Reframing a Movement

A national touring exhibition celebrating the women of Abstract Expressionism is now open at the Grinnell College Museum of Art (GCMoA). Abstract Expressionists: The Women brings together nearly 50 paintings by 32 women artists whose work helped shape one of the most influential movements in American art. On view through Jan. 2, 2027, the exhibition offers students, faculty, staff, area residents, and visitors an opportunity to encounter these works right here in Grinnell. The exhibition opened Sept. 17, drawing more than 180 people to GCMoA for an evening celebrating the artists and their work.

 

News & Updates

Biology major Millie Leonard ’27 collects a water sample during her summer Mentored Advanced Project (MAP). Her research focused on soil microbes in areas between streams and neighboring lands.

Summer Research: Where Land Meets Water

The waterways cutting across Iowa’s vast farmland create rich habitats for organisms of all sizes, and some of the most important ones can only be seen under a microscope. It was at the meeting point between land and streambank — which scientists call riparian buffer zones — that biology major Millie Leonard ’27 chose to concentrate her summer Mentored Advanced Project (MAP), where she studied soil microbes’ antibiotic resistance under different land use practices.


Still On Top, 20 Years Later: The Historic 2006 Women’s Cross-Country Season

This fall marks 20 years since the 2006 Grinnell College women’s cross-country team cemented its place in school history, finishing in the top 10 at the NCAA Division III National Championship. While the team is rightly remembered for its athletic achievements, the former teammates look back fondly on the whole experience of that season — from facing inclement weather to sporting a mythical team mascot and building bonds with one another.


Making Music, Building Community

This fall, Assistant Professor of Music Putu Hiranmayena is teaching “Sounds of Collective Motion,” a Community-Engaged Learning course that explores how people create meaning through sound and movement while considering questions of community, environmentalism, and sustainability. Students are working with the College’s Center for Careers, Life, and Service (CLS) to invite local residents to participate in workshops and community sharing opportunities. Upcoming workshops will introduce participants to Indonesian musical traditions, including basic rhythms, melodies, and percussion techniques. No musical or artistic experience is required. Those interested can contact Putu Hiranmayena directly at hiranmay@grinnell.edu or reach out to Julie Lascol at lascolju@grinnell.edu for more information.

5 Questions with Dakota Chandler

Dakota Chandler brings more than a decade of media and marketing experience to Grinnell as the leader of the Arts, Media, and Communications Career Community in the Center For Careers, Life, and Service (CLS). After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, Chandler moved to Los Angeles and built a career in entertainment, working at Creative Artists Agency, Warner Bros. Pictures, and Hulu, where she led social media campaigns for original shows. Last summer, she moved to Grinnell with her partner, Rob Seer ’12, and their two cats, Birdie and Simon. Read Dakota’s answers to our five questions.

Upcoming Events

Pictured: Photographer and Grinnell College Senior Visual Media Manager Justin Hayworth appears on the lens of a camera. Hayworth will share his photography insights at the next “Coffee with the College” on Friday, Oct. 9.

 

Oct. 5 – AI and the Future of Democracy Panel at the Humanities and Social Studies Center

Alums Robert Gehorsam ’76, Lorelei Kelly ’88, Toby Cain ’12, and Bruce Schneier will take part in an AI and the Future of Democracy panel discussion moderated by President Anne F. Harris at 4:15 p.m., on Oct. 5, in the Humanities and Social Studies Center (HSSC 1325, 1226 Park St.). Schneier is the co-author of Rewiring Democracy: How AI Will Transform our Politics, Government, and Citizenship. The panel will explore how AI impacts civic life and what Grinnellians can do about it. Light refreshments will be available.


Oct. 6 – Lunch & Learn with Jer’Lisa Devezin at the Humanities and Social Studies Center

Join us for a presentation in the Humanities and Social Studies Center (HSSC Presentation Room, 1226 Park St.) on Oct. 6 from 12–1 p.m. as visiting artist Jer’Lisa Devezin shares her work examining the African Diaspora and Black American culture as ways of understanding how history, lived experience, and collective memory shape identities and communities. By working primarily with clay, industrial materials, cast metal, and fiber, Devezin treats artistic production as a means of preserving cultural knowledge, examining belonging and representation, and exploring the ongoing relationship between past and present.


Oct. 6 – Historian Gabriel Rosenberg ’03 Rosenfield Program Discussion at JRC

Historian and writer Gabriel Rosenberg '03 of the University of Chicago, co-author of Feed the People! Why Industrial Food is Good and How to Make it Even Better, will give a talk entitled “Dr. Hubert Goodale’s Feminized Cockerels: Industrial Agriculture, Animal Flesh, and the Ecological History of Sex" in the Joe Rosenfield Center (JRC 101, 1115 8th Ave.) on Oct. 6 from 4–5 p.m. This event is co-sponsored with History, GWSS, and the Center for Prairie Studies.


