BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Octagon Center for the Arts - ECPv6.15.18//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH 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:20160313T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20161106T070000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20170312T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20171105T070000 END:STANDARD 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:20170811 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171029 DTSTAMP:20260423T074952 CREATED:20180806T172420Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180806T172420Z UID:3060-1502409600-1509235199@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:Deeply Rooted STUDIO ART QUILT ASSOCIATION DESCRIPTION:Deeply Rooted \nSTUDIO ART QUILT ASSOCIATION \nON DISPLAY AUGUST 11 – OCTOBER 28\, 2017\, MAIN GALLERY \nDeeply Rooted\, a juried exhibition organized by the Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA)\, explores the meaning of “roots” through the quilt medium. Thirty works are featured\, all created by SAQA members from Illinois\, Iowa\, Nebraska\, and Wisconsin. SAQA\, founded in 1989\, is an organization of more than 3\,000 fiber artists devoted to the education\, exhibition\, promotion\, professional development\, and documentation of the medium. \nPat Bishop\, “Cedar Swamp #5” Fused and machine quilted\, hand-dyed linen and other materials\, silk and silk ties\, commercial fabrics\, 2015\, Collection of the Artist URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/deeply-rooted-studio-art-quilt-association/ 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/2018/08/Pat_Bishop_CedarSwamp5.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:20170818 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171001 DTSTAMP:20260423T074952 CREATED:20180806T173044Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180806T173044Z UID:3065-1503014400-1506815999@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:Saw You On The Sidewalks of Russia KAREN COOPER DESCRIPTION:Saw You On The Sidewalks of Russia \n(видел тебя на тротуарах России!) \nOn Display August 18 – September 30\, 2017\, Community Gallery \nOpening Reception: Saturday\, August 26 from 3-5 P.M. \nDoesn’t matter if it’s the guy who walks in the door while we wait at the dentist’s office\, or the couple who walk by our table into the café\, the twenty-ish aged girl in the really short skirt and 4 inch heels\, or even the biker doing a wheelie on his BMX.  It’s a worldwide occupation\, this people watching gig. \nSaw You On The Sidewalks Of Russia  (видел тебя на тротуарах России!) is images\, paintings\,  of people that we want to be different\, because they live in a country on the other side of the world.  Are they so very different?  Not really – their hopes and dreams are a lot like ours.  \nWe are pulled in to see.  We are all human\, and no matter which side of the earth we live on\, no matter what the name of our country of residence\, no matter which side of the border we’re confined to – we watch. With this exhibit I give you the opportunity to watch through my artist eyes – to people watch with me.   Yes\, it’s a grand adventure. – Karen Cooper URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/saw-you-on-the-sidewalks-of-russia-karen-cooper/ 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/2018/08/Cooper_HowSoonBeforeImTooOldForADuc.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:20170819 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171029 DTSTAMP:20260423T074952 CREATED:20180806T172723Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180806T173258Z UID:3063-1503100800-1509235199@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:Pieced Fabric: Historic Quilts of Ames DESCRIPTION:Pieced Fabric: Historic Quilts of Ames \nON DISPLAY AUGUST 19 – OCTOBER 28\, 2017\, SWEENEY GALLERY \nQuilting has always been a social outlet for women in Iowa. Old quilts are personally created signed gifts from quilters of the past\, many of whom braved hardships as they sought a new life in a new land. They were made from materials collected by women who had little to spare. They are sturdy but worn from strawberry gathering\, picnics\, protecting furniture\, and birthing babies.  \nThroughout the years\, the Ames Historical Society has received a variety of beautiful quilts for their collection. Many of these quilts come from long-time Ames residents\, and tell the unique story of Ames history. The quilts tell the story of quilting as an art form for Iowa women.  URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/pieced-fabric-historic-quilts-of-ames/ 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/2018/08/flower_quilt_for_web.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:20171006 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171112 DTSTAMP:20260423T074952 CREATED:20180806T171958Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180806T171958Z UID:3056-1507248000-1510444799@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:Kawishiwi River AARON SQUADRONI DESCRIPTION:Kawishiwi River \nAARON SQUADRONI \nON DISPLAY OCTOBER 6 – NOVEMBER 11\, 2017\, COMMUNITY GALLERY \nArtist Statement: \n“The Midwest is presently a battleground for resources. Fracking\, oil pipelines\, mining\, and drilling are just some of the expanding industries in this region. In states like Minnesota and Wisconsin where the rugged beauty of the land is part of the state’s identity\, these new industries create strong conflicts between environmental and industrial stakeholders. In northern Minnesota\, the Duluth Complex is a geological formation bordering the Mesabi Iron Range and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. It contains one of the largest untapped copper‐nickel deposits in the world. Industry representatives estimate that the new sulfide mining district could eventually exceed Minnesota’s iron ore industry in size. The issue of whether or not to establish sulfide mines so close to a protected wilderness known for its pristine water is a passionately debated topic on the Iron Range. \n‘The Kawishiwi River flows over the Duluth Complex\, and is at the center of the region in contention as mining companies are in the process of obtaining permits and conducting environmental impact studies in order to mine the area for copper\, nickel and other precious metals. The Kawishiwi River series is a collection of copper drawn land portraits. These land portraits record a history of landmarks and sacred spaces based on traditional legends\, government treaties\, current disputes\, and future visions. My intention is to create continuity where great changes have occurred in the landscape or are likely to occur in the future. Each portrait merges an image of the landscape with a symbol or object from the landscape. This catalog of imagery is meant to heighten public awareness about how the future of the Kawishiwi River will take shape\, while simultaneously preserving its identity in the past. \n‘Copper has been contained in the rocks of the Kawishiwi River for many thousands of years. It is now highly sought after by mining companies. Using copper as a drawing meduim is important to me in this series because of its role in the history of the Kawishiwi River and its impending impact on the river’s future. Copper also has a certain delicacy due to its lack of value range. The resulting lightness of the drawings require the viewer to approach close to the image. A narrative of the Kawishiwi River is revealed slowly and formed from a series of intimate exchanges between the viewer and the artworks.” – Aaron Squadroni URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/kawishiwi-river-aaron-squadroni/ 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/2018/08/AaronSquadroni.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:20171103 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171222 DTSTAMP:20260423T074952 CREATED:20180802T062128Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180806T174958Z UID:2962-1509667200-1513900799@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:Relief From Endlessness ANDA TANAKA & JEREMY RUDD DESCRIPTION:Relief From Endlessness \nANDA TANAKA & JEREMY RUDD \nNOVEMBER 3 – DECEMBER 21\, 2017\, SWEENEY GALLERY \nJeremy Rudd \nArtsist Bio  A native Iowan\, Rudd grew up in rural Benton County thirty minutes outside Cedar Rapids.  He attended Iowa State University receiving a BFA in visual Studies with an emphasis on Three Dimensional Design\, and completed his Master of Fine Arts at the CVPA of The University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth.  He was a Professor of fine arts for four years at Lasell College\, Boston MA and Bristol Community College\, Fall River MA.  Since returning to the Midwest  Rudd has  worked as Assistant Professor of Art for divine word College in Epworth\, IA\, and worked as a professional artist completing many liturgical\, private and commercial projects.  \nAnda Tanaka  \nArist Statement  I have lived in the Midwest for my entire life and have always appreciated our open spaces- cornfields\, prairies\, the huge starry night sky.  Until recently\, though\, I did not realize how important the Midwestern landscape is to my art practice and how I yearn for expansiveness to find peace within myself. \nBeginning in January 2014 I endeavored to make one 2 inch by 2 inch painting or drawing every day for a year.  The project called for discipline but also trust in intuition.  Reviewing the pieces now points to my impulse to create imagined and remembered landscapes:  At least a third of the three-hundred-something squares could be interpreted as landscapes. \nIn July of 2015 I visited my brother in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina where the trees grow tight together and the roads wind endlessly up hills and mountainsides.   The novel setting was beautiful and exciting\, but I felt a sense of claustrophobia.   We were always climbing in search of a clear view\, to see the sky above or the valley below. \nSince then I have become committed to dedicating an extended period of time to painting and printing landscapes that specifically explore my attachment and deep interest in the vistas of the states I call home\, Iowa and Minnesota.   The abundance of open space in these places lends itself to creating abstractions that are visually quiet.  In paring down a landscape\, the essence of my experience of the space is intensified. \nWe can search for drama in our travels\, but here at home we have a deep and special calm.  \nArtist Bio  Anda Tanaka is a Minneapolis-based painter and printmaker.  She was raised in Ames\, Iowa and is thrilled to be showing at the Octagon\, the site of some of her very first art classes!  Drawn north to study music and studio art at St. Olaf College\, she has lived in Minnesota for the past 10 years.  In 2013 Anda completed an emerging artist residency at St. Olaf\, during which she continued to study painting and printmaking with Wendell Arneson and John Sauer\, respectively.  