BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Octagon Center for the Arts - ECPv6.15.20//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-WR-CALNAME:Octagon Center for the Arts
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://octagonarts.org
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Octagon Center for the Arts
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:America/Chicago
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0600
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:CDT
DTSTART:20180311T080000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0600
TZNAME:CST
DTSTART:20181104T070000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0600
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:CDT
DTSTART:20190310T080000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0600
TZNAME:CST
DTSTART:20191103T070000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0600
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:CDT
DTSTART:20200308T080000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0600
TZNAME:CST
DTSTART:20201101T070000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190830
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20191110
DTSTAMP:20260508T093232
CREATED:20190812T181926Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20191003T172343Z
UID:7842-1567123200-1573343999@octagonarts.org
SUMMARY:70K: The Biennial Community of Artists Exhibit
DESCRIPTION:LOCATED IN MAIN GALLERY \nLet’s do a little math! A = πr2 There are 70\,686 square miles in a circle with 150 square mile radius. Thus the name for this exhibit…  70K is a juried exhibition of artists located 150 miles from Ames or nearer. This focus on local and regional artists is an important part of the mission of the Octagon Center for the Arts. \nOpening Reception: August 30\, 2019\, 5-7pm. Awards at 6pm. \n\n \nJuror: \nAllison Sheridan\nMuseum Collections Manager\,\nPublications Coordinator\, &\nFarm House Museum Manager \nSheridan is a two-time Iowa State University graduate with a B.S. in History (’01) and a M.S. in Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies (’11). She began with University Museums at ISU in 2001 as the Education Assistant and has since moved on to the role of Collections Manager\, Publications Coordinator and Farm House Museum Manager. In that capacity\, she is in charge of the many museum collection works of art – over 30\,000! She researches\, coordinates\, authors\, edits and designs all aspects of University Museums’ publications including the popular Campus Beautiful (2015). She is the staff member in charge of the Farm House Museum\, the oldest campus building\, and routinely curates exhibitions\, presents programs and outreach\, provides tours\, and coordinates strategic planning. She has served as the chair of the Ames Public Art Commission\, on the State of Iowa Technical Advisory Network and grant review committees\, Iowa Museum Association conference planning committee\, and recently consulted with the City of Clive on their public art master plan. \n\n \nAccepted Work:\n\n\n\nPenny\nAdam\nBirch Grove 3\n \n\n\nTilda\nBrown Swanson\nOrange Maple Leaf\n \n\n\nNanette\nCatigbe\nThree’s Company\n \n\n\nAnna\nChukharevakhudilayn\nForest Ride\n \n\n\nAnna\nChukharevakhudilayn\nGolden Rider\n \n\n\nRuthellen\nCunnally\nCoral Reef\n \n\n\nRuthellen\nCunnally\nGauze\n \n\n\nJudith\nEastburn\nWild Parsnips\, Elkader Iowa\n \n\n\nCaroline\nFreese\nClaire\n \n\n\nCaroline\nFreese\nDeep Dish Pie Pan with Blue Whale Pattern\n \n\n\nCaroline\nFreese\nRed Fox Face\n \n\n\nJan\nFriedman\nEarth Series: Spiral\n \n\n\nJan\nFriedman\nBefore It’s Too Late\n \n\n\nRex\nHeer\nThinking of Flamingos\n \n\n\nRex\nHeer\nCool Flamingos\n \n\n\nVictoria\nHerring\nWoman in Havana Street\n \n\n\nMarcia\nJoffe-Bouska\nEmblem\n \n\n\nMarcia\nJoffe-Bouska\nSacrifice\n \n\n\nMarcia\nJoffe-Bouska\nEquivalence\n \n\n\nMary\nJohnson\nFaded Bouquet\n \n\n\nHolly\nKellogg\nConstruct\n \n\n\nLinda\nLewis Lieberman\nCow Henge\n \n\n\nLinda\nLewis Lieberman\nJoyous Dawn\n \n\n\nDiane\nMichaud Lowry\nFog Rolling In\n \n\n\nDiane\nMichaud Lowry\nReflections on Sullivan Lake\n \n\n\nPat\nMillin\nIdomeni\n \n\n\nChuck\nOulman\nIn Stockholm\n \n\n\nJarred\nPfeiffer\nTide Pool\n \n\n\nJarred\nPfeiffer\nArctic Circle\n \n\n\nIsaac\nPrior\nMuspelheim Gateway\n \n\n\nIsaac\nPrior\nAsgard Gateway\n \n\n\nJeremy\nRoy\nInsight: Justin and Andrew\n \n\n\nConnie\nSherman\nYellow Dress 89\n \n\n\nConnie\nSherman\nMidnight Dress\n \n\n\nAudrey\nStaples\nWintertime (Grasses)\n \n\n\nTeresa\nTownsend Miller\nMinus One\n \n\n\nRob\nWallace\nThe Naked Truth\n 
URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/70k-the-biennial-community-of-artists-exhibit/
LOCATION:Octagon Center for the Arts\, 427 Douglas Avenue\, Ames\, IA\, 50010\, United States
CATEGORIES:Exhibits
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://octagonarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Promo_70K-1.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Octagon Center for the Arts":MAILTO:info@octagonarts.org
GEO:42.0257584;-93.6123172
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Octagon Center for the Arts 427 Douglas Avenue Ames IA 50010 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=427 Douglas Avenue:geo:-93.6123172,42.0257584
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190914
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20191103
DTSTAMP:20260508T093232
CREATED:20190830T230729Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20190830T231139Z
UID:8241-1568419200-1572739199@octagonarts.org
SUMMARY:Surface Works PETE GOCHE
DESCRIPTION:LOCATED IN THE COMMUNITY GALLERY (1st FLOOR/STREET LEVEL) \nArtist Statement\nUsing site-adjusted installations as my primary mode of practice\, I deploy an integrated and focused approach to both theoretical and practical questions pertaining to the nature and impact of materiality specific to the re-occupation of post-industrial spaces. My works provoke a temporal-spatial encounter that reconciles the simultaneous and complex nature of cerebral and corporeal experience. Each inquiry utilizes a range of domains including art\, architecture and anthropology as a means of exploring not only what material cultivations can be\, but also what they\, in fact\, do. Based on a series of modulated experimental actions (material modalities)\, each installation is driven by the nascent possibility of a persistent desire to intercourse with existing material surrounds pursuant a philosophical position that leverages perceptual notions of chiaroscuro – the disposition of light and dark. By extension\, the conscious and unconscious\, the seen and the unseen\, focus and open awareness and the made and re-made are factors in the realm of understanding and producing space. It is a full-scale\, three-dimensional methodology that is followed by exploratory drawing and photography as a means to express its affects (immaterial harmonics). \nArtist Bio\nPeter P. Goché is a practicing artist\, architect and educator. Goché works with the nature of perception and spatial phenomenon in developing his material practice. His works provoke a temporal-spatial encounter that understand the simultaneous and complex nature of cerebral and corporeal experience. He is founder and executive curator of Black Contemporary\, a rural field station dedicated to the study of spatial phenomena and perception. His research on material practices has been published in a number of edited books and journals\, including Architecture as a Performing Art (Ashgate\, 2013) and Architecture and Culture (Routledge Taylor & Francis Group\, 2016). Goché has exhibited and lectured on his creative practice and scholarship at many conferences and cultural institutions throughout North America and Western Europe. He has lead multiple academic workshops including “CautionWet Floor: Slipping Into Deep” at the 2014 Venice Architecture Biennale (Venice\, Italy). As educator in the Department of Architecture and foundational design at Iowa State University\, Goché holds both B. Arch and M. Arch degrees in architectural studies from Iowa State University. He taught in the Department of Art at Drake University before joining the faculty at the Iowa State University. \nhttp://www.goche.com/
URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/surface-works-pete-goche/
LOCATION:Octagon Center for the Arts\, 427 Douglas Avenue\, Ames\, IA\, 50010\, United States
CATEGORIES:Exhibits
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://octagonarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Promo-Goche.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Octagon Center for the Arts":MAILTO:info@octagonarts.org
GEO:42.0257584;-93.6123172
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Octagon Center for the Arts 427 Douglas Avenue Ames IA 50010 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=427 Douglas Avenue:geo:-93.6123172,42.0257584
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20191018T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20191122T200000
DTSTAMP:20260508T093232
CREATED:20190826T011105Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20190828T211309Z
UID:8134-1571425200-1574452800@octagonarts.org
SUMMARY:Beginning Scottish Country Dance\, ages 16+ (OCT/NOV)
