Iowa? What's in Iowa? The Stanley is in Iowa and it's worth the road trip just to visit this…read moreincredible art museum. Yeah, but do they have any iconic works? Yes, Jackson Pollock's 'Mural,' a work from 1943, checks that box in a big way. It's been included in Pollock retrospectives in other art museums. Okay, but do they have anything else? Yes. Whoever is on the team that put together this collection deserves kudos because it's especially strong in mid-20th century and African art. Do they have any Grant Wood paintings? Grant Wood is Iowa so, yes, of course, they have a few of his works, too. What about the building itself? Well, it's shiny and new and a true pleasure to walk through. Sound expensive. What's the admission fee? It's free! Bonus: the scholarship here is great and it's directly reflected in the well-written wall labels. This is hands down one of best two art museums in the State.

Situated in a sleek building that was newly opened in 2022, the Stanley Museum of Art is a pleasure…read moreto visit: there is comfy seating in the common area penetrated by natural light, and the two terraces on the top floor invite you to contemplate on your art experience on a warm day. Plus, admission is free, and the Museum is steps away from the soothing Iowa River Corridor Trail to its west. This is a university museum, so the square footage isn't that large. Gift shop is almost non-existent (yes, "almost", as you can purchase a few things from their front desk), and there is no café onsite (to be fair, you are only a few minutes' walk away from the downtown shopping and dining area to the east). Galleries are all located on the second floor (as of November 2024). While the exhibition space is not large either, the curatorial team does a great job of showcasing the Stanley Museum's stellar African art collection. And with big names like Jackson Pollock and Grant Wood on display, fans of Western modern art will also not be disappointed. In addition, there are several beautiful installations such as those of Pueblo pottery and Yoruba twin figures. Exhibit labels are generally both informative and reflective, though unsurprisingly they lean toward an art historical approach in which the main focus is on connoisseurship and provenance rather than the ethnographic context of the artworks (African art in particular). Rarity and traditionality of the pieces are sometimes emphasized, but it must also be pointed out that changes in art forms are acknowledged by the curators, and they often avoid essentializing the cultures they try to represent, as well as ask contemporarily relevant questions in the labels they wrote. For example, "[a]t what point does the style of a single artist's hand refer to one ethnicity or another?", and "[h]ow does the removal of a reliquary guardian figure from the site it was meant to protect impact its community of origin?" Lastly, few of the Stanley Museum's Asian and Pre-Columbian collections were on view at the time I visited. Will they retain and rotate part of their permanent collection in the galleries after the inaugural "Homecoming" exhibition concludes next summer, or will they devote most of their space to special exhibitions? That overall curatorial decision remains to be unveiled.

A note from a loyal Silver Spider serial shopper... a repeat customer, to say the least…read more This is a supremely cool and eclectic one stop gift shop oozing with character in the Old Capitol Mall. Don't know what to get that special someone in your life? Seriously, do yourself a favor and just take a stroll through this adorable store. The possibilities are endless. In college I'd stop in any time I had time to burn between classes. I've gotten sunglasses, jewelry, clever magnets, coffee table books, clothes, a wallet, hats, children's finger puppets... the list goes on and on. As a non-student resident now, I relish the times I can pop in and explore. I've never gone in looking for something and left disappointed. Honestly, I've probably ALWAYS left with the treasure I had in mind and then some.

I dont know why im the first to write a review about this place. If you're a girl who loves unique…read morejewelry and other accessories, then this place is for you! This is a great place to buy gifts for your girl friends or even lil kiddies. This is one of two stores in Iowa. It's located inside the Old Capital Building, the other (a larger store) is located at Mount Vernon. I loved wasting time at Silver Spider as I wait for my next class. I wasted many hours looking at all the trinkets, bags, jewelry, and much much more! You won't leave the store disappointed and always look forward to your next visit. I heart Silver Spider

Non profit 100% free trade…read moreThey bring in products from over 30 countries Street parking and walk into peddlers area Great unique gifts Ornaments, jewelry, home decor, scarves stuffed animals Moderate price

Maker to market. Shop gifts intentionally--…read morehandmade, ethical. During these unprecedented times, I find myself thinking more and more about how I spend my family's hard earned dollar. Ten Thousand Villages is a fabulous retail spot to support. While the store has over a hundred locations in North America-- they do fair trade right. Every handmade purchase directly impacts the life and community of its maker in a developing country. I hopped on their site one day during quarantine to shop with my mom in mind. The site is so, SO easy to navigate. There's a Gift Finder tab that I found extremely helpful. I opted for the Recycled Sari Flowers. No two flowers are entirely alike due to them recycling fabric. They were made in Bangladesh. (My mom does NOT have a green thumb. I feel like fabric flowers will be welcomed.) On the site, you get to see a blurb about the maker of each item. It makes you feel good to see who you're supporting with your purchase. Shop Ten Thousand Villages for any gift giving you may have. Whether it is during social distancing on their site, or at their store in the ped-mall. It is a literal treasure trove.

Stopped by today (Saturday afternoon) and the store was definitely on the quiet side -- not many…read moreshoppers around, which honestly made it a pretty chill browsing experience. I spent most of my time looking at shoes. They had a decent variety, but a lot of styles could be found online for $20-30 cheaper. Pretty typical department store markup, so not a huge surprise, but something to keep in mind if you're looking for the best deal. That said, the service was great -- the employees were friendly and asked if we needed help without being pushy. It's always nice when staff check in but still let you browse at your own pace. Overall, if you like seeing things in person before you buy, it's a solid option. Just know you might pay a little extra for the convenience. Still has that classic department store vibe that's getting harder to find these days!

I ended the store, not really wanting to buy a new thing just wanting to look around, but everyone…read morewas just so sweet and so helpful that it really just made my day and I'm never the type to write reviews. This is actually the first time I downloaded yelp, but I left the store thinking wow they deserve recognition.

I'm a sucker for art co-ops and architecture and design stores, of which Akar is one. It's located…read morejust off Downtown Iowa City, and to my surprise, my review is one of the first in at least a couple of years. And after COVID, it's nice to see that Akar is still standing. Akar has strong ceramics selections, some nice pens, and a whole bunch of interesting tchotchkes. The store is well laid out, displayed, and curated. It's one of those place that you need to visit a couple times to appreciate the merchandise layers. That also helped with my tendency to wander and only be struck by 1 or 2 things at a time.

The unique pottery is enough in itself to have me coming back again and again. It is displayed in…read moresuch a way that makes you feel as though you are in an art museum yet able to pick something up and buy it. The rest of the store has fun items, jewelry, seasonal decor, kids items, and more, but the pottery area stands out. Great little gem in Iowa City.

A lot of different cooking/ baking items which is why I went to the store. But they also have a…read morevariety of other items.

I was walking along Linn Street towards RSVP when imagine my surprise, I see this store. Being an…read moreavid cook and kitchen gadget junkie, of course I had to go inside. I wasn't expecting much because most smaller kitchen supply stores don't impress me. I have high standards and prefer well-made high quality products. Well, you can imagine how surprised I was to find this unicorn of a store. I felt like I just walked through a door into wonderland. I thought I owned every kitchen gadget that was worth owning, but I was wrong. I found the cutest baker's dusting wand by OXO and a cool round trivet made of strung-together felted wool balls. They had some of my favorite brands like GIR, Staub, Microplane, Nordic Ware and Opinel. They also had a cool selection of aprons, mugs, spices, oils and vinegars. I was in heaven as I walked through the store. There was so much to look at. They have a well-curated selection of items that I would want to carry if I had my own kitchen supply store. I would much rather support a great locally owned store than a big chain like Williams Sonoma (that doesn't even really carry what I want). Iowa City is so lucky to have a store as wonderful as this. Every time I visit this city I have a few favorite stores that I must visit and I'm so happy to add this one to my list.

This antique store is heavy focused on old stereo equipment and music. There is furniture and…read morebooks. Thereare many LP and 45 records. There are even some 78 records. If you are interested in music it is necessary to ask the owner for the organization method in order to find what you are looking for. Do bring cash. Cards are not accepted. Prices are fair. You can get better at a yard sale, but have to spend a long time looking. You are spend much more at a dedicated record store and get better organizing and renewed sleeves. I would got back.

There are a ton of records here. In the front are bagged, cataloged, curated and filed records of…read moregood quality. Then the back is full of mixed stuff that's all $10. I think the front bagged stuff was a good selection but I can't pay those prices when discogs and eBay exist. I have an ultrasonic and returns are guaranteed online. I'll gamble online before paying $30 for a record I've seen elsewhere for $5-10. Plus most good albums have been reissued at about $20. Some people may want an OG copy, I don't get paying more than the reissue price for a used OG record that looks eh.... Now the stuff in back had some good stuff too, but it should have been $5 a record and I'd have bought a bunch, they're just not worth $10 for common stuff. I don't need to fill out my collection that much, and nothing was rare or uncommon really. I managed to find a couple things I was ok with buying, was eventually helped at the counter, and was then told they only take cash. Who carries cash? I'm not 60..... cards are everything these days. So I wasted a half hour to an hour browsing through overpriced records just to be turned away. I could have found an ATM, but I'm out of town. So we tack an ATM fee on to the overpriced records too? Nah, didn't feel like it, so drove back to my hotel in Cedar Rapids... If you need decent copies of mostly basic albums (classics) with the occasional gem or underpriced record, come here with a lot of time, and cash only. Moral of this story? A question - You talked my ear off when I arrived but mentioned nothing of cash only? Waste of both our time.

First time coming here after visiting a Christmas market next door and wanted to check out this…read moregallery with my wife. Tons of great local artists displaying their passionate artwork and selling their work. It's a great little market, each artist booth has something more different than the last. Staff here was really friendly too. Prices are a bit really steep but everything is truly one of a kind.

As an avid downtown Iowa City window shopper, I adore walking past Iowa Artisans Gallery. Their…read morewindow always showcases so many quirky American-made treasures. The shop is definitely a place to find unique gifts or eclectic decor. I love perusing the shop because you never know what you're going to find. There are kid's pillows, exquisite clocks, gorgeous artwork, thoughtful greeting cards, trinkets galore, pretty jewelry and more! Literally there is something for everyone at Iowa Artisans Gallery. Items are bit pricey, but as are any quality handmade items. Not only do they offer great items for purchase-- but exhibitions, classes and events like the ICDD's Gallery Walk. This spot has been an IC staple since the 1980s. (It was actually founded by a dozen artists but has since changed ownership.) Come find a gem at Iowa Artisans Gallery!

This place is awesome. There's so many different cards and other stationary goods in there. The…read moreprices are a little high, but they're definitely worth it to get the chance to have so many options in such a convenient area, while also supporting phone businesses. The service is always nice and amazing and I have never had an issue.

A small store on Linn Street. I try to drop by and usually…read morewalk out with a few note cards. I like the variety and enjoy browsing the walls of cards.

Stones and jewelry Literature…read more Tarot cards Candles and incense Street parking I did not see a public restroom Staff very courteous and knowledgeable Great gifts Woman owned Hand sanitizer available Wear masks

Stopped in as an out of town guest to check out this eclectic boutique. The beautiful aromas…read morebrought me in the door. The selection of merchandise and organization was great, with the exception that the female staff member followed me around as though I was a hardened criminal ready to case her store. Sadly, I would have more than likely spent greater than $100 that visit and recommended her strongly to others. A little bit of nice goes a long way. I am currently dressed in yoga casual clothes with full hair and makeup. Not saying that should matter but case in point; you are a wellness store...judge less not be judged.