She now works out of a studio in her home as well as the artist co-op at Highpoint Center for Printmaking in Minneapolis. URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/jeremy-rudd-anda-tanakas-relief-from-endlessness/ 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/2018/08/tanakarudd.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:20171116 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171222 DTSTAMP:20260423T074952 CREATED:20180802T061518Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180806T174520Z UID:2959-1510790400-1513900799@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:Running With Scissors STEVE HOSCH DESCRIPTION:Running With Scissors \nSTEVE HOSCH \nNOVEMBER 16 – DECEMBER 21\, 2017\, COMMUNITY GALLERY \nMaking art\, to me\, is not necessarily a response to the world. Rather\, it’s often just a reaction to what’s rattling around in my head. It’s an attempt to make sense of my own inner clutter; regrets\, hopes\, doubts\, dreams\, fears. It’s problem solving. It’s catharsis. It’s play. It’s taking risks and letting go. Ultimately\, it’s akin to closing my eyes and running with scissors even as my conscience holds up his hands and screams “Stop\, idiot!” \nNot surprisingly\, my process is also disjointed. It\, too\, begins with clutter\, the tangible kind\, the collage artist’s raw materials: paper. Boxes and files and piles of paper. From there I sift and sort\, and an image\, color\, shape\, or snippet of text sometimes calls to me\, asking to be the focal point. Then it’s simply a matter of more sifting\, gathering complementary bits and pieces\, arranging\, shifting\, cutting\, turning\, rearranging all the while trying to ignore my conscience (he’s a jerk) gluing\, layering\, tearing\, sanding\, slinging paint\, adding transfers\, and so on. Eventually\, I step back and either smile or curse. \nThis exhibition is the result of a couple of years worth of that process. Paper and scissors and glue (oh my). URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/steve-hoschs-running-with-scissors/ 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/2018/08/Steve-Hosch.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:20180105 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180218 DTSTAMP:20260423T074952 CREATED:20180802T061017Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180806T174334Z UID:2956-1515110400-1518911999@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:Amalgamation CHRIS MARTIN DESCRIPTION:Amalgamation \nCHRIS MARTIN \nJanuary 5 – February 17\, 2018 \nCOMMUNITY GALLERY \nAs developing countries and emerging economies modernize\, the traditional crafts that reflect the unique cultural and social traits upon which these countries have been built\, are often disregarded opting for western goods instead. This is something that Chris Martin wants to do something about.   \nMartin’s own creative expression has been deeply influenced by the traditional crafts of Ghana\, where he spent two years as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer\, and India where he has spent time as an artist in residence and most recently as a Fulbright Scholar. Through his primary medium\, studio furniture\, Martin hopes not only to help expand an appreciation for these traditional crafts\, but also to assist his fellow artisans in Ghana and India to sustain their livelihoods through continued practice in their trades. \nThis exhibition introduces a series of functional furniture pieces that Martin hopes to produce in limited quantities to create a new avenue for traditional artisans to continue their work. Currently\, he is working with Ga coffin makers\, kente weavers\, brass casters\, and glass bead makers in Ghana. In India\, he has collaborated with a traditional lathe turner\, print block carvers\, metal casters\, and Mata-ni-Pachedi artists. The results of these partnerships have manifested as contemporary western furniture pieces with an ethnic flare. Martin’s focus moving forward is to produce designs that pay homage to traditional crafts and the artisans that make them\, with hopes of opening new markets for their timeless crafts. \nJoin us for an Artist Talk with Chris Martin \nFebruary 1\, 2018 at 6PM in the Community Gallery : Chris will speak about his experiences in Ghana and India where he worked with local artisans who continue to practice the traditional arts and crafts of their homelands. \nAnd Special Guest Artist ERIC ADJETEY ANANG \nEric Adjetey Anang is the grandson of Seth Kane Kwei who is credited with founding the tradition of fantasy coffins in the early 1950s. Eric has spent his life practicing and sharing the tradition his grandfather started. Fantasy coffins are unique to Ghana and more specifically to the Ga tribe. The Ga people believe that death is simply another step in life and that the dead move into another world or dimension when they pass. They believe that their ancestors are more powerful than the living and must be treated with great respect\, so they are driven to appease them in death\, and a unique coffin is one way to do that. These coffins are made in the forms of various items from a fish\, for someone who spent his life as a fisherman\, or an airplane for someone who had always hoped to fly. These creations can be seen in museums and galleries around the world. Mr. Anang’s creations have become highly sought after as contemporary pieces of “ethnic art”. URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/chris-martins-amalgamation/ LOCATION:IA CATEGORIES:Exhibits ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://octagonarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Chris-Martin.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180126 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180408 DTSTAMP:20260423T074952 CREATED:20180729T221356Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180729T221356Z UID:2673-1516924800-1523145599@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:50th Annual Clay\, Fiber\, Paper\, Glass\, Metal\, Wood DESCRIPTION:50th Annual Clay\, Fiber\, Paper\, Glass\, Metal\, Wood \nJanuary 26 – April 7\, 2018 \nMAIN GALLERY & SWEENEY GALLERY \n2018 marks the 50th annual All-Media juried exhibit at the Octagon Center for the Arts. The first Clay\, Fiber\, Paper\, Glass\, Metal\, Woodopened in 1968\, two years after the organization’s founding in 1966. The Octagon was founded out of the community’s desire to provide exciting art experiences for the public and professional opportunities for artists. This show the organization’s attempt to fully embody the founding vision. As a result\, it has a reputation for being one of the best group juried shows in Iowa due to its national reach\, high standards for jurors\, and significant cash awards. The title of the show reflects a media-focused theme. The founders believed that many art forms seen as lowly “crafts\,” such as ceramics or woodworking\, should be elevated to compete with the level of other “fine” arts. The idea of excellent craftsmanship combined with compelling ideas continues to be a central theme as artwork is selected. This is the longest repeating exhibit at the Octagon and is responsible for bringing some of the most prestigious artwork into the community. \nJuror: Peter Pinnell \nPeter Pinnell’s first professional position was as Artist in Residence at the Octagon Art Center in Ames\, Iowa\, a position he held from 1984 to 1987. “I loved the Octagon\, and my wife and I loved living in Ames. It was the perfect place for me at that point in my career”. After leaving Ames\, Pinnell spent eight years in Kansas City\, working as a studio potter and teaching part-time at the Kansas City Art Institute. In 1995 Pinnell was offered a faculty position at the University of Nebraska\, where he is now Professor of Art. \nIn addition to his teaching\, Pinnell writes\, lectures and exhibits his pottery widely. Over the last 20 years he has been an active presenter with NCECA (the National council on Education in the Ceramics Arts)\, and his ceramics column\, “As Far as I Know” has appeared in Clay Times magazine since 1998. His artwork has appeared in exhibitions across the US and in a number of venues overseas. URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/50th-annual-clay-fiber-paper-glass-metal-wood/ 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/2018/07/clayfiber2018.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:20180219 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180307 DTSTAMP:20260423T074952 CREATED:20180802T060554Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180806T174246Z UID:2953-1518998400-1520380799@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:A Negro From the South CAMERON GRAY DESCRIPTION:A Negro From the South \nCAMERON GRAY \nFebruary 19 – March 6\, 2018 \nCOMMUNITY GALLERY \nThe United States of America is the country where I was born and where I have lived for most of my life. In this country\, I am a second-class citizen. As a child\, I was raised to maneuver through systems that were not created for a person like myself. Many people may not be able to empathize with that statement. It might be incomprehensible\, and that is okay. This exhibition will give perspective on my world. When entering those gallery doors\, the viewer is attempting to understand; compliant to walk through other minorities’ shoes\, and mine\, giving voice to the people that are voiceless. The current atmosphere within this country calls for action\, a time to speak up and open our eyes to injustice. This is the time to reconsider the meaning of humanity and to create an America for all.  \nJoin us for an Artist Panel on People of Color in the Arts \nFebruary 22\, 2018 at 6PM in the Community Gallery : Join the Octagon Center for the Arts and the Multicultural Liaison Office of the ISU College of Design for an inclusive artist panel and discussion on people of color in the arts. Panelists will include Brenda Jones\, University Professor in Art and Visual Culture at Iowa State University\, Mitchell Squire\, Professor of Architecture at Iowa State University\, Eulanda Sanders\, Professor of Apparel\, Events and Hospitality Management at Iowa State University\, and Cameron Gray\, Master of Fine Arts student at Iowa State University. The discussion will be facilitated by Dr. Reginald Stewart\, Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion at Iowa State University. URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/cameron-grays-a-negro-from-the-south/ 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/2018/08/Cameron_Gray.