Art in State Buildings Program

James Lechay, Sky, Sea and Samos

University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics participates in the Art in State Buildings program (AiSB) in accordance with legislation (Iowa Code: 304A. 8-14), which mandates that one-half of one percent of the cost of major state construction projects will be devoted to the acquisition and presentation of fine art.

As a participant in the AiSB program, UI Hospitals and Clinics has expanded its art collection, enhanced the hospital environment, and complemented the visual arts of The University of Iowa, the community, and the state. The collection features the decorative arts, glass art, fiber art, ceramics, paintings, drawings, prints, photography and sculpture.

UI Hospitals and Clinics supports the policy of purchasing many works of art rather than a few in number, to ensure a wide variety of artwork which will meet the needs of the diverse hospital audience. By selecting a greater number of art objects, Project Art is able to place works throughout most of the public corridors, reception areas and waiting lounges.

Acquisitions are approved by the UI Hospitals and Clinics' Art Acquisitions Advisory Committee. The committee is composed of hospital administrators, hospital staff knowledgeable about art, staff from the University of Iowa Museum of Art, and community representatives. Purchases are carefully reviewed for quality, suitability to the hospital environment, credentials of the artist, and appropriateness of the work to the collection.

Project Art administers the AiSB program and its collection. The Project Art Director chairs the AiSB committee, assists in the selection, and is responsible for the placement process, installation, maintenance and conservation of all art at UI Hospitals and Clinics. Art is permanently displayed throughout all patient areas, utilizing security hardware, and is framed behind acrylic with ultra-violet light filtration.