Opening January 20, 2026.

Black and white photograph of a 30-something white man pasted into a passport book. His cursive signature is present and there are stamps from the 1950s affirming the validity of the passport.

Photograph from conductor James Dixon’s passport, 1950s. Rita Benton Music Library, University of Iowa Libraries.

An Iowa native and a Hawkeye, conductor James Dixon (1928-2007) was instrumental in building orchestras at the University of Iowa, in the Midwest, and abroad. Through a look at Dixon’s adventurous international career, this exhibition provides a “behind the podium” look at how orchestras of all sizes connect with their communities and become crucial to sustaining them. Co-curated by Sarah Suhadolnik and Katie Buehner, Orchestrating Community: The Public Service of Iowa Conductor James Dixon uses materials from Special Collections and Archives and the Rita Benton Music Library at the University of Iowa Libraries to share the important work of orchestras through the lens of Dixon’s life.

Exhibition Curation

Katie Buehner
Director, Rita Benton Music Library
University of Iowa Libraries

Sarah Suhadolnik
Assistant Professor of Instruction
University of Iowa School of Music