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Profiles in Giving: University of Iowa Museum of Art Alan and Ann January |
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Prints Charming Ann and Alan January have shared a lifelong passion for collecting art prints—and each attributes a love of the fine arts to being raised in Iowa’s rich culture of visual arts and artists. That is why they have chosen to give back to the UI and to Iowa in a meaningful and unique way. When the Januarys moved to Indianapolis in 1978 to pursue careers there, Alan put his research skills to work—he is director of the Indiana State Archives—to learn more about American printmaking. Through the 40 years that they have pursued their “hobby,” they have built an important, varied, and valuable collection of American prints from 1900 to 1950. They have also maintained close ties to Iowa City and the University—and when Howard Collinson became director of the UIMA in 2000, they rekindled a relationship with the museum as well. In fact, when it was time to plan for their collection’s future, they decided to leave it to the museum, a generous gift that will be enjoyed—and studied—by future generations of students, faculty, and others in the community. In addition to this generous gift, the Januarys have supported the UIMA through outright gifts, and they plan to create an endowed fund to care for the collection. They have also generously supported the UI Libraries, Hancher Auditorium, the UI Carver College of Medicine, and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. “We’ve had so much fun collecting these pieces,” says Ann. “It feels right to be able to give back in this meaningful way to a community that nurtured a strong love of the arts in both of us. It feels as though we have come full circle.”
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