After around 50 years of making art accessible and affordable for the Story County community, Iowa State University’s art rental program is coming to a close.
The program, originally launched in the mid-1970s as a way to offer temporary, low-cost artwork to the campus and the community, will officially sunset this year due to declining demand and shifting priorities.
The program once boasted nearly 300 pieces in its collection. Over the decades, it has served hundreds of students, faculty, staff and local residents, with renters able to keep pieces for up to two years at a time and for as little as $10 per year.
The program was entirely self-supported, with recent revenue helping fund Memorial Union Art Gallery exhibits.
But according to Memorial Union Arts Coordinator Letitia Kenemer, interest in the program has waned — particularly in the years since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There’s just a lot more options for people, and so we decided it was probably time to sunset the program,” Kenemer said. “It’s been really fun and a great program, but I think it’s time for the end.”
She noted that maintaining the rental collection required significant time, space and administrative oversight — resources now being redirected to other growing arts initiatives at the Memorial Union on campus.
“We were probably breaking even on it, but it was no longer actually making any income,” Kenemer said. “Rentals had gone down, and so we tried some different things, but it just hasn't been as robust as it used to be.”
Kenemer, who also oversees the Memorial Union's Workspace art studios and manages a permanent art collection of around 275 pieces, said the decision was a difficult but necessary one.
“It is really hard for me to give this up, but also I know that we need to. It’s hard to end a program that’s been around for 50 years,” she said. “This is a really hard time for the arts, so that was a consideration of mine, but I do think that I’ll be able to serve more people in doing something else.”
More than 200 framed posters and prints from the rental collection will be available for purchase through ISU Surplus during the first week of August. Prices start at $10, with most works selling between $25 and $45. A special sale for ISU departments and nonprofit agencies will be held Aug. 5, followed by a public sale Aug. 6. Unsold pieces will remain available at ISU Surplus.
