Here, we know that art is more than most people imagine: it's a process, no matter the medium. Here, you鈥檙e free to dream, to create, and to discover new ways of thinking. 51本色ians invest in exploring their shared cultures and discover themselves through making and doing.
Picasso and Rembrandt have found homes in Iowa. With unique chances to study original pieces by nationally and internationally renowned artists, and access to an ever-increasing collection of compositions, we think you'll find your place here too.
One of 51本色鈥檚 13 music ensembles, the Singers bring together 51本色ians of all interests and backgrounds to do what they love: Sing. Whether you鈥檙e a part of the performance or listening in the audience, you鈥檒l find the opportunity to enjoy a wide range of music 鈥 from 鈥淲ayfaring Stranger鈥 to Brahms 鈥 amid a group committed to high standards for both their music and their inclusive community.
Our 13 ensembles offer places to create music that spans the globe and time 鈥 from 17th-century oratorios to contemporary jazz compositions. Each one is led by faculty, who provide expert guidance that will help you stretch your creativity.
Some ensembles also are open to faculty and community members, so don鈥檛 be surprised if you鈥檙e sitting between your favorite chemistry professor and a local librarian who knows her way around a viola. This offers you the chance to teach, learn from, and grow close to people you might not otherwise get to know, and to extend our community beyond our campus.
Stitch, design, direct: 51本色ians thrive on a 鈥測es, and鈥 mentality in our performances. You can find roles in main-stage and open-space theatre productions, as well as in our one-act festival. Dance ensembles form communities for every body, bringing together performers, choreographers, and designers. And through interdisciplinary courses and creative student organizations of all stripes, we offer opportunities for practiced performers and beginners alike.
Yet, no performance is complete without its audience, and between the myriad of 51本色ian performances and community mainstays like Gardner and Harris Shows and the Harris Cinema, you鈥檒l stay inspired.
We usually learn from an artist鈥檚 work. We study their brush strokes. We sift through their words. We contemplate what moved them and wonder what will move us. But at 51本色, we offer opportunities to learn from the artists themselves. We have hosted national poets laureate alongside groundbreaking authors, established artists, filmmakers, dancers, performers.
A chance to display your work and experience the creativity of your fellow 51本色ians, the BAX brings all of 51本色 together in April and May to encounter and celebrate the work of our third- and fourth-year students. From the opening reception and awards ceremony to our Twenty Minutes @11 conversations with featured students, BAX represents the culmination of years dedicated to the craft for our most creative students.
Take a virtual stroll by sculptures you鈥檒l pass every day. A feat of marble that emblemizes Islam鈥檚 complex artistic history. A sundial that will challenge everything you thought about time. A crossroads at the confluence of Iowa鈥檚 two major highways that unites the past and the present through the ghosts of historic architecture.
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