Joint calendar of events for both the UI Museum of Natural History and Old Capitol Museum:

UIPM Calendar of Events

Webinar: Exploring Anne Frank & Difficult Life Stories promotional image

Webinar: Exploring Anne Frank & Difficult Life Stories

Friday, April 4, 2025 10:00am to 12:00pm
Virtual
Discover how Anne Frank’s story continues to shape conversations on empathy, education, and human rights in a compelling webinar featuring scholars from across the U.S. Join the University  of Iowa (UI) Anne Frank Initiative, an International Programs affinity group, on Friday, April 4, 2025, at 10 a.m. (CDT) as they host an insightful and engaging webinar featuring several esteemed authors from the groundbreaking book, Exploring Anne Frank and Difficult Life Stories (Routledge, 2025). Hear...
Art & Write Night promotional image

Art & Write Night

Friday, April 4, 2025 6:00pm to 8:00pm
University of Iowa Museum of Natural History
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 session...
Piano Sundays at the Old Capitol: Rene Lecuona and Studio promotional image

Piano Sundays at the Old Capitol: Rene Lecuona and Studio

Sunday, April 6, 2025 1:30pm
Old Capitol Museum
Piano Sundays at the Old Capitol Piano Sundays returns for the 2024-25 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 held in the beautiful Old Capitol Museum Senate Chamber 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 and faculty in a...
Read on the Rug promotional image

Read on the Rug

Wednesday, April 9, 2025 10:30am to 11:00am
University of Iowa Museum of Natural History
Read on the Rug is back with monthly offerings! Join us on the second Wednesday of each month in Iowa Hall at the UI Museum of Natural History for Read on the Rug. Ideal for families with kiddos aged 2-5, all are welcome to this free educational program. This program series was designed with our youngest museum lovers in mind. Come along as we build community and inspire a sense of wonder, curiosity, and respect for our natural and cultural worlds with stories, sing-alongs, and more in one of...
Drawing Salon with Robert Caputo promotional image

Drawing Salon with Robert Caputo

Sunday, April 13, 2025 2:00pm to 3:30pm
Stanley Museum of Art
The Drawing Salon focuses on drawing artworks from the museum's collection. Each session will focus on a different artwork. The sessions will begin with an introduction and discussion of the selected work. Participants will be encouraged to pursue their own visions and to take inspiration from the artworks in the gallery. Pencils and sketchbooks/paper are the only artmaking materials allowed in the galleries. The museum has golf pencils with erasers and clipboards for participants to use...
Book Matters University of Iowa Author Celebration promotional image

Book Matters University of Iowa Author Celebration

Tuesday, April 15, 2025 4:30pm to 6:00pm
Old Capitol Museum
Join the Office of the Vice President for Research and the Office of the Provost as we celebrate faculty and staff who have published books since spring 2023. University leadership will make remarks at 4:30 p.m., followed by short readings by scholars who have recently authored books: Sarah E. Bond, associate professor in the Department of History, and the author of Strike: Labor, Unions, and Resistance in the Roman Empire (Yale University Press, 2025) Jill Wieber Lens, Dorothy M. Willie...
Broader Impacts Fair promotional image

Broader Impacts Fair

Wednesday, April 23, 2025 12:00pm to 2:00pm
University Capitol Centre
The Research Development Office is hosting an in-person Broader Impacts Fair on Wednesday, April 23 from noon to 2 p.m. in UCC. The goal of the fair is to provide a unique opportunity to connect researchers with campus resources and foster partnerships that are essential for developing and delivering impactful National Science Foundation (NSF) Broader Impacts activities.  During the fair, six participating units will showcase their BI expertise through lightning talks. Following the lightning...
Write at the Stanley promotional image

Write at the Stanley

Sunday, April 27, 2025 2:30pm to 4:15pm
Stanley Museum of Art
Write at the Stanley: A Generative Writing Workshop is back for the Spring Semester! 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...
Art & Write Night promotional image

Art & Write Night

Friday, May 2, 2025 6:00pm to 8:00pm
University of Iowa Museum of Natural History
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 session...
Study at the Stanley promotional image

Study at the Stanley

Tuesday, May 13 10:00am to Thursday, May 15, 2025 4:00pm
Stanley Museum of Art
Make the Stanley your study spot for finals week. We'll have free coffee, lemonade, punch, and snacks available all day Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday (10 a.m.–4 p.m.). Stop by for a few hours to study for your exams: grab a snack, replenish your study supplies (we'll have post-its, highlighters, and more) and take a quick break — either by exploring the galleries or playing with a fidget toy.
Study at the Stanley promotional image

Study at the Stanley

Wednesday, May 14 10:00am to Friday, May 16, 2025 4:00pm
Stanley Museum of Art
Make the Stanley your study spot for finals week. We'll have free coffee, lemonade, punch, and snacks available all day Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday (10 a.m.–4 p.m.). Stop by for a few hours to study for your exams: grab a snack, replenish your study supplies (we'll have post-its, highlighters, and more) and take a quick break — either by exploring the galleries or playing with a fidget toy.
Read on the Rug promotional image