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:20180312 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180401 DTSTAMP:20260423T074952 CREATED:20180729T222343Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180806T174211Z UID:2677-1520812800-1522540799@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:Metamorphosis DAN JOHNSON DESCRIPTION:Metamorphosis \nDAN JOHNSON \nMarch 12 – 31\, 2018 \nCOMMUNITY GALLERY \nClosing reception: Friday\, March 30 5-7 PM \nMetamorphosis relates to my broader theme of the possibilities of change and transformation as expressed through the human figure\, focusing on explorations of transformative or fugitive ideas about the human figure. Using line\, I want to discover the energy possible through gesture and improvisation. My work of the past few years has also focused on using layering and reductive processes to discover new textures and effects\, followed by drawing forms again on those new surfaces. Current work relates to past work by using similar methods and ideas but also builds on those by altering the surface textures and the spontaneously created subject matter. Line is very important to my work\, stressing the expressive qualities possible when drawing from memory. Inspiration is drawn from memory and relates to the human figure\, natural objects like rocks and trees\, and fabricated structures like buildings. URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/dan-johnsons-metamorphosis/ 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/2018/07/Dan-Johnson-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:20180406 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180520 DTSTAMP:20260423T074952 CREATED:20180729T220421Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180806T174108Z UID:2667-1522972800-1526774399@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:Nice Life DAVID PARKER DESCRIPTION:Nice Life \nDAVID PARKER \nApril 6 – May 19\, 2018 \nCOMMUNITY GALLERY \nUsing a limited palette of pine\, maple\, vinyl\, griptape\, and spray enamel I’m looking at the material language of subculture. The work is an abstract look at the outsiders: skaters\, rockers\, hippies\, artists\, stoners\, goths\, shoegazers… and how they project their identity to outsiders and signal their place within their own community. The work has been limited to four standard sizes referencing how they adorn their bodies and our personal spaces sizes 6”x 8” Pins/Patches\, 13” x 11” T-shirts\, 40” x 40” Posters\, and 40” x 84“ Banners. URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/david-parkers-nice-life/ 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/2018/07/picture-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:20180419 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180506 DTSTAMP:20260423T074952 CREATED:20180729T220934Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180730T205317Z UID:2670-1524096000-1525564799@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:Elem/Mid/High 2018 DESCRIPTION:Elem/Mid/High 2018 \nAn Annual Exhibition of Local Elementary\, Middle\, and High School Senior Students \nApril 19 – May 5\, 2018 \nMAIN GALLERY & SWEENEY GALLERY \nThe Octagon Center for the Arts showcases artwork by local elementary\, middle\, and high school students annually. High School art instructors from schools within 20 miles of the Octagon Center for the Arts are welcome to register students in their fall and spring classes for participation. URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/elem-mid-high-2018/ 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/2018/07/elemmidhigh.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:20180511 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180729 DTSTAMP:20260423T074952 CREATED:20180730T212331Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180806T173931Z UID:2738-1525996800-1532822399@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:Field Notes DANIELLE CLOUSE GAST DESCRIPTION:Field Notes \nDANIELLE CLOUSE GAST \nMay 11 – July 28\, 2018 \nMAIN GALLERY \nGrowing up and living in Northwest Iowa\, routes to and from different towns have been memorized and have only seemed to slightly change over the years. \nThe landscape has become the welcome constant in my daily life when driving place to place. But on many occasions\, when the intention is to truly “see” the landscape (still often from the car window)\, beautiful\, abstract things can be found that are not that far removed from what is truly there. \nWhat do I look at? Shadows running down a ditch. Fence posts creating not only borders\, but lines reaching up into a horizon. Corrugated metal siding on a building that has turned a warm rust orange. Wonderfully organized grove lines and plant rows whose placed structure en mass pulls away from its individual organic shape. The same routes\, the same landscapes\, viewed at different times of day and different times of year. \nNew to the body of work within the last few years has been the inclusion of a husband with a pilot’s license – allowing a new view of this landscape I thought I knew well. This new perspective on the area has opened up doors of new compositions\, color possibilities\, and most importantly\, emphasized the style I usually employ in my paintings: organized\, geometric lines and breakdown of the familiar landscape. \nThough often ignored and occasionally referenced in conversation by local landmarks\, this section of Iowa landscape is the classic subject matter I have chosen to employ in my work. Due to this focus\, venturing from small town to small town usually lends itself more to research than travel. URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/danielle-clouse-gasts-field-notes/ 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/2018/06/Danielle-Clouse-Gast.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:20180518 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180812 DTSTAMP:20260423T074952 CREATED:20180730T212538Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180806T173851Z UID:2740-1526601600-1534031999@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:Based on a True Story ALEX BRAIDWOOD DESCRIPTION:Based on a True Story \nALEX BRAIDWOOD \nMay 18 – August 11\, 2018 \nSWEENEY GALLERY \nSound is an important aspect of the world around us. It tells a great deal about our surroundings when we take the time to listen. Listening requires time to experience because sound requires time to exist. In today’s fast-paced culture\, deeper levels of engagement have become increasingly rare. Add to this the common positioning of sound as a background element or object of distraction and what remains is little opportunity\, inspiration\, or perceived value in the act of listening to what’s available. People today focus on blocking out or covering up unwanted sound while at the same time\, finding it difficult to both engage with and protect what quality soundscapes exist. Modern society is well practiced at protecting nature in visual and territorial ways to ensure high quality experiences with a variety of landscapes and vistas. Only recently have efforts begun to protect valuable soundscapes. The soundscape of a given environment can be an indicator of its status and vitality. Sound has the ability to communicate in a variety of ways and experiencing these stories provides insight into the value of protecting these spaces. If we are able to protect the natural soundscape\, we will be able to help many other things along the way. \nThe goal of this exhibition is to provide a space for pause\, for reflection\, for a slowing down of focus. Each visit to the exhibition will be a unique experience because the audio works presented are not fixed compositions but are instead\, composed as dynamic systems that respond to a variety of conditions. Works of sonic fiction based on naturesound recordings are presented as a way of both documenting the natural world and connecting with otherwise familiar sounds through a different means of interaction. Data of regional significance is presented as audio to create a listening experience designed using high-frequency data collected from sensors monitoring the quality of the natural world. Through installation-based performances of a naturesound archive and the sonification of environmental data\, listeners can shift their attention to the natural world and reconnect to places that are differently familiar. \nSound has the ability to tell us a great deal. We just have to be willing to take the time to listen. \nYou can learn more about Alex Braidwood’s work by following him on Instagram @formalplay or by visiting his website www.listeninginstruments.com URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/alex-braidwoods-based-on-a-true-story/ 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/2018/06/Alex-Braidwood.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:20180525 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180701 DTSTAMP:20260423T074952 CREATED:20180729T215821Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180806T173808Z UID:2664-1527206400-1530403199@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:Empty Dresses PAULA STREETER DESCRIPTION:Empty Dresses \nPAULA STREETER \nMay 25 – June 30\, 2018 \nCOMMUNITY GALLERY \nEmpty Dresses as a concept was conceived half a lifetime ago while attending the estate auction of an early Swedish immigrant to the Midwest. Among the many hand crafted items from the latter half of the nineteenth century were two intricately and nearly identically embroidered\, grayed with age\, christening gowns that decades earlier were wrapped in brown paper and bound with string.  Many auction attendees commented how the handmade lace and frill represented a lost art and a few identified the embroidered flowers as symbols of hope\, innocence and good fortune. No one commented on the fact that one of the gowns\, nearly three feet in length\, was tied into a knot. \nThis image never left and as time has passed\, other dresses have inspired narratives that have been added to my mind’s eye gallery: the young girl’s exquisite Edwardian summer dress with grass stains down the length of the back carefully starched and preserved in a box\, the 1870 calico dress with patches upon patches found in a bag of fabric once destined to be recycled into pieces for a quilt\, and the 1960’s wedding dress stained with an unknown substance and with the right sleeve detached. \nRather than “the individual can make the dress”\, “the dress can fashion the story” is the focus of commemorating and creating two-dimensional narratives based on the dress. Much more than an exclusive statement or expression\, couture or style\, dress is or has been a gauge of social standing and taste\, a sustainer of emotional and physical stability or vulnerability\, the outward expression of modesty or blatant sexuality\, or used for the concealment or revelation of historic\, cultural and ethnic identity. Dress can stimulate strong reactions and judgements or offer the ability to blend into the scenery\, support individuality through the expression of craft\, skill and creativity or acceptance of mass production and/or mediocrity. \nThe very assortment of materials from which dresses are fashioned; silk brocade to buckskin\, patterned or plain\, worn\, torn and wrinkled or starched and crisp\, as well as the potential to manipulate the form\, offer great possibilities for the development of visual narratives through the rendering the dresses. \nIn the summer of 2016\, the 125-year-old “work of art” became the muse for the translation of the knotted Christening gown to a two-dimensional rendering in sterling silver metal point on board entitled Not and Empty Dresses commenced. Empty Dresses has developed into three thematic series; Childhood Lost illustrating children’s dresses and experiences done in charcoal\, colored pencils\, pastels\, graphite and watercolor\, Handled a series depicting the hand engaged with dress and executed primarily in colored pencil and water color and Historic Media exploring women in history as represented by their dress rendered in egg tempera\, metal point\, encaustic\, handmade inks and charcoals (supported in part by the Iowa Arts Council and National Endowment for the Arts). \nThe breadth of subject matter spurred by the many facets of dress and the dramatic effects of dress as a vacant vessel leave me to believe that Empty Dresses will expand into a multitude of series and continue to inspire. URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/paula-streeters-empty-dresses/ 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/2018/07/Paula-Streeter.