DESCRIPTION:Beginning Scottish Country Dance\nAges: 16 years old and up \nDay / Time / Dates: Fridays\, 7 – 8 pm\, October 18 – November 22 (6 weeks)\n \nCost: $45\n \nDescription: Learn the art of the very social and lively Scottish Country Dance with experienced Instructors. After your one hour session\, you are welcome to stay and join in with the Scottish Country Dancers. A dance party will take place the last day of class. No experience or partner necessary.\n \nInstructor: Linda Lewis Lieberman\n\nLocation: Dance Studio \nRegistration closes when the class fills or on at 6am on 10/16/19. Students cannot be added after the registration closes. \n\nTo register: \n\nscroll down to the “Tickets” section near the bottom of this page\nenter the number of “tickets” you want  (one ticket per student)\nclick “add to cart”  \ncomplete the contact information form that appears after you add a ticket\ncomplete the payment information\ncheck your email for your receipt\n\nPlease note: \n\nStudents cannot be added after the registration closes.\nOctagon members receive class discounts. Please login before registering for classes and your discount will be applied automatically.\nIf you are not a member\, but would like to join\, click here. Purchase your membership first. Then login and proceed as noted above to receive your discount. Your discount will not be applied unless you are logged in.\n\nPlease contact us with any registration questions or concerns. Click here to send a message. Thanks for supporting arts education at the Octagon!
URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/beginning-scottish-country-dance-ages-16-oct-nov/
LOCATION:Octagon Center for the Arts\, 427 Douglas Avenue\, Ames\, IA\, 50010\, United States
CATEGORIES:Classes
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://octagonarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/country-dance.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Octagon Center for the Arts":MAILTO:info@octagonarts.org
GEO:42.0257584;-93.6123172
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Octagon Center for the Arts 427 Douglas Avenue Ames IA 50010 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=427 Douglas Avenue:geo:-93.6123172,42.0257584
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20191029T091500
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20191119T100000
DTSTAMP:20260508T093232
CREATED:20190813T155844Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20190828T211140Z
UID:7866-1572340500-1574157600@octagonarts.org
SUMMARY:Exploring Art\, ages: 18 months – younger 3’s (Session 3: NOV)
DESCRIPTION:EXPLORING ART: SESSION 3 (NOV)\nAges: 18 months – younger 3’s \nDay/Time: Tuesdays\, 9:15 – 10am \nCost: $60 for each 4 week session below.  \nSession 1 (SEPT): September 3 – 24 \nSession 2 (OCT): October 1 – 22 \nSession 3 (NOV): October 29 – November 19 \nSession 4 (DEC): November 26 – December 17 \nTHIS REGISTRATION IS FOR SESSION 3 (NOV) ONLY. Check the class listing for additional sessions. Register for just one or all four; a separate registration is required for each session. \nDescription. Children and their adult partner will explore art together in a relaxed environment. Toddlers will create their own works of art while learning new skills like tearing paper\, gluing\, cutting\, coloring over texture\, painting with different objects\, moving through transitions and imitating art making processes. Activities will focus on age appropriate\, playful\, artistic and sensory materials. \nLimit: 6 adult/child pairs. \nInstructor: Beth Weninger \nLocation: Hunziker Studio \nRegistration closes when the class fills or on at 6am on 10/25/19. Students cannot be added after the registration closes. \n\nTo register: \n\nscroll down to the “Tickets” section near the bottom of this page\nenter the number of “tickets” you want  (one ticket per student)\nclick “add to cart”  \ncomplete the contact information form that appears after you add a ticket\ncomplete the payment information\ncheck your email for your receipt\n\nPlease note: \n\nStudents cannot be added after the registration closes.\nOctagon members receive class discounts. Please login before registering for classes and your discount will be applied automatically.\nIf you are not a member\, but would like to join\, click here. Purchase your membership first. Then login and proceed as noted above to receive your discount. Your discount will not be applied unless you are logged in.\n\nPlease contact us with any registration questions or concerns. Click here to send a message. Thanks for supporting arts education at the Octagon!
URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/exploring-art-ages-18-months-younger-3s-5/
LOCATION:Octagon Center for the Arts\, 427 Douglas Avenue\, Ames\, IA\, 50010\, United States
CATEGORIES:Classes
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://octagonarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/exploring-art-5.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Octagon Center for the Arts":MAILTO:info@octagonarts.org
GEO:42.0257584;-93.6123172
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Octagon Center for the Arts 427 Douglas Avenue Ames IA 50010 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=427 Douglas Avenue:geo:-93.6123172,42.0257584
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20191030T091500
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20191120T100000
DTSTAMP:20260508T093232
CREATED:20190813T165024Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20190828T211027Z
UID:7879-1572426900-1574244000@octagonarts.org
SUMMARY:Creative Explorations\, ages older 3’s - 5 years (Wed. Session 3: NOV)
DESCRIPTION:CREATIVE EXPLORATIONS: WEDNESDAYS\, SESSION 3 (NOV)\nAges: older 3’s – 5 years \nDay/Time: Wednesdays OR Thursdays\, 9:15 – 10:00 am (Sign up for the day that suits you best!) \nCost: $60 for each 4 week session below.  \nWEDNESDAYS\nSession 1: September 4 – 25\nSession 2: October 2 – 23\nSession 3: October 30 – November 20 \nTHURSDAYS\nSession 1: September 5 – 26\nSession 2: October 3 – 24\nSession 3: October 31 – November 21 \nTHIS REGISTRATION IS FOR WEDNESDAY\, SESSION 3 (NOV) ONLY. Check the class listing for additional sessions. Register for just one or all four; a separate registration is required for each session. \nDescription.This class is dedicated to the process of exploration through materials such as paint\, charcoal\, fabric\, plastic\, sculpture media\, cardboard\, paper\, ink etc…Use of scissors and proper handling of materials will be covered. Practice of arranging materials\, and basic color mixing projects will also be explored. \nClass Limit: 6  \nInstructor: Beth Weninger \nLocation: Hunziker Studio \nRegistration closes when the class fills or on at 6am on 10/28/19. Students cannot be added after the registration closes. \n\nTo register: \n\nscroll down to the “Tickets” section near the bottom of this page\nenter the number of “tickets” you want  (one ticket per student)\nclick “add to cart”  \ncomplete the contact information form that appears after you add a ticket\ncomplete the payment information\ncheck your email for your receipt\n\nPlease note: \n\nStudents cannot be added after the registration closes.\nOctagon members receive class discounts. Please login before registering for classes and your discount will be applied automatically.\nIf you are not a member\, but would like to join\, click here. Purchase your membership first. Then login and proceed as noted above to receive your discount. Your discount will not be applied unless you are logged in.\n\nPlease contact us with any registration questions or concerns. Click here to send a message. Thanks for supporting arts education at the Octagon!
URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/creative-explorations-ages-older-3s-5-years-wed-session-3-nov/
LOCATION:Octagon Center for the Arts\, 427 Douglas Avenue\, Ames\, IA\, 50010\, United States
CATEGORIES:Classes
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://octagonarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Exploring-art-4.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Octagon Center for the Arts":MAILTO:info@octagonarts.org
GEO:42.0257584;-93.6123172
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Octagon Center for the Arts 427 Douglas Avenue Ames IA 50010 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=427 Douglas Avenue:geo:-93.6123172,42.0257584
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20191031T091500
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20191121T100000
DTSTAMP:20260508T093232
CREATED:20190813T214014Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20190828T210921Z
UID:7900-1572513300-1574330400@octagonarts.org
SUMMARY:Creative Explorations\, ages older 3’s - 5 years (Thurs. Session 3: NOV)
DESCRIPTION:CREATIVE EXPLORATIONS: THURSDAYS\, SESSION 3 (NOV)\nAges: older 3’s – 5 years \nDay/Time: Wednesdays OR Thursdays\, 9:15 – 10:00 am (Sign up for the day that suits you best!) \nCost: $60 for each 4 week session below.  \nWEDNESDAYS\nSession 1: September 4 – 25\nSession 2: October 2 – 23\nSession 3: October 30 – November 20 \nTHURSDAYS\nSession 1: September 5 – 26\nSession 2: October 3 – 24\nSession 3: October 31 – November 21 \nTHIS REGISTRATION IS FOR THURSDAY\, SESSION 2 (OCT) ONLY. Check the class listing for additional sessions. Register for just one or all four; a separate registration is required for each session. \nDescription.This class is dedicated to the process of exploration through materials such as paint\, charcoal\, fabric\, plastic\, sculpture media\, cardboard\, paper\, ink etc…Use of scissors and proper handling of materials will be covered. Practice of arranging materials\, and basic color mixing projects will also be explored. \nClass Limit: 6  \nInstructor: Beth Weninger \nLocation: Hunziker Studio \nRegistration closes when the class fills or on at 6am on 10/29/19. Students cannot be added after the registration closes. \n\nTo register: \n\nscroll down to the “Tickets” section near the bottom of this page\nenter the number of “tickets” you want  (one ticket per student)\nclick “add to cart”  \ncomplete the contact information form that appears after you add a ticket\ncomplete the payment information\ncheck your email for your receipt\n\nPlease note: \n\nStudents cannot be added after the registration closes.\nOctagon members receive class discounts. Please login before registering for classes and your discount will be applied automatically.\nIf you are not a member\, but would like to join\, click here. Purchase your membership first. Then login and proceed as noted above to receive your discount. Your discount will not be applied unless you are logged in.\n\nPlease contact us with any registration questions or concerns. Click here to send a message. Thanks for supporting arts education at the Octagon!
URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/creative-explorations-ages-older-3s-5-years-thurs-session-3-nov/
LOCATION:Octagon Center for the Arts\, 427 Douglas Avenue\, Ames\, IA\, 50010\, United States
CATEGORIES:Classes
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://octagonarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/exploring-art-3.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Octagon Center for the Arts":MAILTO:info@octagonarts.org
GEO:42.0257584;-93.6123172
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Octagon Center for the Arts 427 Douglas Avenue Ames IA 50010 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=427 Douglas Avenue:geo:-93.6123172,42.0257584
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20191102
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20191222
DTSTAMP:20260508T093232
CREATED:20190830T232830Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20190830T232830Z
UID:8252-1572652800-1576972799@octagonarts.org
SUMMARY:EMILY VERDOORN & JON KAMRATH
