Anthony Manning

“I really struggled with substance abuse when I was young, and the music scene was what helped me find my way out of it,” says Anthony Manning. He first got into the music scene in Des Moines, and when he moved to Iowa City, PS1 was the only all-ages space for affordable music. It also helped that PS1 was a dry space; “It was great to be with people who were just there for the art, not to drink.”

Manning was into punk, hardcore, “and other weirdo stuff that PS1 is known for that wouldn’t find a space anywhere else.” Seeking an active role, he started programming shows, eventually gaining the title of Music Director. 

“I always really valued it when people from the community wanted to collaborate,” says Manning. “There was a grindcore show I did with some guy who brought in two bands–Cloud Rat from Detroit and Thou from Louisiana. It was a Sunday matinee and there were more people at that show than I’d ever seen.”

Today, Manning teaches third grade in Chicago and is working on his PhD. He says he was able to easily meet people because of the years he’d spent at PS1; “The relationships I built in the midwestern arts community through my work there gave me a lot of instant connections here.”