RAGBRAI riders can explore 14 pieces of art on Iowa State's campus

Ronna Faaborg, Ames Tribune
·4 min read

There’s more than beer, pie and music to enjoy during RAGBRAI's visit to Ames; there’s also art.

Riders can tour the Iowa State University Museums Tuesday, home to one of the largest art-on-campus collections in the country.

With more than 2,500 public displays, the artwork ranges from sculptures to murals to architectural details, located in buildings, courtyards, open spaces and classrooms across campus.

University Museums has created a map and self-guided tour perfectly suited for cyclists to pedal among 14 noteworthy sites. Riders are encouraged to tag @university.museums as they share their photos of the tour on social media.

A map is available on the museums’ website, www.museums.iastate.edu.

Test your bravery with the Zodiac Curse

The mythical Zodiac curse, located on the floor of the north entrance of the Memorial Union, is No. 1 on the map’s list. The architectural element is an iconic part of the Iowa State experience. Made of bronze, marble and terrazzo, the sculpture incorporates the zodiac symbols, which were not as well known in 1928 when it was installed. Although Proudfoot planned for wear and tear by placing the bronze forms on the floor, students quickly developed a mythology for the artwork. By 1929, The Zodiac was connected to a curse: If you stepped on it, you’d fail your next test. Even today, most students walk around it.

Find Iowa State's first building

Farm House Museum is also included on the map and is open from noon to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday this week. Farm House is a monument to early Iowa State history and culture. Located in the center of campus, it was the university’s first building, built in 1860. The National Historic Landmark provided living quarters for Iowa State deans, professors, farmhands and students. It became a public museum in the 1970s with a focus on the early years of the land-grant university.

More: Discover 5 Christian Petersen sculptures at Iowa State

Gaze toward the skies

Four 8-foot Greco-Roman sculptures, known as the Marston Muses, watch over Iowa State’s campus atop the Engineering Building. Installed in 1903, the sculptures represent the major fields of engineering studied at Iowa State at that time: mining, civil, mechanical and electrical. Each muse depicts tools used in each of the engineering fields.

Meet the "Gentle Doctor"

Danish-born artist Christian Petersen’s sculpture, “The Gentle Doctor,” is such an important piece of artwork for Iowa State, there are multiple versions around campus. The iconic piece can easily be spotted at the south entrance of the vet clinic. The sculpture depicts a male veterinarian holding a puppy in his hands and, at the base, an adult dog leans against the vet’s leg, lovingly looking up at the puppy. The vet's expression bears a look of concern and protectiveness. The vet med school has adopted this sculpture to reflect their stance on their profession.

Staff at Iowa State University Museums have created a self-guided tour of Art on Campus, especially aimed at RAGBRAI riders.
Staff at Iowa State University Museums have created a self-guided tour of Art on Campus, especially aimed at RAGBRAI riders.

The points on the RAGBRAI riders map include:

Eleven other pieces await riders and guests Tuesday, each distinctly marked on Iowa State's self-guided map. The artwork includes:

  • 1. The Zodiac, architectural element by William T. Proudfoot, north entrance of Memorial Union

  • 2. Farm House Museum, 601 Farm House Lane

  • 3. Janus Agri Altar, sculpture by Beverly Pepper, south courtyard of Agronomy Hall

  • 4. Left-Sided Angel, sculpture by Stephen DeStaebler, Parks Library exterior

  • 5. Morrill Hall, 1891-era building, 603 Morrill Road

  • 6. The Moth, sculpture by Mac Adams, Coover Hall exterior

  • 7. Marston Muses, sculptures by Proudfoot and Bird Architects, Dean's Gallery at Marston Hall in the College of Engineering

  • 8. Floating World, sculpture by Ralph Helmick, Biorenewables Complex

  • 9. Three Athletes, bas relief mural by Christian Petersen, State Gymnasium’s north exterior wall

"The Gentle Doctor" by Christian Petersen is on display at the ISU vet clinic.
"The Gentle Doctor" by Christian Petersen is on display at the ISU vet clinic.

  • 10. George Washington Carver, sculpture by Christian Petersen, Seed Science exterior

  • 11. I Will! The Jack Trice Legacy, sculpture by Ed Dwight, Jack Trice Stadium’s East Plaza

  • 12. Lily Pavilion, sculpture by David Dahlquist and Matt Niebur, Jack Trice Stadium’s South Endzone Greenspace Plaza

  • 13. The Gentle Doctor, sculpture by Christian Petersen, Veterinary Medicine’s south courtyard near building entrance

  • 14. Midnight and Varna, sculpture by Gwynn Murrill, Hixson-Lied Small Animal Hospital

This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Challenge the Zodiac curse at Iowa State's RAGBRAI art tour