DESCRIPTION:LOCATED IN SWEENEY GALLERY (3RD FLOOR) \nEmily Verdoorn\nThrough drawing\, I form vital relationships with the world of my everyday experience. My process often begins by drawing on location. I enjoy drawing places and spaces steeped in the personality of their inhabitants. My drawings develop in response to time spent observing places and things – their habits\, personality\, rituals\, and the people that frequent them. I love discovering the mundane glory in the commonplace. From observational drawing\, I often collect marks\, textures\, and patterns which I draw in with other findings in my daily life. This process is more about listening than telling\, more about responding than initiating. For me\, making is a process of discovery\, a conversation\, a way to experience life more deeply for the maker and the viewer alike. \nEmily Verdoorn has loved drawing and making things for as long as she can remember. As a child\, it was simply unselfconscious enjoyment which encouraged her to make. Gradually\, she discovered drawing as a means to more deeply engage with the world around her. In 2017\, Emily graduated from Belhaven University with a BFA in Visual Art. Currently\, Emily is continuing to develop her drawing process alongside teaching art lessons to children in her hometown\, Des Moines. \nJon Kamrath\nMy “Block House” series was initially inspired by watching my own kids play with a wooden block set. I began considering ways to incorporate the same visual vocabulary into my own work\, and to combine the whimsy of children’s toys with the long history of modern architecture. I found clay and wood to be the perfect medium for this. The trompe l’oeil wooden block appearance allows opportunities to explore surface texture\, layering and color. Additionally\, the clay construction methods present an opportunity to experiment with form\, and build sculptures that appear to sag and slump in ways impossible for wood. I greatly enjoy the unique dichotomy between permanence and fleeting\, hard and soft\, serious and fun. \nI use bright colors to invoke a splash of fun\, then subtly mute these to carefully draw out the rich texture and tie all the pieces together aesthetically. When combined with multiple forms each piece visually and conceptually transforms\, referencing evolving landscapes\, urban development\, and architectural relationships. The next step with these pieces was the addition of welded steel scaffolding. This allows the sculptures to grow in size and complexity\, bringing the pieces to the next level conceptually as well as aesthetically. Solid construction pushes the bounds of visual balance and stability\, while offering great physical strength and support. I am calling this new series “Structures”\, referring both to the physical objects\, but also the societal structures that create the building blocks and precarious foundations that many of us build our lives on. \nJon Kamrath works out of his studio in Mahtomedi\, MN where he lives with his wife and 3 young children. He received his BA in Art Education from Concordia College in Moorhead\, MN. After marrying his muse\, Jon moved to Iowa to earn his MFA in Integrated Visual Arts (sculpture) from Iowa State University. He has taught art at Fergus Falls Middle School and Eagle Ridge Academy. After taking a break from teaching to focus on his sculpture career Jon is currently busy creating large scale outdoor sculptures for universities and corporations\, as well as smaller intimate pieces for galleries\, homes and private collections. \nJon inherited craftsmanship skills\, love of tools\, and architectural appreciation from working with his father as a finish carpenter for many summers. He now blends these skills with the playful inspiration of his kids and the artistic vocabulary he learned through studying and teaching art. You can find more of Jon’s work at various galleries in the greater Twin Cities region\, outdoor parks in the Midwest\, or online at his website or Instagram. \nhttp://www.kamrathsculpture.com/
URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/emily-verdoorn-jon-kamrath/
LOCATION:Octagon Center for the Arts\, 427 Douglas Avenue\, Ames\, IA\, 50010\, United States
CATEGORIES:Exhibits
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://octagonarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Promo-Verdoorn-and-Kamrath.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Octagon Center for the Arts":MAILTO:info@octagonarts.org
GEO:42.0257584;-93.6123172
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Octagon Center for the Arts 427 Douglas Avenue Ames IA 50010 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=427 Douglas Avenue:geo:-93.6123172,42.0257584
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20191102
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20191201
DTSTAMP:20260508T093232
CREATED:20190830T234805Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20190830T234805Z
UID:8256-1572652800-1575158399@octagonarts.org
SUMMARY:Inklings SARA MERRITT
