A must see during my visit to Iowa City was the University of Iowa Printmaking studios. The University of Iowa maintains one of the top ranked printmaking programs in the country, and just from spending the morning in the studio I can see why! The studio has all the equipment you could ever imagine. I saw a huge variety of litho presses, intaglio presses, Vandercooks, as well as a large silkscreen vacuum table, a big library of litho stones, and a digital computer lab all in-house for whatever project you might want to complete. I met with some of the graduate students who were more than welcoming and helpful, and they spent a very generous amount of their time talking to me about their experiences at Iowa. Classes were in session and I got to see the graduate studios where high caliber work was being produced right in front of me. I met with Anita Jung, one of the printmaking professors and someone who works closely with the grad students. It was really great to have her give me a grand tour of the studios. It was apparent that she really cares a lot about the students and the printmaking program at the university. I also learned that the building the studios are in is actually a temporary space after the original art building on campus was damaged by a flood in 2008. Next summer, the art department is moving into a new building on campus and it will be exciting to see what that set up will look like in the future. Overall, I was extremely impressed with the program from its talented faculty and students to the top-notch facilities and classes.
http://www.art.uiowa.edu/areas/printmaking
http://www.art.uiowa.edu/areas/printmaking
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