Earlier this year, the Stanley Museum of Art became the first museum in North America to return objects in its permanent collection looted by the British from the Benin Kingdom in 1897, directly to the Oba of Benin. The formal restitution took place on July 15, 2024, at the Oba’s Palace in Benin City, Nigeria. Museum Director Lauren Lessing and Curator of African Art Cory Gundlach will discuss the ethical, cultural, and practical considerations involved in this project, and what implications they have for other American museums with collections associated with colonial contexts. (See this Iowa Magazine article for more information: https://magazine.foriowa.org/story.php?ed=true&storyid=2452.)

Lauren Lessing became the eighth director of the University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art in July 2018. Over the past year, Lessing has shaped an ambitious vision for the Stanley that includes a new mission to transform lives by connecting the University of Iowa community, Iowans, and the world with extraordinary works of art. A native Midwesterner, Lessing earned a BA in fine art at Earlham College and completed her PhD in art history at Indiana University under the guidance of Sarah Burns.

Cory K. Gundlach joined the University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art as curator of African art in 2015. Gundlach holds a BA in fine art from Humboldt State University, a BA in art history from Colorado State University, and a PhD in art history from the University of Iowa. His curatorial work has received support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, which awarded him and the Stanley’s director, Dr. Lauren Lessing, $400,000 in 2023 to oversee provenance research on the African collection for two years. He was ppointed director of Iowa’s African Studies Program on July 1, 2024.

Location: 2520-D University Capitol Center (UCC) and via Zoom. Expect the Zoom link on Tuesday, November 19. If you lose the link, contact Deb Cobb, deborah-cobb@uiowa.edu.