Help us start 2022 strong!

WRAPPING UP 2021

2021 was the year we all learned how to be in a pandemic together (something we are all still learning). We went from programming virtual events to re-learning how to interact in person to settling into a future of both.

We posed many questions, profound and trivial: How can we build an organization for many? How do we care for each other and sustain what we do? How do we make three historic properties contemporary art spaces? Do we really need a cheese tray at the exhibition opening? The answers came in a plethora of voices and the common theme is one where process is elevated over product, where the space for the question is more important that any one answer.

Below, we share PS1’s year through numbers, and through objects that carry stories. We’re deeply grateful for the countless dedicated artists, arts workers, and volunteers who made this all possible!

In 2021, we paid over 50 individual artists for their work (including commissions, teaching, and honoraria). 178 people participated in our artist-led workshops, all of which were pay-what-you-can or free. We hosted 8 gallery exhibitions and exhibited the work of 31 artists, both local and national. The PS1 Art Gardens hosted 350+ plant varieties. The CAS led the Oracles of Iowa City mural project to completion, over 3000 square feet of public art. We created 2 publications, hosted 4 residencies, and received over $42,000 in grant funds to support our programs and operations. With the addition of the Close House, our buildings contain 389 years of Iowa City history.