WEGE CENTER FOR THE ARTS, Maharishi International University, 1000 N. 4th St., Fairfield. Three Strand Cord: MA/MFA Show. Nayiah McPhaul, Jules Larson, and Cole Fishback weave together three distinct visual languages with personal narratives. June 1-21. Opening reception June 12.
DES MOINES ART CENTER. 4700 Grand Ave., Des Moines. (515) 277-4405. Topographies: Mapping and Belonging. In this exhibition, mapping serves as a metaphor for the ways artists draw meaning from their surroundings: how they transform our understanding of the physical world and the societal forces that shape the places we inhabit. June 13-September 20. Elle Pérez: La Despidida. Bronx-based photographer Elle Pérez constructs lush and tactile photographs paying careful attention to objects, settings, and individuals in their everyday life. June 25-November 29. Christine Rebet: Sound of Time. Rebet creates lush and labor-intensive hand-drawn animation.This survey presents five films made between 2015 and 2025 by the Paris-based artist. Through August 23. Aagakinak Haciwi: We Live Opposite Each Other. Ho-Chunk artist Henry Payer considers history and identity through mixed media collages that combine imagery drawn from historical archives and his personal experience. This is exhibition is part of the Iowa Artists series. Through June 17. Artists Around a Table: Artmaking and Merrymaking 1927-1952. Prints on paper present rollicking depictions of artists gabbing, preening, debating, and partying. Through August 30.
CSPS, 1103 3rd St. SE, Cedar Rapids. (319) 364-1530. CR Pride Show. This year’s theme is Queer Joy, a celebration of queer life in all of its forms. Through June 28.
STANLEY MUSEUM OF ART, 160 W. Burlington St., Iowa City. (319) 335-1727. The Black Gold Tapestry. Sandra Sawatzky documents the saga of oil, global change, and energy transition through a hand-embroidered 220-foot-long tableau, which she describes as a “film on cloth.” Through July 12.
CEDAR RAPIDS MUSEUM OF ART, 410 3rd Ave. S.E., Cedar Rapids. (319) 366-7503. Visions of America: The Nation at 250. From nostalgic to critical, the works drawn from the permanent collection form a multi-faceted portrait of a vast and complex country. Through September 13. Out of the Box: The Art of Peter Stamats and Bill Stamats. As a businessman and patron of the arts, Peter O. Stamats was a well-known Cedar Rapids figure. But his own artistic work is less known. This exhibition features his box assemblages as well as those of his son, Bill. Through August 30. Elemental: Earth, Water, Air, Fire. The four elements have influenced art and culture for centuries. This exhibition explores how they appear in works from the museum’s permanent collection. Through March 14, 2027. Barn Storm: Picturing a Midwestern Icon. Barns are an iconic symbol of the Midwest. This exhibition explores how they appear in works from the collection. Through November 1. 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.
FIGGE ART MUSEUM, 225 W. 2nd St., Davenport.(563) 345-6632. A Golden Age for Whom? Contemporary artists respond to the themes and aesthetics of the concurrent exhibition The Golden Age: Featuring Northern European Works. Through September 20. The Golden Age: Northern European Works from the National Gallery of Art. An exceptional selection of 16th- and 17th-century Northern Renaissance and Baroque masterpieces. Through April 2027. A Surreal Lens: Photography from the Figge Collection. The exhibition explores artists who craft dreamlike imagery that changes our perception. Through June 21. Technology/Transformation: Wonder Woman. Artist Dara Birnbaum assembles scenes from the 1970s TV series Wonder Woman to critique mass media portrayals of women, Through August 16. Art Bridges: Ulrich Museum of Art. An exceptional selection of works from the Ulrich Museum of Art in Wichita, Kansas, includes pieces by Joan Mitchell, Robert Motherwell, and Louise Nevelson. Through January 3, 2027. A Surreal Lens: Photography from the Figge Collection. Artists have always used photography to distort and transform reality. This exhibition features artists who use dreamlike imagery to challenge our perception. Through June 21.
ICON GALLERY, 58 N. Main St., Fairfield. (641) 469-6252. Icon-art.org. Selections. ICON director Bill Teeple has chosen works from the permanent collection. Through July 18. Tantra Art from Udaipur: Shiva Linga Paintings from the Hudson Collection. A selection of 13 paintings made by tantrika families from Rajasthan, India. Opens June 5.
FREEFORM GALLERY, 508 N. 2nd Street, Fairfield. Caer Connet. New works on paper. June 1-27.
DUBUQUE MUSEUM OF ART, 701 Locust St., Dubuque. (563) 557-1851. DBQArt.org. What Now? A Reunion of Artists from the First Voices from the Warehouse District. This first “Voices” exhibition channels the spirit, grit, and revelry of artists Beth Bird, Bill Farrell, Delores Fortuna, Rose Frantzen, Louise Kames, Tom Metcalf, Chuck Morris, Wendy Rolfe, and Gene Tully. June 13-September 20. Opening reception: June 13, 5-8 p.m.
Apollo and Venus, regarded as the most important Old Master painting in Iowa.
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.
PETER PAUL LUCE GALLERY, Cornell College, 809 First St, Mount Vernon.
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.