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:20180706 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180812 DTSTAMP:20260423T074952 CREATED:20180730T212023Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180806T173704Z UID:2736-1530835200-1534031999@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:Grilling Ice LEE RAINBOTH DESCRIPTION:Grilling Ice \nLEE RAINBOTH \nJuly 6 – August 11\, 2018 \nCOMMUNITY GALLERY \nThis exhibit examines the ways that matters of mortality and masculinity manifest themselves in a contemporary Haitian context. Too often for young men in Haiti the way that they express their masculinity becomes a matter of survival itself. In an environment where simply surviving daily life can become an act of rebellion\, young Haitian men end up constructing layers of masculine identity to protect themselves against the near impossible circumstances that they find themselves in. This collection of work focuses on stripping away those layers that define life for young Haitian men. The majority of my subjects in these pieces are nudes to show them at their most authentic and most vulnerable selves underneath the impenetrable facades that they enshroud themselves in. Life expectancy for men in Haiti is 60.98 years so by the time they reach the age of 30\, Haitian men can expect that they’ve lived half of their life on this earth already. All of the subjects of my paintings are under the age of 30 and are good friends of mine. They are individuals that I see wrestle with these matters every day as their lives depend on what emotions they choose to show and how much strength they carry themselves with. So the way that I depict them represents how they embody the contradictions of their own manliness. The culture of Haiti embodies many contradictions of hetero-masculinity on a macro scale. Men are expected to be tough and defensive but they can also show signs of affection with other male friends that would been seen as taboo in other cultures. They have to confront the negative stereotypes of indulging in sex\, alcohol\, and rap music\, while also demonstrating proof of their masculinity by indulging in those very things. My work weaves the influence of such a culture with the personal experiences of the actual subjects of the paintings. It is intended to reach beyond the stereotypes to portray a more nuanced understanding of what it means to be a young man in Haiti. It is an exploration of how these young men can become more than what they are perceived to be. \nThe title references a response to the question\, “How’s it going?” that my friends depicted in the paintings frequently say. “Oh\, you know\, we’re just out here grilling ice.” It signifies the difficulties of life as a young Haitian male where one might feel like they are constantly working towards something\, but are backtracking rather than making progress. After you’ve worked to freeze the water to turn it into ice\, you just throw it on the grill and make it vaporize. That’s what life in Haiti as a young man can feel like. Nothing lasts long and all the hard work you do to advance in life often feels in vain. Much too often if feels like you’re just finding a way to pass the time until death comes and your life vaporizes in an instant as well. \nThe techniques used to create the pieces in this exhibit include a number of different cultural and spiritual influences that all contribute to the layered experience of young Haitian men. The sequined designs used in many of my pieces are inspired by the use of sequins in Haitian voudun traditions\, specifically in the ritual flags that are used in ceremonies to bring individuals in trance-like experiences with the spirit world. I also integrate designs such as veve’s which are symbols representative of voudun lwas or spirits that focus on intersections\, as well as mandalas which come from South Asian cultures such as Nepal\, which maintains a complicated relationship to Haiti related to the devastating earthquake of 2010 and the cholera epidemic that followed. Traditional bogolan mud cloth textiles are also used in several pieces representing the complex history of slavery and ancestral roots of Haitian identity that lies in West Africa. All of these are combined with my own traditional training in figure painting and portraiture a nuanced story of identity connected to spirit and place. URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/lee-rainboths-grilling-ice/ 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/2018/06/Lee-Rainboth.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:20180817 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20181028 DTSTAMP:20260423T074952 CREATED:20180725T031557Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180728T024749Z UID:2251-1534464000-1540684799@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:Artisans Roadtrip DESCRIPTION:ARTISANS ROADTRIP \nAugust 17 – October 27\, 2018 \nSWEENEY GALLERY \nThis year is the 15th Annual Artisans Road Trip. Artisans Road Trip invites you to travel Iowa’s scenic byways and back roads looking for one-of-a-kind treasures.  Artisans will offer a rare glimpse into creative processes as they demonstrate their craft in personal and unique work spaces. Our mission is to promote a venue for established artisans to demonstrate their skills\, exhibit and sell their original fine art via a self-guided studio tour through scenic Northwest Iowa\, thereby encouraging education\, diversity\, tourism\, economic growth\, and art appreciation.  \nThe official Artisans Road Trip weekend will be held from 9am – 5pm on Saturday\, October 13th and from Noon – 5pm on Sunday\, October 14th. Professional artists welcome guests into their studios/local galleries to discover and purchase quality original works. Artists participating in the Roadtrip weekend will also have an artwork on display at the Octagon Center for the Arts. \nParticipating Artists: Penny Adam\, Joanne Alberda\, Mitch Eveleth\, Danielle Clouse Gast\, Hank Hall\, Bill Lieb\, Steve Mills\, Mary Ortner\, Lissa Potter\, Mary Schumacher\, David Strom\, Holly Zinn\, Deborah Burrow\, Kirsten Elyea\, Karen Ruddy\, Marisa Sidles\, Mark Bogenrief\, Beth Cathcart\, Barb McGee\, Gene Polson\, Cherie Courter\, Joleen Dentlinger\, Ken Harskamp\, Abby Jones\, Jerry Kahl\, Haley McAndrews\, Ron Netten\, Denice Peters URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/artisans-roadtrip/ 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/2018/07/ARTlgclrlogo_.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:20180817T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20180929T000000 DTSTAMP:20260423T074952 CREATED:20180717T025014Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180806T173508Z UID:2024-1534464000-1538179200@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:Tales from a Ghost Town JOANNE ALBERDA DESCRIPTION:Tales from a Ghost Town \nJOANNE ALBERDA \nAugust 17 – September 29\, 2018 \nCOMMUNITY GALLERY \nVirginia City is a ghost town—the skeleton of a booming Montana gold mining camp in the late 19th century. As a museum it is the record of one of hundreds of get-rich-quick dramas related to the search for gold in the American West. Some buildings in the city and in the area around it have been abandoned and qualify as “ghosts.” When I was a child my family visited Virginia City many times\, a day long outing. Years later\, returning to Montana to visit family\, I revisited Virginia City with my camera in the fall of 2009\, 2010\, and 2011. By that time the tourists were gone\, and the place did feel like a ghost town. The silence of this “dead” place gives the viewer time to examine the drama of decay. Empty rooms and broken doorways invite speculation about the lives of people long gone\, but the decaying wood invited me to search out another story\, the life of a living material that grew and developed\, was cut and used by hands both skilled and unskilled\, and finally left to dry and rot. Documenting the evidence of time through photography I was moved to capture some of these “tales” with hand dyed fabric\, created by the ungoverned mixing of colors\, which often resembles the growth patterns observed in cut and decaying wood. I have been creating these works over the past several years with various shades of the gray and rusty reds of decaying wood. Recently I visited an exhibition of works by Clifford Still\, whose content and style reminded me very much of the decayed wood\, but his use of bright colors encouraged me to expand my color choices. \nIn this exhibition I have included a few images of the town and area as it exists today\, some digitally manipulated images of decaying wood\, and textile works that were inspired and nourished by the images of wet and decaying wood. URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/joanne-albertas-tales-from-a-ghost-town/ 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/2018/07/Alberta.