Emergency Flood Assistance

FAIN: PW-50495-09

University of Iowa (Iowa City, IA 52242-1320)
Jay M. Semel (Project Director: December 2008 to July 2010)

The University of Iowa lost its Museum of Art building to the epic Flood of 2008. It may be 5-10 years before it can be replaced. The University is urgently renovating a ballroom to house the most important pieces of the collection. The new space (and an intense publicity campaign) will draw back 35,000 visitors who normally visit the Museum in a year. The new space will allow countless undergraduate and graduate students in all disciplines to continue to view the collection as part of their course work. The work plan for renovation is ambitious and urgent. Work begins in February 2009 with a completion date of August 2009. Total cost of the renovation will be $1.1 million. FEMA will assist with 90% of the costs, leaving $110,000. Funding for shelving, lighting, and humidifiers totaling $30,000 is requested toward this UI portion of the renovation.