Explore! Museums – A free, family-friendly opportunity at University Museums
When it comes to fun, family events that don’t break the budget, options might feel limited
Fortunately, University Museums on the Iowa State University campus in Ames has the perfect remedy.
New events offered during the spring exhibitions
Beginning in February, University Museums began hosting Explore! Museums, a free, monthly event geared towards families of all ages. Each of the Explore! Museums programs feature a specific topic, activity and time to explore the new exhibition, Journeys: Landscapes as Self-Expression, at the Brunnier Art Museum, 295 Scheman Building.
The next two Explore! Museums programs will feature elements of nature.
On Saturday, March 29, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., families will be able to explore the beauty and meanings of flowers. University Museums staff will join Reiman Gardens and the ISU Horticulture Department as they help families dissect real flowers and create their own artful flowers. There will also be time to explore the Journeys exhibition and locate the artistic flowers within the various works of art.
The final Explore! Museums event will be held on Saturday, April 26, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. This program will explore trees in art and nature. Families are invited to create their own trees, learn to recognize different types of trees, and more with ISU Natural Resource and Ecology Management students.
Journeys: Landscapes as Self-Expression Exhibition
The inspiration for the Explore! Museums program comes from the current exhibition, Journeys: Landscapes as Self-Expression. This exhibition explores the landscape genre and the different artistic media used to create landscape art. Humans have always been drawn to the beauty, mystery, and volatility that exists within the natural world. As in nature, those same qualities can be found in people; humans are endlessly fascinating in their diversity and strangeness.
Throughout time artists have turned to the landscape as a form of self-expression and reflection on humanity. Journeys: Landscape as Self Expression explores a variety of uniquely expressive landscapes—including seascapes, cityscapes, and even space. The exhibition features photography, oil painting, and collage to showcase beautiful landscapes. Journeys: Landscape as Self Expression challenges viewers to consider the humanity found in nature.
Getting to the Brunnier Art Museum
If you’ve never been to the Brunnier Art Museum before, we’re excited to have you visit!
We are the only accredited museum emphasizing a decorative arts collection in the state of Iowa and one of the nation’s few museums located within a performing arts and conference complex. In addition to the Journeys exhibition, families will also be able to take in additional exhibitions within the museum, including In Conversation: Will Wilson, JOSH SIMPSON: Imaginative Journeys in Space and Sea, and Flowers, Creatures and Figures.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when visiting the museum:
Location
The Brunnier Art Museum is located on the 2nd floor of the Scheman Building at 1805 Center Drive, Ames, Iowa. When you come in the main doors of the ground floor of Scheman, you can take the elevator up to the 2nd floor to access the museum.
The main entrance to the Scheman Building (north side) is accessible for those with mobility aids. There are accessible parking spaces directly in front of the building and one set of doors has a wave-to-open sensor.
Parking
Parking is free and available in lot B1, north of the Scheman Building. Handicap parking, with a state permit, is also provided in lot B1.
The Journeys: Landscape as Self Expression exhibition is supported by ISU Athletics; Warren and Beverly Madden; Patti Cotter and Peter Orazem; Marcia and Jim Borel; Greater Iowa Credit Union; Sidney Robinson; and University Museums Membership. University Museums also thanks our lenders to the exhibition: Art Bridges; Des Moines Art Center; Cedar Rapids Museum of Art; Stanley Museum of Art, University of Iowa; Cara Romero; and Rachel Sussman.
