Stanley Museum Launches Poetry Installation in Thresholds Series

Iowa City, IA – Art and poetry intersect in a unique collaboration at the Stanley Museum of Art, where a new site-specific poetry installation has been unveiled as part of the Thresholds series. This initiative showcases the creative works of Iowa-affiliated artists across various media. Running from March 31, 2026, to September 28, 2026, the installation spotlights the poem “Dear—” by Donika Kelly, an esteemed poet and faculty member at the University of Iowa. The series will continue to feature rotating works from poets connected to the university, with a particular emphasis on its distinguished writing faculty.

The Thresholds series exemplifies the museum’s dedication to integrating artistic disciplines by presenting poetry in a context typically reserved for visual art. This approach transforms written language into a sensory experience, encouraging visitors to engage with poetry in a new dimension.

“Poetry usually lives in 10-point font on a piece of paper,” explains Donika Kelly. “To see a poem take up this much room—to stand in front of it rather than just sit with it—is a rare experience. It allows the work to take on a life of its own as a physical piece of art.”

This initiative not only complements the museum’s permanent collection but also serves as a dynamic educational resource for the University of Iowa. Faculty from various departments will use the installation for teaching exercises in ekphrastic writing, which involves crafting literary responses to visual art.

The inclusion of literary art in Thresholds marks the latest in a series of the Stanley Museum’s efforts to foster interdisciplinary artistic practices. Previous projects, such as the innovative ekphrastic catalog In a Time of Witness and the 2025 NEA Big Read program, which engaged the Iowa City community with Toni Morrison’s Beloved alongside an exhibition, underscore this commitment.

Under the leadership of Derek (DK) Nnuro, an award-winning author and the museum’s curator of special projects, the Stanley Museum is expanding the dialogue between different forms of art. Nnuro remarks, “The Stanley is uniquely positioned to foster these dialogues. By bringing literary art into a physical space of the museum, we aren’t just displaying text – we are inviting a deeper, more experimental engagement with the creative process. This is about creating a space where the boundaries between disciplines dissolve.”

As a city renowned for its literary heritage, Iowa City finds a cultural conduit in the Stanley Museum of Art, linking its vibrant writing community with the visual arts. This collaboration reinforces the city’s long-standing tradition of cross-disciplinary innovation.

About the University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art

The University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art stands as a prominent university art museum, serving the public and acting as a creative hub for students. It houses one of the nation’s most significant university-owned art collections, featuring notable works in African art, 20th-century painting and sculpture, works on paper, textiles, and ceramics.