The Iowa Archives of the Avant-garde (IAAG) comprises several major collections representing key movements in twentieth-century art and literature. These collections are housed chiefly in the Department of Special Collections and Archives at the University of Iowa Libraries, but many items may also be found in the Libraries’ circulating collections. The three main components of the Archives, the International Dada Archive, Alternative Traditions in the Contemporary Arts, and the Ruth and Marvin Sackner Archive of Concrete and Visual Poetry, are internationally recognized as essential resources for the study of modern art and have attracted researchers from around the world.
The University of Iowa is renowned for its groundbreaking programs in literature and the arts, including the Iowa Writers Workshop, the International Writing Program, and academic programs in Art and Art History, Theatre Arts, and Art and Art History. The Iowa Archives of the Avant-garde is proud to take its place among these programs and resources that seal Iowa’s reputation as one of the world’s premier venues for creative activity.