Introduction by President Wendy Wintersteen

President Wintersteen introduction, “Artists of an Era: A New Deal, Iowa Artists, and Iowa State College” exhibition publication              June 4, 2024

For the uninitiated, the campus of Iowa State University of Science and Technology has the power to surprise — and even to awe.

Many recognize Iowa State’s reputation as a powerhouse of innovation with an inspiring track record of progress stretching back nearly 170 years. But perhaps less well-known — at least until one sets foot on campus and takes a good look around — are two notable campus features: 1) the exquisite beauty of our physical setting and 2) the breadth and depth of public art that one discovers at every turn, in every direction.

It’s the latter that represents a breath-taking fine arts legacy we continue to uphold — 50 years after establishment of University Museums and more than 90 years after Iowa State President Raymond Hughes stated a vision for the arts that would “enrich and provide substantial intellectual exploration into our college curricula.”

This new exhibition, Artists of an Era: A New Deal, Iowa Artists, and Iowa State College, takes us back to the roots of President Hughes’ vision. It offers a deeper dive into the university’s permanent collection, featuring works of men and women artists during the 1930s and 1940s. It is a fascinating selection. You will learn more about Zenobia Brumbaugh Ness, an Iowa State arts and home economics educator, extension expert and influential arts enthusiast. It was Ness who, in the 1920s, championed a young Iowa artist whose majestic murals would eventually grace our library walls and whose talent would become world-renowned — Grant Wood. I am proud that a newly unveiled portrait of Ness joins our Faces of Iowa State series, which began in 2017, the year I became Iowa State’s 16^th president.

It was a bold statement for President Hughes to make during the depths of the Great Depression. So, what has Iowa State’s sustained commitment to the arts meant for our institution across the decades?

First, University Museums’ public artwork is a perennial point of pride for us and the state of Iowa. This year the American Alliance of Museums renewed University Museums’ accreditation, an achievement accorded to less than 4 percent of the nation’s museums. This reaffirms University Museums’ national reputation for sustained excellence and valuable contributions to our educational mission.

Second, our public arts collection is a mirror Iowa State can hold up to itself. It opens up important ways to thoughtfully examine questions about ourselves, our institution and our society: Where have we been? Where are we going? How are we going to get there? If that sounds a lot like a land-grant university classroom, it should. University Museums’ Visual Literacy Program works to connect arts across the curriculum, adding another dimension to Iowa State’s hallmark of interdisciplinary learning.

I am happy to be the latest in a historic line of Iowa State leaders who have played a role in sustaining this remarkable legacy. But I’ll be the very first to say that the main credit must go to our alumni and friends. It is their generous gifts and support that truly have made our public art collection what it is today — an unparalleled treasure.