Artistic and scholarly leadership

The University of Iowa School of Art and Art History, celebrated for innovation and expertise, has held the world's attention for close to a century. Our faculty—which has included some of the most prominent names in American art—exhibit their work, publish their scholarship, and deliver presentations throughout Iowa, across the nation, and around the world.

Learn more by exploring the various areas of expertise:

ABW exterior Art Students drawing outside from life

Art history

Iowa was the first university to combine art history with studio art in a single program. That innovative spirit has long attracted outstanding art history scholars who have influenced their discipline.

sudents painting in art class

Studio arts

At one of the most recognized public research university art schools in the country, students pursue a creative education comprised of learning traditional mediums and emerging technologies. Recognized for their inspiration, our faculty are working artists exhibiting nationally and internationally.

Studio art areas of expertise

Research and creative production in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

As part of a top-tier, AAU-accredited public research university, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences holds scholarly, scientific, and artistic discovery at the heart of our mission.

Throughout our departments and programs, our professors are at the forefront of their disciplines. They bring their world-class research and artistry into their classrooms, studios, and labs, giving students the unparalleled opportunity to learn right from the source of the latest innovations in knowledge and practice.

Graduate students and many undergraduates work side-by-side with faculty members, conducting breakthrough research and creative production that advances humanity’s understanding of ourselves and the complex, ever-changing world in which we live.

The creation of knowledge and understanding is an exhilarating and never-ending mission—and is at the core of every University of Iowa liberal arts and sciences education.