Artist and exhibit come to Old Capitol Museum June 7

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Friday, May 31, 2013
Written by: Miles Dietz

David Plowden’s Iowa, a book featuring four decades of the acclaimed photographer’s images of Iowa, is also an exhibit. Both the exhibit and the photographer will be at the Old Capitol Museum on the University of Iowa campus Friday, June 7, for a reception and artist’s talk.

A man with white hair and a white mustache standing in front of a book case
David Plowden

The free public reception will be held from 6-8:30 p.m. and marks the opening of the exhibit David Plowden’s Iowa at Old Capitol. Plowden will give a lecture from 6-7 p.m. and sign books and posters afterwards. Light refreshments and a cash bar will be available throughout the event.

Humanities Iowa is the publisher of the book, curator of the exhibit, and is supporting the lecture.

Proclaimed “an American treasure” by historian David McCullough, David Plowden has produced 20 books of photos and won many prestigious awards, including a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1967. His latest collection is curated from over four decades photographing our state, and offers a view of Iowa that is nostalgic yet timeless.

The book contains over 70 pages of photographs, along with an introductory essay by Rima Girnius, associate curator at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport, that masterfully interprets Plowden’s Iowa photos and places them firmly within the context of his illustrious career.

Plowden's work is currently included in the permanent collections of many museums, including the Smithsonian Institution, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Library of Congress. For more information about the book and exhibit, visit the website.

The exhibit will be at the Hansen Gallery in Old Capitol through Aug. 25 before heading to Blanden Memorial Art Museum in Fort Dodge, Iowa. It has also been to Simpson College in Indianola, the Sioux City Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center/Betty Strong Encounter Center, the Dubuque Museum of Art, and the Figge Museum of Art.

For more information about Old Capitol Museum, see the website or call 319-335-0548.

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all UI-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, contact Old Capitol in advance at 319-335-0548.