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:20180914 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20181122 DTSTAMP:20260423T074952 CREATED:20180725T033207Z LAST-MODIFIED:20181006T003303Z UID:2255-1536883200-1542844799@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:Aperture: The Biennial Juried Photography Exhibit 2018 DESCRIPTION:Aperture: The Biennial Juried Photography Exhibit 2018 \nTheme: Community Sports \nSeptember 14 – November 21\, 2018 \nMain Gallery \nWe experience the world around us in flashes of action and emotion in the world of sports. From the youngest to the oldest members of our community\, competitive games bring people together and spark movement and involvement. Photographers exercising their trigger finger are invited to submit their photographs highlighting athletes and athletic experiences in their lives. \nThis exhibit is a companion to the traveling Smithsonian exhibit: Hometown Teams. \nJurors: Alex & Dan McClanahan \nMcClanahan Studio is the creative collaboration of husband/wife duo Dan and Alex McClanahan. Their studio is headquartered in historic downtown Ames\, Iowa – the town where Dan grew up and where he and Alex met as students at Iowa State University. The couple founded McClanahan Studio in March of 2009 and quickly established themselves as a fresh and innovative alternative to traditional photography in Iowa and beyond. \nThe couple has worked extensively in athletics\, photographing pieces for the Iowa State University basketball and football programs and the Minnesota Vikings. The McClanahan’s distinctive style of imagery has become known around the world through success in international print competition. \nIn 2015\, Alex won 1st place for best wedding album in the largest International Photographic Competition. In 2016\, Dan took 1st and 2nd place for best senior portrait photography in the same competition. This year Dan took home three international first place awards in the Landscape\, Commercial\, and Artist categories. This year his landscape image was selected to represent Team USA for the World Photographic Cup in Japan. \nBoth Dan and Alex have received Master of Photography degrees from the Professional Photographers of America and have been heavily involved in the photography community as educators\, teaching the craft at dozens photo conferences around the country. \nAWARDS: \nADULT\n1st Place\n“Over Shadowed”\nMatthew Lepke \n2nd Place\n“Taking the Bull by the Horns”\nShane Abbitt \n3rd Place:\n“Mets”\nMike Corones \n\nYOUTH\n1st Place:\n“Untitled”\nSamantha Wilbur \n2nd Place:\n“Batter Up”\nGrace Long \n3rd Place:\n“Brother Playing Soccer”\nSadie Brockett URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/aperture-the-biennial-juried-photography-exhibit-2018/ 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/2018/06/Juried_photo_show_cover_image_websi_A270B4C3C7E32.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:20181004 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20181111 DTSTAMP:20260423T074952 CREATED:20180725T034240Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180927T171701Z UID:2260-1538611200-1541894399@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:Worlds Apart BOGUMIL BRONKOWSKI DESCRIPTION:Worlds Apart by BOGUMIL BRONKOWSKI \nOctober 4 – November 10\, 2018 \nCOMMUNITY GALLERY \nMy current body of work explores the concepts of struggle\, place\, and belonging. I immigrated to America at the age of nine; initially\, no one told me that my family was permanently moving here. I boarded that international flight thinking that my family and I were coming for a vacation. It was devastating. I never said goodbye to many of my family and friends. I left behind everything that was familiar and came to a completely new environment\, and since I was moving from a small town in Poland to Chicago\, one of the most populated cities\, the change was drastic. I had to navigate through this new\, strange\, yet exciting world without knowing the language or the customs of my new land. The process was scary\, and many things did not make sense when I first arrived. It was similar to an alien being beamed down to a new planet; I had to learn a total new way of life. \nMy paintings reflect my personal experiences in that the viewer has to work to solve and make visual sense of each image. I play with the sense of space and depth\, and my painting do not always make formal sense\, much like America did not make sense to me when I first arrived here. Sometimes the image balances coming together as a whole\, while other times it threatens to disintegrate into the separateness of the elements that compose it. My paintings are alien landscapes\, confusing\, exciting and intriguing. URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/worlds-apart-by-bogumil-bronkowski/ 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/2018/07/BBRONKOWSKI.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:20181004 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20181112 DTSTAMP:20260423T074952 CREATED:20180725T033850Z LAST-MODIFIED:20181109T020655Z UID:2257-1538611200-1541980799@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:Smithsonian Institution's Museum on Main Street Exhibit: Hometown Teams DESCRIPTION:Smithsonian Institution’s Museum on Main Street Exhibit \nHometown Teams \nOctober 4 – November 10 \nMAIN GALLERY \nOur love of sports begins in our hometowns. We play them on ball fields and sandlots\, on courts and on ice\, in parks and playgrounds\, even in the street. From pick-up games to organized leagues\, millions of Americans of all ages play sports. Win or lose\, we yearn to compete and play another day. \nIf we’re not playing sports\, we’re watching them. We sit in the stands and root for the local high school team\, or gather on the sideline and cheer on our sons and daughters as they take their first swing or score their first goal. \nHometown sports are more than just games—they shape our lives and unite us and celebrate who we are as Americans. \nFIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS UNIQUE EXHIBIT HERE URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/smithsonian-institutions-museum-on-main-street-exhibit-hometown-teams/ 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/2018/06/Hometown_Teams.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:20181115 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20181222 DTSTAMP:20260423T074952 CREATED:20180725T034441Z LAST-MODIFIED:20181108T175712Z UID:2262-1542240000-1545436799@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:Cairo\, Illinois: Photographs & Enamels SARAH PERKINS & GWEN WALSTRAND DESCRIPTION:Cairo\, Illinois: Photographs & Enamels by SARAH PERKINS & GWEN WALSTRAND \nNovember 15 – December 21\, 2018 \nCOMMUNITY GALLERY \nThis work is a collaboration\, of sorts\, by Gwen Walstrand\, photographer\, and Sarah Perkins\, metalsmith and enamelist. The works themselves are not collaborations\, but instead are designed to be viewed together in order to have an impact and a narrative that neither could possess on its own. We are artists working in different media but with the same subject matter — the town of Cairo\, Illinois. Cairo is a unique place with both rich and tragic histories\, a visual showcase of all that is best and worst in our American history. \nDriving through what remains of Cairo it appears to an outsider that most of the town\, along with its historic buildings and extensive business district\, was abandoned within the same year\, as nearly all the structures are in the same state of decay. In actuality\, many \nevents and circumstances caused the precipitous decline of Cairo. The town’s history includes booming success as a shipping town at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers\, elegant hotels and mansions\, and an impressive business district. The more recent history is one of race riots\, appalling violence\, multiple lynchings\, domination by white supremacist groups\, and eventual boycotts of local businesses by African Americans. The 1920s city of over 15\,000 people now is home to under 3\,000 people\, hundreds of strangely patched up\, decaying buildings\, and a handful of struggling businesses. \nThe enameled bowls are a response to not only the reality of present day Cairo\, but also to the images of it that were chosen by the photographer. The work seen together offers insight into the working processes of the artists and the choices made by different viewers. The photographer gathers and selects visual material\, the metalsmith/enamelist edits the material again and transforms the flat images into three dimensions\, but on a functional form that speaks to basic human requirements. The photographs\, as both independent images and references for the bowls\, are aesthetic explorations of Cairo but with an attempt to consider more deeply the complexity of human histories that form such places. \n\n\n\n\n \n  URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/cairo-illinois-photographs-enamels-by-sarah-perkins-gwen-walstrand/ 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/2018/07/Perkins-Walstrand-Visual_Together.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:20190112 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190303 DTSTAMP:20260423T074952 CREATED:20190111T171722Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190111T173738Z UID:4710-1547251200-1551571199@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:Outside-In PACIA SALLOMI & ALEXANDRA ACKERMAN DESCRIPTION:LOCATED IN THE COMMUNITY GALLERY (Street level) \nArtist Statement: Pacia Sallomi \nI began this series in 2010. In the beginning\, I was focused on roundabouts or in French\,\nrond-point\, which came about because of an experience of being lost on back roads and small villages\nin the French countryside. I had begun to think about the way we structure the experience of getting\nfrom one place to another. The circular pathways of a roundabout are quite different cultural\nmodalities of disorientation and reorientation than the typical grid-like intersection controlled by a\nstoplight. I begin the painting with an aerial diagram of a place. It became evident very quickly that\npainting into these diagrams is interior process that is ritualistic\, connected to healing and\ncontemplative practices found in many indigenous cultures such as the sand painting by Native\nAmerican shamans\, Australian Aboriginal Dreamtime stories and the mandalas created by Buddhist\nmonks. The search for understanding these themes has led me to visit an Aboriginal community in\nAustralia\, a Vietnamese Buddhist monastery in France\, Celtic stone alignments in England and France\,\nand Shinto shrines and monasteries in Japan. \nThese paintings are always orientated around a centering point\, but they are not always based\non roundabouts. The diagrams have included gathering places such as a Roman Coliseum in Arles\nand Burning Man in Nevada; complex freeway interchanges in Los Angles or towns that are built\nover ancient circular sites such as in Avebury\, England. These marks on the earth tell us about our\nculture\, our times and ourselves. The paintings are always square\, representing the nature of Four as\na symbol of stability\, points on a compass and reference to the mandala. They contain the circle as a\nsymbol of completion and of the cyclical nature of life. \nBiography: Pacia Sallomi \nPacia Sallomi’s path to and through the arts has been a circuitous one. The daughter of\nan Obstetrician and a painter turned poet\, her education in the arts began as a child. During their\nthree years living in Bavaria\, the family camped their way through Europe\, visiting many of the\ngreat museums and then settling in California in the mid-1960’s. These experiences instilled a\nlove of art and of nature. After completing her undergraduate work in Nutrition at the University\nof California\, Davis\, she moved to Colorado\, and then New Mexico\, where she worked as a\nhomebirth midwife in the 80’s and early 90’s. During that time she received an MA in Art\nEducation at the University of New Mexico\, while also studying Photography\, Japanese porcelain\ntechniques and took her first painting class from Martin Facey who introduced her to the spiritual\ninquiry of color. She received her MFA in Studio Art from Texas Tech University in 1997 and is a\nprofessor at Carroll University in Wisconsin where she has been teaching painting and drawing\nfor the past twenty years. \nPacia’s paintings have been exhibited nationally and internationally in over 120\nexhibitions. She has attended a number of international artist residencies and loves travel.