This spring, the Grant Wood Art Colony offers a rich lineup of exhibitions, performances, and artist talks exploring movement, space, sustainability, and contemporary creative practice. From early April through mid‑May, Grant Wood Fellows and their students present an interconnected series of events across campus, inviting audiences to engage deeply with art in its many forms.

The season opens on April 1 with the Spring Painting & Drawing MFA Exhibition, House Music, on view through April 25 at the 1120 East Court Street House in the Grant Wood Art Colony. Featuring work by MFA candidates in Painting and Drawing, the exhibition transforms the historic house into an immersive, rhythmic environment where visual art and spatial experience intersect. House Music sets the tone for a month of experimentation, conversation, and collaboration.

On April 21 at 6 p.m., artist and performer Kyle Marshall will present an artist talk in Room E125 of the Visual Arts Building, offering insight into his interdisciplinary practice ahead of his on‑campus performance work. Later that week, from April 25–26, Elizabeth Rose presents a temporary exhibition in collaboration with the Office of Sustainability, foregrounding themes of environmental responsibility and material awareness.

Kyle Marshall returns to the Visual Arts Building’s Atrium to perform on May 7; he previously staged Trisha Brown’s Floor of the Forest in this space in November. Later in the semester, Marshall will bring the Kyle Marshall Dance Company to campus, which will be in residence at the University of Iowa from May 25–30. The residency will culminate in a public performance on May 30, extending the spring’s engagement with contemporary dance and interdisciplinary practice beyond the academic term.

May also features a strong program of artist talks and solo exhibitions. On May 5 at 6 p.m., Elizabeth Rose will speak about her work in Room E125 of the Visual Arts Building, followed by Ada Friedman’s artist talk on May 6 at 6 p.m. in Room 116 of Art Building West. These conversations provide audiences with a direct window into each artist’s process, influences, and conceptual frameworks.

Exhibitions by Friedman and Rose close the academic year. Ada Friedman’s exhibition will be on view in the Mendieta Gallery from May 3–May 16, while Elizabeth Rose’s exhibition will be presented in Drewelowe from May 3–May 15, both located in the Visual Arts Building. Together, these exhibitions reflect the breadth of contemporary practices being explored within the department—from installation and performance to research‑driven and socially engaged work.

Collectively, this spring’s events create a layered and immersive experience, encouraging viewers to move between galleries, performance spaces, and dialogue. Whether encountering emerging MFA work, attending an artist talk, or witnessing live performance, audiences are invited to participate in a season that celebrates experimentation, creative exchange, and community.