Oct. 8 – Artist Jer’Lisa Devezin Presents Spatial Narratives: Materiality, Process, and Abstraction at Weingart Pavilion

Jer'Lisa Devezin, Assistant Professor of Art in Sculpture and Material Studies at Tulane University's Newcomb Art Department, will be giving a public lecture on Thursday, Oct. 8 from 4:15-5:30 pm in the Katherine Howell Weingart ‘61 Civic Innovation Pavilion (1033 Broad St.). Devezin centers artistic process as a form of research, working across clay, industrial materials, and cast metal. No RSVP is required.


Oct. 9 – Coffee with the College with Justin Hayworth at Weingart Pavilion

Join us for “Coffee with the College” on Oct. 9 from 9–10 a.m. in the Katherine Howell Weingart ’61 Civic Innovation Pavilion (1033 Broad St.) for Behind the Lens with Justin Hayworth, Grinnell College Senior Visual Media Manager. What makes a good photo? What makes a photo good? Light refreshments will be served. No RSVP is required.


Oct. 12 – Smithsonian Film America in Color: Small Town Life at the Strand

As part of Grinnell College’s Smithsonian Affiliate public film series, the public is invited to the Strand 3 Theater (921 Main St.) to view America in Color: Small Town Life. The film gives viewers a look at the charms and challenges of small-town life in America during the first half of the 20th century, presented entirely in color. Following the screening, Leo Garcia, manager of the Strand 3 Theater, will present on the historic theater and its many transformations.


Oct. 16 – Coffee with the College with Ellen de Graffenreid at Weingart Pavilion

Join us for “Coffee with the College” on Oct. 16 from 9–10 a.m. in the Katherine Howell Weingart ’61 Civic Innovation Pavilion (1033 Broad St.) with VP of Communications and Marketing Ellen de Graffenreid as she presents Where Curiosity Finds Company: Refreshing Grinnell College’s Brand and Creative. Light refreshments will be served. No RSVP is required.


Oct. 30 – Coffee with the College with Peter Jacobson & Tommy Hexter ’21 at Weingart Pavilion

Join us for “Coffee with the College” on Oct. 30 from 9–10 a.m. in the Katherine Howell Weingart ’61 Civic Innovation Pavilion (1033 Broad St.) for a conversation with Peter Jacobson, Biology Professor and Environmental Studies Department Chair, and Iowa Food System Coalition Executive Director Tommy Hexter ’21 as they discuss From Grinnell to Iowa’s Food and Farm System: Connecting Students, Land, and Community. Light refreshments will be served. No RSVP is required.


Tuesdays – Yoga in the Museum with Joy Jones

Refresh and reenergize your body with a free 30-minute yoga practice with Joy Jones, from 12:15–12:45 p.m. at the Grinnell College Museum of Art (1108 Park Street). This class is open to all levels, and mats are provided. Co-sponsored by Live Well Grinnell.


Wednesdays – Bucket Courses at Weingart Pavilion

The Bucket Course series offers free, weekly lifelong learning opportunities for the Grinnell community, featuring experts who explore a wide range of academic and local topics. These sessions are held on Wednesdays from 10–11 a.m. in the Katherine Howell Weingart ’61 Civic Innovation Pavilion (1033 Broad St.). Upcoming Bucket Course topics include Grinnell’s Economic & Community Development with Grinnell Chamber Director Rachael Kinnick, Supporting and Strengthening Our Schools with Grinnell-Newburg School Foundation Executive Director Liz Hansen, and A Look at the Second Amendment with Drake University Law Professor Judge Stephen P. Carroll ’68. Note there is no Bucket Course on Oct. 21 due to Fall Break.


Thursdays and Saturdays – Grinnell Farmers Market

Enjoy local foods and crafts, support local vendors, and meet new friends at the Grinnell Farmers Market. Hosted by the Grinnell Area Chamber of Commerce, the Farmer’s Market concludes on October 17, so catch the remaining Thursdays from 3–6 p.m. and Saturdays from 9:30 a.m.–noon at Central Park in downtown Grinnell.


Beginning Nov. 1 – Indoor Simulator League at Grinnell College Golf Course

Grinnell College Golf Course (933 13th Ave.) will kick off its first ever 15-week golf simulator league on Nov. 1 with two-person teams competing weekly in alternating formats of best shot, better ball and greensome (selective drive, alternate shot). Tee times can be made week-by-week or by setting up a recurring weekly tee time. Learn more and register online by Oct. 15.


Through Jan. 2 – Abstract Expressionists: The Women Exhibit at Grinnell College Museum of Art

Abstract Expressionists: The Women, curated by Ellen G. Landau, presents a fresh look at important contributions U.S. women painters working in New York, California, and Paris made to Abstract Expressionism from the early 1940s through the 1970s. Visit the Grinnell College Museum of Art (GCMoA, 1108 Park St.) during open hours through January 2 to view this incredible collection featuring 29 women artists whose significance has only just begun to receive proper recognition.

Academic Calendar


Oct.17 – Fall Break Begins


Oct. 25 - Classes Resume


See Five-Year Calendar


• • •


Upcoming Athletic Events


All Grinnell College athletic events are open to the public and free of charge! See the full Athletics Calendar and visit the Grinnell Athletics website for facility details.


Oct. 3 – Men’s & Women’s Swimming & Diving at Intersquad Meet at 10 a.m.


Oct. 3 – Football vs. Knox College at 1 p.m.

Watch live stream


Oct. 3 – Men’s Soccer vs. University of Dubuque (Senior Day) at 1 p.m.

Watch live stream


Oct. 3 – Women’s Soccer vs. Central College (Senior Day) at 3:30 p.m.

Watch live stream


Oct. 9 – Women’s Volleyball vs. Knox College at 7 p.m.

Watch live stream


Oct. 10 – Women’s Volleyball vs. Illinois College at 1 p.m.

Watch live stream


Oct. 10 – Men’s & Women’s Swimming & Diving at Grinnell Mini-Invite at 1 p.m.


Oct. 13 – Women’s Soccer vs. University of Wisconsin-La Crosse at 4 p.m.

Watch live stream


Oct. 16 – Men’s & Women’s Swimming & Diving vs. Augustana College (IL) at 6 p.m.


Oct. 17 – Men’s Soccer vs. Lawrence University at 11 a.m.

Watch live stream


Oct. 17 – Women’s Soccer vs. Lawrence University at 1:30 p.m.

Watch live stream


Oct. 18 – Men’s Soccer vs. Gustavus Adolphus College at 2 p.m.

Watch live stream


Oct. 21 – Men’s Basketball vs. North Iowa Area Community College (Scrimmage) at 5 p.m.


Oct. 22 – Women’s Basketball vs. Marshalltown Community College (Scrimmage) at 6 p.m.


• • •

 

Community Campus Tours 

  

Interested in activities on campus? Learn more about the campus layout and amenities by registering for a campus tour. You can also request a tour of the Conard Environmental Research Area (CERA), located about five miles west of Grinnell. Those who sign up will receive more information via email with tour dates and times. 


Community Partner Spotlight – Studio 6

Pictured: Grinnell College Service Leadership Work-Study Student Lillian Tuai ’27 assists young artists at a recent Studio 6 after school art program.

For many years, Studio 6 has served as a cornerstone after-school arts program in Grinnell, operating as a program of the Grinnell Area Arts Council (GAAC). The program’s long-standing relationship with Grinnell College has been instrumental in supporting creative opportunities for local youth.


A significant driver of this success is the hands-on involvement of Grinnell College Service

Leadership Work-Study (SLWS) students, for whom Studio 6 serves as an off-site “campus job.” Students like Kyra Pruszinski ’27 and Lillian Tuai ’27 began working at Studio 6 during their second year of college and have returned each year, including this year, their fourth and last. SLWS students help guide young artists through hands-on creative projects, gaining experience as arts educators while bringing their own talents and ideas to the program.


Grinnell College has also supported Studio 6 through community grants, including recent efforts to rebuild and update the program’s art book collection. As Grinnell Area Arts Council Executive Director Monica St. Angelo notes, “Our relationship with Grinnell College is tremendously beneficial, not only for Studio 6 but for GAAC. Grinnell College students serve as summer interns, Studio 6 assistants, and Stew Makerspace staff. Our programming is certainly more robust due to their talent and involvement. We are grateful for this ongoing collaboration and Grinnell College’s support of our programming in the community.”

 

Students Speak

“As a third year, I’ve never interacted much with the community until this specific opportunity. I think it was very interesting to learn just how big the town really is and how connected the people are. There was much intersection between the places that people found to be trustworthy which showcased just how safe community-building areas are for the town. I’ve enjoyed learning about these places and experiencing them for myself. ”


–Katelyn Johnson '28, Social Innovator in Residence Student Associate

 

Did You Know?

GCMoA Summer Programs Make an Impact

Grinnell College Museum of Art (GCMoA) partners with local organizations to provide arts and literacy programming every summer for students of all ages, including its signature program, Storytime Art in the Park. During June and July 2026, GCMoA served more than 2,668 children and caregivers, visited 13 community sites, provided locally sourced food to 540 children and caregivers, and collaborated with 28 community partners. This impactful summer programming is made possible thanks to funding from Grinnell College Center for the Humanities, Lincoln Savings Bank, and Poweshiek County Alliance through the Greater Poweshiek Community Foundation.

Film & Media Studies Building Update

Following the structural failure at the Film & Media Studies renovation project on Sept. 11, the site has been stabilized and the project team continues to assess the building and plan for the next phase of work. Since then, Grinnell College Facilities Management has continued working

with Greiner Construction, the project architect, structural engineer and City of Grinnell building officials to assess the structure and determine next steps. The incident is expected to extend the construction schedule; however, the College continues to anticipate that the renovated Film & Media Studies facility will be ready for the start of the Fall 2027 semester.

Photo Essay

Inside the Opening of Abstract Expressionists: The Women

View full photo essay.

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