DESCRIPTION:LOCATED IN THE SMALL WALL GALLERY (3RD FLOOR) \nI think of these works as inklings\, for their humble beginnings as tiny ink doodles\, and for those small\, nagging ideas\, fears\, and behaviors that have the power to become reality – whether beautiful or monstrous in their realization. The earliest works date back to 1997\, when my mother was diagnosed with Huntington’s\nDisease. They represent the management of multiple internal struggles – first with my own body image and the desire to find perfection within asymmetrical\, writhing color; then the quest to contain my body and mind as my mother slowly began losing control over hers. \nMy practice is sometimes an inquiry into the interaction and display of bodies – as physical forms\, printable images\, philosophical constructs; as patterns\, collections; recognizable or hidden and refigured. Through transition from one form or material to another\, I can define new bodies to explore concepts of inscription\, concealment\, authenticity\, illusion\, and decay in a carefully sutured experience where nothing is as it seems. Other times\, I paint simply to release – a wordless outpouring of thought and emotion. \nUltimately\, everything I make echoes that first movement of ink on paper. My time spent with that writhing color is sacred\, laborious\, my personal visual expression at its core\, in its purest\, most honest form. It is a dance in two dimensions – movement controlled\, contained\, and preserved. \nI hope you enjoy. \nI am a native Ames artist\, arts and dance instructor\, and currently work full-time developing educational programming for Reiman Gardens at Iowa State University. From a weird and winding career path and with over 20 years’ experience teaching everything from silk-screening\, painting\, and problem-solving\, to martial arts\, belly dance\, and zendoodle\, I am consistently drawn to the connections between things and people\, the intricacies of visual patterning\, and the spectrum of perception – especially as an exploration through distortion. \nI started assisting my dad in teaching photography classes for Ames’ Super Summer TAG program when I was 15\, and have been leading art classes of all kinds ever since – mostly in informal settings through community education. I discovered belly dance at 17 at the suggestion of my mom – who had been a dancer in the 60’s – and now dance professionally\, performing with the Mirage Middle Eastern Dance Troupe and teaching dance in Ames and surrounding areas. As an adolescent like any other I struggled with self-esteem\, body image\, and the looming future of my tight-knit family as my mom was diagnosed with Huntington’s Disease – a debilitating and rare degenerative genetic disease causing uncontrollable movements\, memory loss\, and dementia. To combat fear and loss of control I began transforming absent-minded doodles and sketches into meditative works on paper. \nThroughout the last few decades while teaching I have worked as a hotel housekeeper\, a bartender and waitress\, a bookstore clerk\, a hippie shop associate\, a Renaissance festival commissioned artist\, a commercial screen-printer\, a Destination Imagination coach\, and an educational associate for middle school Special Education. I have met and worked with students of all ages\, abilities\, and temperaments\, and I am still unfailingly fascinated by all the nuances in individual perception that manifest through personal interaction. In short\, I love teaching art – perhaps the oldest method of human expression built from the\ndesire to create and communicate. \nAs an introvert who habitually does extroverted things\, I depend on solitude and time to myself in order to thrive. Movement through art and dance often helps me process my own thoughts and make personal decisions. After yet another somewhat twisted path through higher education\, I ended up receiving a degree of my own design – a Bachelor of Arts in Art\, Sexuality\, & Aesthetic Perception from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst in 2003. With the support of my amazing husband Matthew I obtained a Master of Fine Arts in Painting from the San Francisco Art Institute in 2011\, and quickly returned home to help care for my mother\, who passed in 2013. \nI believe absolutely in the power of visual expression and informal education; for me\, it all begins with an inkling – a tickle of thought\, a spark of energy\, a compulsion to make a mark\, express movement\, or share something unspoken with others. I will continue to create\, to dance\, and to teach as long as I am able. And maybe after. \nhttps://www.saramerritt.com/
URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/inklings-sara-merritt/
LOCATION:Octagon Center for the Arts\, 427 Douglas Avenue\, Ames\, IA\, 50010\, United States
CATEGORIES:Exhibits
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://octagonarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Promo-Merritt.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Octagon Center for the Arts":MAILTO:info@octagonarts.org
GEO:42.0257584;-93.6123172
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Octagon Center for the Arts 427 Douglas Avenue Ames IA 50010 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=427 Douglas Avenue:geo:-93.6123172,42.0257584
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR