Clinton streets. Higher than expected development costs led officials to back out of that plan last year. The new museum would be located on a parking lot close to the university’s Iowa Main Library in Iowa City.

The Iowa Board of Regents’ Property and Facilities Committee will review schematic designs and project descriptions for the new museum at a meeting on June 7. If they like what they see, full board approval will then be sought in August. It is hoped the new facility could be open in time to celebrate the 50th anniversary in 2019 of the museum’s most famous work “Mural” by Jackson Pollock.

Image courtesy University of Iowa Museum of Art

https://www.press-citizen.com/story/news/education/university-of-iowa/2017/05/30/university-iowa-seeks-permission-designs-50-m-museum-art/355267001/

Share this
Owen Ralph

Owen Ralph

Feature writer Owen Ralph has covered theme parks and attractions for over 20 years for publications including blooloop, Park World, World’s Fair, Interpark, Kirmes Revue and Park International. He has also served on boards/committees with IAAPA and the TEA. He grew up just 30 minutes from Blackpool (no coincidence?)

More from this author

More from this author

Related content

Your web browser is out of date. Update your browser for more security, speed and the best experience on this site.

Find out how to update