\nDuring a residency in France\, 2003\, she created a collaborative book\, Shield/Le Bouclier\, (Pacia’s\npaintings and her mother’s poetry) that was published in 2007 as a bilingual\, limited-edition\nartist’s book. The French translation is by Gallimard poet-translator of Emily Dickinson\, Claire\nMalroux. Pacia’s own work often includes the written word and she is currently studying\nJapanese Brush Calligraphy. \nwww.paciasallomi.com \nArtist Statement: Alexandra Ackerman \nIn this group of paintings I began to explore color\, pattern and form in response to my visceral experience of the landscape of Baja California Sur during March of 2018.  The things I found most visually stunning in Mexico were the cacti (life springing from what appears to be nothing)\, the ocean (both calming and frightening) and the brightly painted walls and buildings everywhere we traveled.  Working from memory I am intuitively combining the natural forms with the manmade bright colors.  \nMy creative process involves layering washes of watercolor pigment to build up fantastic landscapes which convey the juxtaposition of an otherworldly desert and vast ocean\, even letting them bleed together.  In these worlds I invent hybrid plants or creatures that are neither of land or sea\, but uniquely their own.  I’m curious about the mysterious inner life of plants as well as the observable aspects of the diverse variety of life in each new environment I encounter\, asking such questions as:  How do plants communicate?  What is the sound of a plant growing?  Why do they seem to have distinct personalities?  My visual responses range from fairly recognizable to completely abstract organic forms.  The challenge in each painting is to find a balance of both harmony of color and tension in composition.  I hope to return to Mexico and continue to travel to new places in search of common and uncommon life\, as it always stimulates my growth as an artist and human being. \nBiography: Alexandra Ackerman \nOriginally from Ann Arbor\, Michigan\, Alexandra Ackerman grew up a keen observer of the natural world from a young age. She first learned to paint in the wet-on-wet watercolor style at the Waldorf School at age eight\, and has continued her exploration until the present\, maintaining a childlike freedom in her work. Alexandra has found beauty in the places she has lived and worked including the shores of the Great Lakes\, New England vegetable farms and Minnesota flower gardens.  Inspired by the vast diversity of plant life\, she uses luminous color and pattern to create dynamic landscapes and biomorphic abstractions.  Her paintings are intimate meditations on her physical surroundings\, expressions of the pure joy and wonder of watching things grow.  Focusing on the ethereal aspects of nature\, her forms are evocative of leaves\, seeds\, eggs\, sprouts\, wind\, and waves. \nAlexandra began her studies at the Art Institute of Chicago and ultimately earned a degree in painting and printmaking at Massachusetts College of Art\, where she explored a variety of mediums\, often incorporating fabric and found objects into her work. She was part of the Minneapolis art and music community for nearly a decade before moving to northern Wisconsin.  Alexandra now lives with her husband and two children in Iowa City\, working out of her studio downtown.  She has painted commissions for individual collectors and public spaces and has taught watercolor workshops locally. She has participated in numerous group and solo shows across the country\, and has a variety work for sale at Prairie Lights Bookstore.  Her work was recently on display at the Iowa State Capitol in the Governor’s office. \nwww.alexandra-ackerman.com URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/outside-in-pacia-sallomi-alexandra-ackerman/ 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/2019/01/Sallomi-Ackerman-collage-web.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:20190201 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190331 DTSTAMP:20260423T074952 CREATED:20190111T174750Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190312T150317Z UID:4721-1548979200-1553990399@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:Octagonal: The All Media Exhibit DESCRIPTION:LOCATED IN MAIN GALLERY AND SWEENEY GALLERY (3rd floor) \nOctagonal: The All-Media Exhibit is the annual\, juried all-media exhibition at the Octagon Center for the Arts in Ames\, Iowa. Originally titled the Clay and Paper Show\, the exhibit opened in 1968 to provide an opportunity to the central Iowa arts community. Over the past 51 years\, the exhibit morphed over the decades to become the Clay\, Fiber\, Paper\, Glass\, Metal\, Wood Exhibit that has featured hundreds of artists from dozens of states. The newest version of the exhibit\, Octagonal: The All-Media Exhibit\, launched in 2018 taking a note from the past while moving forward to continue to provide an exciting opportunity for artists across Iowa\, the Midwest\, and the nation. This exhibit features a regionally-recognized juror each year\, attracts artists from across the United States\, and provides significant cash awards. \n2019 Awards \nThe following media awards are named in honor of the four women who founded the Octagon Center for the Arts in 1966. \n Special thanks to Haila Architecture\, Structure\, Planning to sponsoring the following four media awards. \nPriscilla Sage Fiber Award: Incubator (tapestry) by Betty Busby from Albuquerque\, NM \nJanet Harris Squires Clay Award: Wedding Vase (ceramic) by Jasmine Beul of Ames\, IA \nMartha Benson Metal Media Award: Mater et Filia (Raised Copper Vessel) by Gina Westergard from Lawrence\, KS \nVeronika Ruedenberg Mixed Media Award: The Sunny Day (linoleum tile sculpture\,) by Sue Berkey from Fairfield\, IA \nThe following awards are generously funded by the Brown Family Endowment Fund in honor of Donald Brown Jr. and Winifred V. Brown   \nPaper: March 28th (digital photograph) by Angela Beckwith of Ames\, IA \nGlass: Veiled Cane on a Blue & White Overlay by Art Ciccotti from Ames\, IA \nWood: One Million Rocks (rocking chair) by Matthew Obbink from Boone\, IA \nPainting: Crush No. 1 by Jeremy Roy from Grimes\, IA \nEmerging Artist Award: Scarecrow in the Garden by Robert Jinkins from Rewey\, WI \nWinifred V. Brown Best of Show Award: Drained (painting) by Josh Sorrell from Ankeny\, IA \nAward winners pictured with Juror\, Jeanine Coupe Ryding; Executive Director\, Heather Johnson; and Board President\, Sam Stagg URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/4721/ LOCATION:Octagon Center for the Arts\, 427 Douglas Avenue\, Ames\, IA\, 50010\, United States CATEGORIES:Exhibits ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://octagonarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Octagonal-Logo.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;VALUE=DATE:20190223 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190324 DTSTAMP:20260423T074952 CREATED:20190214T173918Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190214T174334Z UID:5415-1550880000-1553385599@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:A Soldier Says Good-bye RICH ABRAHAMSON DESCRIPTION:LOCATED IN THE SMALL WALL GALLERY (Third Floor) \nArtist Statement \nCamera’s freeze moments in split seconds while life passes in days\, weeks and years. \nSome lives are mixed with both quality and quantity of time. Those individuals celebrate memories while unaware that the final chapters of their lives are being written. \nPhotographs help us punctuate their journeys\, empowering us to tell important stories. Photojournalists are called upon to document these events. This is our legacy. \nIn “A Soldier Says Good-bye” we follow a World War II veteran through the twilight of life. A time when moments resonate with love\, vulnerability and tears. \nThe soldier\, a 96 year-old Swede from Boxholm\, Iowa\, farmed with horses and picked corn by hand before joining the first group of Boone County Iowa men drafted into service in 1942. He joined the Army Air Corps and was assigned to crew on a B-24 heavy bomber. \nInstead of harnessing a team of horses and working the fields\, he was completing pre flight inspections on his plane. He’d push the aircraft’s throttles full forward\, bringing four thundering 1200 horse power Pratt and Whitney engines to life. \nThe serene view over an Iowa corn field was replaced with the sensation of flying over the white caps of the Adriatic Sea\, skimming above the water to avoid radar detection. \nSome soldiers never came home. Others returned to Central Iowa and into the arms of their families. Many returned to the farm and their jobs. They got married. Started families. \nA few lived to be old men One of them was my dad\, Staff Sergeant Richard L. Abrahamson. \nThis is his story. A tribute told through the eyes of his son\, the photojournalist. \n  \nBiography \nRich Abrahamson of Ames\, Iowa is a career photojournalist and writer. His appreciation for photography and stories began as a kid while watching slide shows his dad created with photos shot around the family farm and during summer vacations. \nIn high school and college\, he was part of the newspaper and yearbook staffs. The experience laid the groundwork for his career choice and showed him that work could be fun. \nAt 21\, he bought his first 35 mm film camera while taking a photography course taught by Bob Person at the Des Moines Area Community College. Person’s style of instruction impacted students\, including Abrahamson\, with thoughtful advice and passionate critiques of student work. \nIn 1987 Abrahamson earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism from Northwest Missouri State University. A few months later he was hired as the lone photographer on the staff of the Fort Morgan Times\, a small family-owned newspaper on Colorado’s northeast plains. \nIn 1991 he joined the staff of the Fort Collins Coloradan where he worked for the next 22 years. \nAbrahamson has completed news\, sports and documentary assignments throughout Colorado and the United States. He’s built a portfolio of images from 46 states and nine Canadian provinces. \nFor 26 years he covered professional and college sports including the Denver Broncos\, Colorado Avalanche\, Colorado Rockies and Colorado State University Rams. \nHis subjects have included Pope John Paul II\, the Dalai Lama\, Presidents Bill Clinton\, George W. Bush and Barack Obama\, hall of fame quarterback John Elway\, musicians Ray Charles\, David Bowie\, Carlos Santana\, Buddy Rich and the Grateful Dead. \nIn 2013 Abrahamson returned to central Iowa and began freelancing as a photographer\, writer and columnist for central Iowa newspapers. He also serves as a writer and photographer for Iowa State University’s Department of Residence newsletter. URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/a-soldier-says-good-bye-rich-abrahamson/ 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/2019/02/02soldier-edit.