Skip to Main Content
The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

The independent newspaper of the University of Iowa community since 1868

The Daily Iowan

Artist and University of Iowa lecturer in painting and drawing Ali Hval works in her studio at the UI Visual Arts Building in Iowa City on Monday, Sept. 4, 2023. Hval earned her MFA from the University of Iowa in Painting and Drawing and her BFA in Painting from the University of Alabama. Hval’s work —inspired by jewelry and artists like Polly Apfelbaum and Rose Nestler—combines fabrics, painting, and ceramic to create what comes to mind and to reflect on political messages about one’s body. Hval said people will look at her work and say “‘Oh it’s just a charm bracelet,’ and then they look closer and it’s like ‘Oh, there’s something else there.’”

Visual artist and UI lecturer aims to share self-expression of femininity

Zhenya Loughney, Arts Reporter September 19, 2023

From sculptures to murals to installations, Iowa City is a hub of diverse public art. One of the creators behind some of the most iconic local murals is Ali Hval. She started creating art to express...

Mckenzie Rump signs during the Deaf Awareness Week volleyball game at the Iowa Field House on Sept. 18, 2023.

Photos: Deaf Awareness Week Volleyball at Field House

Isabella Tisdale, Photojournalist September 19, 2023

The University Iowa American Sign Language program hosted a volleyball night on Monday. Students from many different American Sign Language classes at the University of Iowa came to the Iowa Field house...

An advanced screening of “Cassandro,” a biopic on the life and career of El Paso and Juárez native Saul “Cassandro” Armendariz for his friends and family was premiered after a red carpet at the Alamo Drafthouse in East El Paso on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023.

Review | ‘Cassandro’ tells a familiar sports story about an iconic figure in Mexican wrestling

Charlie Hickman, Arts Reporter September 18, 2023

As soon as the opening shot lit up the screen, one thing was apparent about Roger Ross Williams’ movie “Cassandro”: It is an incredibly emotional story. The film was made in a more compact 1:33:1...

Creative Commons

Review | Laufey’s ‘Bewitched’ tells a beautiful story of love, heartbreak, and life lessons

Will Bower, Arts Reporter September 18, 2023

“Bewitched,” the second studio album of Icelandic-Chinese singer Laufey, released on Sept. 8 blends varying tones, orchestral arrangements, and her signature jazz/bedroom pop fusion to create a...

"Elemental” puts original concept and stunning animation to use in telling a charming family story

“Elemental” puts original concept and stunning animation to use in telling a charming family story

Charlie Hickman, Arts Reporter September 17, 2023

The beautiful animation that makes up the world of the movie “Elemental” can be seen in its opening shot. Greeting audiences with the popping colors of Element City and unique character designs for...

Indie pop phenom Mitski makes her first appearance at The Moon in early April.

Review | Lyrical genius Mitski strikes again in new album release

Zhenya Loughney, Arts Reporter September 17, 2023

With the cool scent of autumn in the air, now is the perfect time for Mitski’s newest heart-wrenching album. “This Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We” was released on Sept. 15. It might be a mouthful...

Fans wait for Brittany Broski’s arrival before a lecture hosted by the University of Iowa Lecture Committee in the Iowa Memorial Union on Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023. Broski has amassed almost 1.5 million YouTube subscribers and nearly eight million followers on TikTok.

Hundreds of UI students attend internet celebrity Brittany Broski’s lecture

Zhenya Loughney, Arts Reporter September 15, 2023

TikToker Brittany Broski’s lecture at the University of Iowa Thursday drew hundreds of students to the Iowa Memorial Union, with the line for entrance looping around the doors of the building. Broski...

Allie Tokarski, assistant curator of student engagement at the Stanley Museum of Art, showcases how to use a button press during The Art of Voting installment at the Stanley Museum of Art in Iowa City on Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023. Representatives from Hawk the Vote were present at the event to promote voter registration. Nights at the Museum is a monthly program to promote the Stanley Museum of Art's late gallery hours on Thursdays.

The Stanley hosts ‘Nights at the Museum’ series to draw in UI students

Emma Gaughan, Arts Reporter September 14, 2023

University of Iowa students gathered in the Stanley Museum of Art’s lobby on Thursday evening, but not to view the galleries. Instead, they were registering to vote. “Nights at the Museum: The...

Brittany Broski salutes her fans during a lecture hosted by the University of Iowa Lecture Committee in the Iowa Memorial Union on Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023. Broski has amassed almost 1.5 million YouTube subscribers and nearly eight million followers on TikTok.

Photos: Brittany Broski speaks at the IMU

Cody Blissett, Visual Editor September 14, 2023

Fans lined up outside the Iowa Memorial Union roughly 2 hours early to listen to a Brittany Broski lecture and Question and Answer session hosted by the University of Iowa Lecture Committee in the I.M.U....

The Center Senior Center, located in downtown Iowa City, is pictured on March 11, 2021. (Grace Smith/The Daily Iowan)

Local photographer brings captivating collections to Iowa City Senior Center

Isabelle Lubguban, Arts Reporter September 13, 2023

The age of darkroom photography has made a comeback in the Iowa City Senior Center, lining the walls of the third-floor hallway with the classic hues of black and white.  All of this stems from...

James Blake performs at Austin City Limits Music Festival in Austin, TX on October 7, 2022.

Review | James Blake’s seventh studio album ‘Playing Robots into Heaven’

Olivia Hamilton, Arts Reporter September 13, 2023

James Blake released his seventh studio album “Playing Robots into Heaven,” this month.  The album showcased Blake’s affinity for synth harmonization and his taste in samples with the incorporation...

Drupon Thinley Ningpo and Lama Kalsang work during a viewing of the sacred art of Tibetan Buddhist Lamas creating a sand mandala at the Levitt Gallery in Art Building West on the University of Iowa campus in Iowa City on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023. The viewing of the making of the sand mandala occurred Sept. 5-8 with a procession on Friday. Dating back to about 2,500 years ago, the mandala is translated as “World of Harmony.” In the mandala, the five Buddha families are represented by the colors white: faith, yellow: effort, red: memory, green: meditation, and blue: wisdom.

Garchen Mila Buddhist Center brings sand mandalas to the UI

Lily Czechowicz and Emma Gaughan September 12, 2023

Thousands of grains of colorful sand are poured into the Iowa River as a symbolic gesture. The sand comes from a Buddhist sand mandala, and the river spreads the compassion of the mandala into the...