Read on the Rug

Wednesday, May 14, 2025 10:30am to 11:00am
University of Iowa Museum of Natural History
Read on the Rug is back with monthly offerings! Join us on the second Wednesday of each month in Iowa Hall at the UI Museum of Natural History for Read on the Rug. Ideal for families with kiddos aged 2-5, all are welcome to this free educational program. This program series was designed with our youngest museum lovers in mind. Come along as we build community and inspire a sense of wonder, curiosity, and respect for our natural and cultural worlds with stories, sing-alongs, and more in one of...
Study at the Stanley promotional image

Study at the Stanley

Thursday, May 15 10:00am to Saturday, May 17, 2025 4:00pm
Stanley Museum of Art
Make the Stanley your study spot for finals week. We'll have free coffee, lemonade, punch, and snacks available all day Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday (10 a.m.–4 p.m.). Stop by for a few hours to study for your exams: grab a snack, replenish your study supplies (we'll have post-its, highlighters, and more) and take a quick break — either by exploring the galleries or playing with a fidget toy.
Drawing Salon with Robert Caputo promotional image

Drawing Salon with Robert Caputo

Sunday, May 18, 2025 2:00pm to 3:30pm
Stanley Museum of Art
The Drawing Salon focuses on drawing artworks from the museum's collection. Each session will focus on a different artwork. The sessions will begin with an introduction and discussion of the selected work. Participants will be encouraged to pursue their own visions and to take inspiration from the artworks in the gallery. Pencils and sketchbooks/paper are the only artmaking materials allowed in the galleries. The museum has golf pencils with erasers and clipboards for participants to use...
Write at the Stanley promotional image

Write at the Stanley

Sunday, May 25, 2025 2:30pm to 4:15pm
Stanley Museum of Art
Write at the Stanley: A Generative Writing Workshop is back for the Spring Semester! 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...
Art & Write Night promotional image

Art & Write Night

Friday, June 6, 2025 6:00pm to 8:00pm
University of Iowa Museum of Natural History
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 session...
Read on the Rug promotional image

Read on the Rug

Wednesday, June 11, 2025 10:30am to 11:00am
University of Iowa Museum of Natural History
Read on the Rug is back with monthly offerings! Join us on the second Wednesday of each month in Iowa Hall at the UI Museum of Natural History for Read on the Rug. Ideal for families with kiddos aged 2-5, all are welcome to this free educational program. This program series was designed with our youngest museum lovers in mind. Come along as we build community and inspire a sense of wonder, curiosity, and respect for our natural and cultural worlds with stories, sing-alongs, and more in one of...
Read on the Rug promotional image

Read on the Rug

Wednesday, July 9, 2025 10:30am to 11:00am
University of Iowa Museum of Natural History
Read on the Rug is back with monthly offerings! Join us on the second Wednesday of each month in Iowa Hall at the UI Museum of Natural History for Read on the Rug. Ideal for families with kiddos aged 2-5, all are welcome to this free educational program. This program series was designed with our youngest museum lovers in mind. Come along as we build community and inspire a sense of wonder, curiosity, and respect for our natural and cultural worlds with stories, sing-alongs, and more in one of...
5th Annual BioBlitz at the Ashton Prairie Living Laboratory promotional image

5th Annual BioBlitz at the Ashton Prairie Living Laboratory

Saturday, July 12, 2025 9:00am to 11:00am
Ashton Cross Country Course
What types of plants, animals, and fungal life might you find at the Ashton Prairie Living Laboratory? Let's find out!  Join researchers in collecting, observing, and recording biodiversity at the Ashton Prairie Living Laboratory in our 5th Annual BioBlitz. Your findings will inform a major research project and will contribute to the fifth data point in a multi-year documentation of how diversity changes at this site over time. Collections will be housed with the UI Museum of Natural History...
Art & Write Night promotional image

Art & Write Night

Friday, August 1, 2025 6:00pm to 8:00pm
University of Iowa Museum of Natural History
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 session...
Read on the Rug promotional image

Read on the Rug

Wednesday, August 13, 2025 10:30am to 11:00am
University of Iowa Museum of Natural History
Read on the Rug is back with monthly offerings! Join us on the second Wednesday of each month in Iowa Hall at the UI Museum of Natural History for Read on the Rug. Ideal for families with kiddos aged 2-5, all are welcome to this free educational program. This program series was designed with our youngest museum lovers in mind. Come along as we build community and inspire a sense of wonder, curiosity, and respect for our natural and cultural worlds with stories, sing-alongs, and more in one of...
Art & Write Night promotional image

Art & Write Night

Friday, September 5, 2025 6:00pm to 8:00pm
University of Iowa Museum of Natural History
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 session...
Art & Write Night promotional image

Art & Write Night

Friday, October 3, 2025 6:00pm to 8:00pm
University of Iowa Museum of Natural History
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 session...
Art & Write Night promotional image

Art & Write Night

Friday, November 7, 2025 6:00pm to 8:00pm
University of Iowa Museum of Natural History
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 session...
Art & Write Night promotional image

Art & Write Night

Friday, December 5, 2025 6:00pm to 8:00pm
University of Iowa Museum of Natural History
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 session...