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:20190307 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190324 DTSTAMP:20260423T074952 CREATED:20190214T203524Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190214T221332Z UID:5419-1551916800-1553385599@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:Iowa State MFA Exhibit DESCRIPTION:LOCATED IN THE COMMUNITY GALLERY \nArtist Statement: Jasmine Beul\nI see my ceramic works as sculptural vessels. They are inspired by historical vessel forms\, but without the functionality. The utilitarian function is removed by making the forms asymmetrical\, and exaggerating the scale and perforations. When utilitarian nature is removed what remains is an exploration of formal elements. \nWith my paintings\, I was interested in creating a fragmented view of a landscape to be somewhere between realism and abstraction. In these close up views\, there is never a sense of the surrounding scenery\, but instead\, the confrontation of a vertical surface. This close inspection tells the partial story of a place\, but obscures the whole truth. It hints at a layered history\, but in this extreme close up only a specific part of a story is being told. It becomes a metaphor for the way we retell stories\, remembering only certain details\, and maybe failing to see the complete truth behind a narrative.  \n  \nArtist Biography: Jasmine Beul\nJasmine Beul is grew up in Denver\, Colorado\, and is currently a first year graduate student in the Integrated Visual Art program at Iowa State University. She graduated from the University of Montana in Missoula in 2017 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and creative writing. Her emphasis with her BFA was in ceramics\, an interest which started in high school and she decided to pursue further in college. She also spent a year as a post-baccalaureate student at Montana State University in Bozeman\, MT from 2017-2018. Her work has been influenced by living in these places\, as well as travelling. This is her first solo exhibition of work in the state of Iowa. \n  \nArtist Statement: Manatsa Mazimbe\nArt curator and Afrofuturist\, Ingrid LaFleur\, quotes\, “Afrofuturism is an intersection of imagination\, technology\, the future\, and liberation.  I generally define Afrofuturism as a way of imagining possible futures through a black cultural lens.” My work will be a series of digital\, traditional\, and animated works based on an afro-futuristic setting where Africans and African Americans live in a thriving utopian society. It is an optimistic view of the combination of both cultures in the future through the lens of a character named\, Mana. \nArtist Biography:   Manatsa Mazimbe\nI am currently a third-semester M.F.A graduate student majoring in the Integrated Visual Arts with a focus on Illustration for Animation. I attained my B.F.A in Animation from an enriching education at the Savannah College of Art and Design. The combination of both areas of study has allowed me to expand my work and offer a complete design and storytelling experience. \nMy time as a student-athlete for four years helped me become disciplined in my work and to appreciate challenges\, allowing for continuous focus and diligence. I also had the privilege to work on an Annie nominated film called\, Frog Legs\, which was directed by an old colleague and friend\, Katie Tamboer. Coming from an African background with no knowledge and experience with technology prior to college\, this was a satisfying accomplishment. URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/iowa-state-mfa-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/2019/02/MFA-exhibit.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:20190330 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190519 DTSTAMP:20260423T074952 CREATED:20190214T233110Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190312T174533Z UID:5425-1553904000-1558223999@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:Naturescapes  PRATIK RAY\, MIKE LEINHAUSER\, & GARY HOARD DESCRIPTION:LOCATED IN THE COMMUNITY GALLERY \nArtist Statement: Pratik Ray\nI am fascinated by the beauty and majesty of nature and light – not just the landscapes and seascapes\, but also the light that paints them in vivid colors. It is the many moods of light that gives rise to a range of emotional response to the scene. It is my endeavor to take in these moments\, and capture these precious snapshots in time in a way that re-kindles the same feelings when I look back at these images. In short\, to quote Robert Kincaid from the Bridges of Madison County\, “I don’t take pictures\, I make pictures”. Each of these pictures are made in order to preserve the many moods of nature that I have felt during my sojourns in the American West and the Mid-West. \nThrough my work\, I hope to share my excitement and that rare feeling of bliss one experiences when journeying through the lap of nature\, motivate people to appreciate nature and spark efforts to preserve and nurture them. Man has a strong connection with nature\, but this connection may be latent for many. I endeavor to ignite a spark that helps people reconnect with the majesty of Mother Nature\, in all her moods and glory. \nArtist Biography:  Pratik Ray\nPratik Ray is an artist and a scientist. He started out as an artist working primarily with charcoal and pastels. During his graduate school at Iowa State University\, he started delving into the photographic medium. This medium melded beautifully with his other passion\, namely electron microscopy. One involves capturing images of our daily visual world using the subtleties of light\, while the other relies on electrons at microscopic levels. His art complements his other life as a scientist – with both the worlds studying and describing nature in their own unique ways. \nPratik’s interest in photography is two-fold. His fascination with Mother Earth results in a passion for landscape photography\, displaying Nature in all her glory. Based in the American mid-west\, his landscape shots reflect some of the mid-west surroundings in general\, and his town (Ames\, IA) in particular as well as the mountains of United States. \nPratik’s travels often lead him to rugged mountains and fascinating ocean fronts. A second interest relates to exploring the vagaries of the world from different point of views. In this endeavor\, the same event is studied from different points of view – an attempt to reveal the underlying currents and counter-currents behind an innocuous image. \n  \n\n \nArtist’s Statement: Mike Leinhauser\nIn 1966 my dad took a couple photos of my new bride\, developed and printed the negs\, I was really impressed by all this. Out of the service in 1970\, I got all his equipment and set about teaching myself how to use it. Read lots of articles and looked at lots of photographs and tried to make sense of it all. Took some photos and classes along the way and finally got tired of going classes where the instructors were just showing off their fancy equipment and decided to teach classes myself. \nTaught some classes through Scott Community College and one through Lincoln Center for the Arts in Bettendorf. Really enjoyed the experience. Had some shows with the Photo Image League\, a very enjoyable time. Had some other shows too.  Entered a few contests. \nFoggy mornings and inclement weather are when I like to photograph mostly. Suited my needs\, did wonders for the backgrounds and I enjoyed the quiet. I just photograph whatever appeals to me\, as one can see in my images. \nWhat have I learned from all this? Maybe to have applied myself a bit more. \nArtist Biography: Mike Leinhauser\nBorn 1945 in Ottumwa\, IA. Moved a bit growing up\, Branson\, MO\, Dallas\, TX\, Cleveland\, OH\, Akron\, OH and in 1960 moved to Des Moines\, IA where I attended jr. high and high school. Took some classes at Drake University and University of Iowa. Married in 1966 and off to the Air Force from 1966 to 1970\, had a daughter and a son during that time and back to Des Moines after I was discharged until 1979 when we moved to Bettendorf\, IA where I now currently live. Lost my wife Sally to cancer in Dec. 2015. Since 2002 I have worked as an electrician at John Deere Seeding in Moline IL. \n  \n\n \nArtist’s Statement: Gary Hoard\nPhotography is my way to capture the ordinary and unusual moments in the nature around us.   Looking through the lens and composing an interesting shot forces me to be more aware of what is going on around me\, enhancing the outdoor experience.  I enjoy this natural experience whether or not I get the photo – the image is a bonus which allows me to share a special moment with others.  \nThis ‘Naturescapes’ exhibit includes a collection of my photographic images on metal of plants\, birds and animals in their natural environments\, hopefully uncommon views of common subjects.  I also include some landscapes that evoke the feeling of peace and solitude that being ‘close to nature’ brings us.   The images are printed on metal which reflects the vibrancy I see in the natural world. \nArtist Biography: Gary Hoard\nGary has been photographing for over 50 years\, predominantly nature and city and rural landscapes.  His interest in both photography and nature was kindled early by his parents:  his Dad a US Navy photographer stationed at Pearl Harbor during the attack\, and his Mom an avid naturalist and gardener.  Gary’s 40-year career in plant genetics research furthered his interest in the natural world.  He has enhanced his photographic skills by studying the biology of animals and plants\, and by attending photography workshops and seminars.  \nHis award-winning work has appeared in several exhibits including Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge\, Ankeny Art Center\, Iowa State Fair Photography Salon and Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge\, Sanibel FL.  His photographs were used in the State Capitol Tour Guide. \nGary enjoys capturing uncommon views of common subjects.  He spends most of his camera-time photographing at state\, county and national parks\, urban areas\, or in his home gardens.  He finds Iowa offers many beautiful photographic opportunities including lots of green space\, interesting cityscapes and beautiful architecture\, both historic and modern. \nWebsite:  GaryHoardPhotography.com URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/5425/ 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/2019/02/Naturescapes.