Join us in the museum lobby on Saturday, 11/9 at 2 p.m. for presentations by the Stanley Museum of Art Mellon team. They will share updates on their latest research of the Stanley’s African collection. Refreshments will be provided.

Between 1979 and 1990, Claude (“Max”) and Elizabeth (“Betty”) Stanley of Muscatine, Iowa, gifted nearly 600 historical African objects to the University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art. The Stanley Collection of African Art is recognized globally for its impressive artistic quality and has been published widely in support of higher education initiatives throughout North America. Comprised primarily of sculpture from Sub-Saharan Africa made during the late 19th and early 20th century, the historical origins of the Stanley Museum of Art’s African collection — like many others — also overlaps with the period of European colonization. When and how did African objects at the Stanley Museum of Art leave the continent within this context? Who and what was involved? Where did the transactions occur and why? What ethical implications surround the objects now?

The search for answers to these questions lies at the core of provenance research, which is a priority for many museums with collections associated with colonial contexts. With a $400,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and consistent with the original educational mission established by Max and Betty Stanley for their African art collection, the Stanley Museum of Art is now leading a two-year project for provenance research focused primarily on The Stanley Collection of African Art.