Dubuque Museum of Art

Really nice small art museum. This place makes the art accessible to everyone. All the explanations are clear, interesting and informative. No presuming that everyone who visits is an art history major.
Being from Chicago and visiting the Art Institute often, I really enjoyed the Grant Wood exhibit and learned a bunch about him and his work. There were two temporary exhibits there as well. Both were small but well articulated. Definitely worth a look.

Fun and informative, if small, set of art exhibits in Dubuque! Worth a stop for sure.
Admission is $ 5 for adults, with discounts for students, seniors, and children. The building is contemporary, bright, and airy, with three small galleries inside. When we went, there was a cubist exhibit, a Grant Wood collection (permanent), and a set of Marc Sijan’s ultra-​realist sculptures. The first was okay, but we really enjoyed seeing original paintings by the same artist who painted American Gothic and The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere, and Marc Sijan’s collection was absolutely fascinating and challenging.
I really enjoyed also that they raise money to conserve damaged artwork by actually displaying a damaged painting, estimating the costs to repair it, laying out the steps they’ll take to conserve it, and showing the progress they’ve made toward that goal. It makes it really tangible how you can help, while also helping to break down the apparent sterility that art museums often convey. It reminds you that paintings, sculptures, any pieces of art are still objects with life cycles of creation, use, and destruction. I really connected to this damaged painting!
Definitely a must-​see in Dubuque. Good for sparking conversation that will last longer than the visit itself. We read every panel and finished seeing everything in the museum in under 45 minutes.

Love this small museum. Great Grant Wood pieces always on display and periodic exhibits of Edward Curtis photos of Native Americans (the Museum owns all his portfolios). Great exhibits of local artists also.

Small modern museum with some nice exhibits. Local work and etc. Free museum from corporate donation. Nice place to stop by while you are in town.

Not large by any means — you’ll find larger art museums in Cedar Rapids, Davenport, and Iowa City. But if you have a spare hour downtown, you should stop by and see what’s on display. Most of the gallery space is devoted to rotating exhibits, either local work or traveling shows. The museum also owns two exellent paintings by Grant Wood from his mature period — Appraisal and Victorian Survival, both 1931. These are often on display, but call ahead to make sure.