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:20190330 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190428 DTSTAMP:20260423T074952 CREATED:20190312T171522Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190312T175641Z UID:5668-1553904000-1556409599@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:JORDAN LUCKOW DESCRIPTION:LOCATED IN THE SMALL [BUT MIGHTY] WALL GALLERY (3rd floor) \nArtist Bio\nJordan Luckow of Sioux City\, IA is a recent graduate from Iowa State University. While at Iowa State he received his bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts focusing on printmaking\, and painting.  Jordan currently is a full-time designer at Lincoln Center Hy-Vee Floral in Ames\, where he continues to create and find inspiration arranging flowers. In his downtown he continues to make art\, publishing a book\, and is participating in Art Festivals and shows. \n  \nArtist Statement\nWords of rap artist\, Lil Wayne “I didn’t set out to be different. I set out to be me and people thought it was different.” Art celebrates one person’s differences and makes them accessible to the world. Acrylic and ink provide the medium for Jordan Luckow to express his uniqueness to the world. \nEach of Jordan’s pieces reflects the different steps he takes in the journey of life. His non-traditional content contains metaphors that represent what he was going through\, feeling\, or experiencing at the time. For example Jordan uses a cacti in most of his pieces as a metaphor for himself\, defensive\, prick-ish\, yet beautiful\, strong\, and continuously growing. Jordan plays the role of “You can hurt me\, but you cant kill me” just like a cactus. \nThe art comes alive when someone views it and they begin to see the world in a nontraditional way. Although Jordan doesn’t set out for his art to be different\, he does set out to be himself. URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/jordan-luckow/ 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/2019/03/Luckow_JordanDiscoveringlove-resize-2.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:20190418 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190512 DTSTAMP:20260423T074952 CREATED:20190416T192616Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190422T192655Z UID:6239-1555545600-1557619199@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:Elementary / Middle / High Annual Exhibit: An Exhibition of Local Elementary\, Middle\, and High School Students DESCRIPTION:LOCATED IN MAIN & SWEENEY GALLERIES. The Octagon Center for the Arts showcases artwork by local elementary\, middle\, and high school students annually. High School art instructors from schools within 20 miles of the Octagon Center for the Arts are welcome to register students in their fall and spring classes for participation. (Home-school students are also welcome to register).  \nThe opening reception and awards are April 18\, 4:30 – 6:30pm with awards being announced at 5:30pm. All are welcome to attend and encourage these young artists! \n  \n2019 Juror:  Naomi Friend\nArtist Bio \nNaomi Friend is a professional artist in Central Iowa. She makes art about the land and life based on farming\, or “agrarian” art. She is most interested in the intersection of wild\, urban\, and rural environments and the work of humans as caretakers of creation.\n \n\nHer work has been shown in solo shows in Iowa\, California\, and Nebraska\, and other group shows. It is recognized in local radio\, newspaper\, published in Diffusion magazine\, and resides in public and private art collections. It has received awards in national juried art exhibits. She exhibits in a variety outdoor public art events including the Des Moines Arts Festival. \n \nShe earned a Masters of Fine Art in Integrated Visual Arts at Iowa State University in 2013 and grew up in the community of Sioux Center\, Iowa. Her undergraduate degree is from Dordt College where she studied fine art and graphic design. Naomi worked for three years at the Octagon Center for the Arts as the Exhibits Director. Naomi operates a small 3 acre farm\, Friends Flowers\, where she grows flowers for local markets.   \n \n \n2019 AWARD WINNERS KINDERGARTEN THROUGH – 11TH GRADE:\n \n\n\n\n\nGrade\n1st Place\n2nd Place\n3rd Place\nHonorable Mention\nHonorable Mention\nHonorable Mention\nHonorable Mention\nHonorable Mention\nHonorable Mention\n\n\nK\nLydia Girard\nWilbert Zhang\nAtesh McKilligan\nJack Patten\n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n1\nAmelia Luo\nEmma Chen\nSophia Elsberry\nGeorge Logan\n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n2\nMiles Nutini\nNoelle Kibbe\nAda McKilligan\nAbigail Nott\n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n3\nReinaldo Correa\nLynneah Pickering\nKhlloe Graham\nJenny LaMar\n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n4\nQimeng Li\nJoy Zhang\nArtie Helmers\nBrooke Weisbrod\n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n5\nBetsy Winderfeldt-Rodriguez\nLaura Chen\nAshlyn Carr\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n6\nHannah Harvey\nGrace Helmers  \nLucy Read\nChantel Enlenstein\nErica Lin\nEliza Teske\n \n \n \n\n\n7\nMaddison Geater\nAutumn Wild\nGary Schultz\nLucas Wuebker\nBraden Vinson\nAleesia Miller\nKiera Kreider\n \n \n\n\n8\nDelaney Kreider\nJackson Hufford\nLeslie Kim\nCapri Cory\nKennedy Downs\nElla Sirna\nAngelina Chen\nThomas\nLehmkuhl\nKelsey Gartin\n\n\n9\nEmily Kaminski\nIsabella Soriano\nJosiah Teske\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n10\nJackson Bryant\nEden Bruner\nErin Murphy\nNatalie Weber\nTayte Johnson\n \n \n \n \n\n\n11\nAustin Argutsinger\nKaitlyn Kilstoffe\nKaitlyn Kilstoffe\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n\n\n  \n2019 HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR AWARD WINNERS:  \n  \nWinifred V. and Jeffrey Brown Best of Show Award \nBest of Show:    Laura Hansen\, Face to Dress\, Roland Story High School                                                 \n  \nAmes Silversmithing Jewelry/Metalsmith Awards \nFirst Tied:            Laura Lynch\, Earrings\, Gilbert High School                                                                                           \nFirst Tied:            Olivia Sterling Chase\, Dragon\, Ames High School                                                                             \nFirst Tied:            Eun Pyo Joo\, Butterfly\, Ames High School                                                                                            \n  \nJeffrey Brown Memorial Photography Awards \nFirst:      T’Ana Smith\, Speak Black\, Ames High School                                                                                                      \nSecond:                Alejandro Rico-Gomez\, Untitled\, Gilbert High School                                                                    \nThird:                    Josh McCunn\, Aunt Tia\, Ames High School                                                                                          \n  \nOctagon Ceramic and Sculpture Awards \nFirst:      Lauren Hansen\, Beaded Burgundy\, Roland Story High School                                                                     \nSecond:                Dorothy Vernon\, Recycled Dress\, Ames High School                                                                       \nThird:    Koby Hassebrock\, Concept Swing\, Roland Story High School                                                                       \n  \nOctagon Mixed Media and Digital Collage Awards \nFirst:      Preston Witte\, Experiment 1\, Ames High School                                                                                              \nSecond:                Grace Teig\, Inspire\, Roland Story High School                                                                                    \nThird:    Koby Hassebrock\, Arctic Cat Personalized\, Roland Story High School                                                      \n  \nDavid Burton Stone Awards in Painting \nFirst:      Alejandro Rico-Gomez\, Construction #1\, Gilbert High School                                                                     \nSecond:                Courtney Thompson\, Too Much for Now\, Ames High School                                                       \nThird:    Caylee Fuqua\, Who’s Who\, Ames High School                                                                                                  \n  \nDavid Burton Stone Awards in Drawing \nFirst:      Katie Murray\, Calla Lilies\, Gilbert High School                                                                                                   \nSecond:                Mercury Fuhs\, Release the Kraken\, Ames High School                                                                   \nThird:    Katie Murray\, Dishes\, Gilbert High School                                                                                                           \n  URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/elementary-middle-high-annual-exhibit-an-exhibition-of-local-elementary-middle-and-high-school-students/ 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/2019/04/ElemMiddleHigh-19.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:20190511 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190722 DTSTAMP:20260423T074952 CREATED:20190510T153840Z LAST-MODIFIED:20190510T154059Z UID:6519-1557532800-1563753599@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:Surface Wear AJ ZANDT DESCRIPTION:LOCATED IN THE SMALL WALL GALLERY \nBiography and Artist Statement \nAJ Zandt is an artist and printmaker from Milwaukee\, Wisconsin. Surface Wear is the result of his latest efforts to expand the relationship between the human body and surface through the lens of skin and clothing. Each work in the exhibition is comprised of varied combinations of pressure-printed fabrics and impressions of human skin on paper that take the shape of sewing patterns. AJ tears his prints after the first layers are established and follows the tears with shuffling\, reassembling\, and reprinting before stitching the pieces together. The prints are a reflection on the role of surface as a boundary. They are barriers that capture\, like a fine net or filter\, the actions of the artist at work. The actions themselves permeate the paper\, but the evidence of the experience is registered—or printed—onto the paper’s surface. They are left behind as proof of living. \nAJ received a Master of Fine Arts in Integrated Visual Arts from Iowa State University in 2019 and a Bachelor of Design in Architecture from University of Minnesota in 2011. His printmaking work has been exhibited in numerous national exhibitions\, including the Mid America Print Council Juried Exhibition in Laramie\, Wyoming; the Parkside National Small Print Juried Exhibition in Parkside\, Wisconsin; and the Annual Paper In Particular National Juried Exhibition in Columbia\, Missouri. \nJoin us for an Artist Talk on Thursday\, June 6 at 6pm URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/surface-wear-aj-zandt/ 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/2019/05/zandt_surface-wear_promotional-image-2.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