Octagon Center for the Arts

Uncontainable Meanderings and Affinities
2023-12-18 10:00 - 2024-01-13 17:00 (America/Chicago) | Octagon Center for the Arts, 427 Douglas Avenue, Ames, IA, 50010, United States
Uncontainable Meanderings and Affinities
Group Exhibition by Ethan Edvenson and Kimberlee Rocca
December 18th, 2023 – January 13th, 2024 At The Octagon Community Gallery
About this group exhibition:

Exhibition Dates:
Debember 18th, 2023 – Exhibition Opening Day
January 4th, 2024 – Exhibition Reception at 5pm in the Community Gallery
January 13th, 2024 – Exhibition Closes
Artist Biographies:
Ethan Edvenson is a fine artist from Des Moines, IA who creates mixed media drawings. He conveys individualism, humor,
and rebirth through gestural marks, surreal imagery, and storytelling. Edvenson graduated from the University of Northern
Iowa with a BFA in studio art and Art History minor.
Kimberlee Rocca is an Iowa artist whose passion for color, process, experimentation and reclamation merge to translate
her love of nature and modern lines into vibrant and textural 2-d and 3-d abstract works and play sculptures. Works are
created from mixed media and discarded construction debris.

The Music in My HeART
2024-01-22 10:00 - 2024-02-24 17:00
The Music in My HeART
Solo Exhibition by Antonia Ruppert
January 22nd – February 24th, 2024 At The Octagon Community Gallery
Exhibition Dates:
January 22nd, 2024 – Exhibition Opening Day
February 24th, 2024 – Exhibition Closes
Artist Biography:
Chicago-born Antonia Ruppert is an artist, singer-songwriter and educator who has been
painting for over 30 years. Growing up in the Austin community, she creates paintings that
connect people and tell a story. The oldest of six siblings, with no funds to purchase art
supplies, she recalls drawing on discarded paper inserts from her Mom’s stockings. These
humble beginnings have been instrumental in inspiring hundreds of paintings and drawings,
where hope, faith and community are central.
Ruppert was the 2021 Invest South/West Artist in Residence for Chicago’s Austin community
and the 2022 Artist in Residence for the Addison Public Library. Ruppert is an honoree of the
Peggy A. Montes Unsung Heroine Award for Cook County, IL.
Ruppert has been featured in the Museum of Science and Industry Black Creativity Exhibition,
Moraine Valley Community College and the Dupage Art League’s Best of the Best Exhibition.
Her favorite paintings and murals can be found in numerous regional venues including the
Chicago Public Library, Berwyn North District 98 Elementary Schools, University of Chicago
Hospitals, Acorn Public Library, Addison Public Library, Austin Childcare Network, Chicago
School of Professional Psychology, Forest Park Park District, Elmwood Park Public Library,
Grand Prairie Services, Living Springs Community Church, Markham Public Library, Near
North Montessori School, Oak Forest Park District and the Oak Park Area Arts Council.
In 2021, she collaborated with the Office of the Mayor of the City of Berwyn and the Award-
Winning Junior State of America Morton West Debate Club Chapter to commission and speak
at the first Juneteenth Commemoration held in the city. Most recently, she supported the
Mayor of the Village of Hazel Crest and the new 2023 Arts Committee.
Ruppert is thankful to God for her gifts and is the illustrator of a recently published children’s
book —The Place Where I Belong—by Candice Klopfenstein.
Ruppert’s art and music will be featured in upcoming exhibitions at the Harold Washington
Library Center, The Chicago Public Library North Austin Branch Library and now the Octagon
Center for the Arts in Ames, Iowa in 2024.
Ruppert is well known at the frontlines of the artivist community and seeks to uplift her entire
community with artistic expression. Like African American sculptor, Elizabeth Catlett, Ruppert
aims to “do something for the betterment of all of us.”

2024 Octagonal: The All Media Show
2024-02-29 17:30 - 2024-03-30 17:00
February 29th – March 30th, 2024 At The Octagon Community Gallery
About this group exhibition:
Octagonal: The All-Media Show 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 54 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 Show, 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!
Exhibition Dates:
February 29th, 2024 – Exhibition Opening Day and Opening Reception
March 30th, 2024 – Exhibition Closes
Congratulations to the winners of this year’s Octagonal!
From left to right: Catherine Reinhart (Fiber Award), Diana Friend (Wood Award), Juliana Jones (Mixed Media Award), Natalie Deam (Paper Award), Katie DuVal Mihelich (Metal Award), Carolyn Abbot (Best of Show Award). Not shown: Steve Aitchison (Clay Award), Meghan Flynn (Painting Award)

2024 Juror: Jill Wells
Iowa-based artist, advocate and mentor, Jill Wells (she/her) has firmly situated herself within art and advocacy work. A 2005 graduate of Drake University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, she is well known for her dynamic, colorful, and tactile multimedia works investigating race, history, stereotypes, accessibility, and human experiences. By exploring the powerful alignment between arts integration and Universal Design, Wells’ work seeks solutions for innovative pathways into accessible art…
Learn more on the Octagonal page!

This year we will feature artwork from:
Alicia Wilkinson, Angie Huffman, Anna Segner, Cameryn Piskule, Caroline Freese, Carolyn Abbott, Catherine Reinhart, Chelsea Herman, Cody LeClair, Diana Friend, Eirianeth Claire Hays, Elissa Wenthe, Hope Bass, Indonesia Fulcher, Jan Friedman, Janet Bergeron, Jennifer Gauerke, Joe Crimmings, Joshua McCunn, Juliana Jones, Katie DuVal Mihelich, Kelly Devitt, Kelsey Wilson, Leo Bird, Liz Koerner, Louise O’Donnell, Lydia Nong, Maddison Jo Edwards, Margaret Lewis, Mark True, Megan McCoy, Meghan Flynn, Natalie Deam, Penny Adam, Ruby Walker, Steve Aitchison, Terri Eger

2024 Elementary, Middle School, High School Annual Student Show
2024-04-08 10:00 - 2024-04-20 17:00
2024 Elementary, Middle School, High School Annual Student Show
April 8th – April 20th, 2024 At The Octagon Community Gallery
About this group exhibition:

The Student Art Show highlights artwork by local elementary, middle, and high school students annually. Previous participating schools included: Ames, Ballard, Gilbert, Home Schools, Madrid, Nevada, Roland-Story, and United Community School.
Learn more on this exhibition’s webpage here
Exhibition Dates:
April 8th, 2024 – Exhibition Opening Day
April 20th, 2024 – Exhibition Closes

Iowa State University Integrated Visual Arts MFA Exhibition 2024
2024-05-01 10:00 - 2024-05-09 19:30
Iowa State University Integrated Visual Arts MFA Exhibition 2024
An exhibition by MFA students in the Integrated Visual Arts program at Iowa State University
May 1st – May 9th, 2024 At The Octagon Community Gallery
About this group exhibition:

The MFA in IVA is a distinctive and unique interdisciplinary program offering integrative study among a combination of the following areas: ceramics, computer applications, drawing, textiles, illustration, jewelry/metalsmithing, painting, printmaking, photography, furniture design, and areas outside of Art and Design.
MFA students are required to participate in an end-of-semester exhibition during the first four semesters of the program. For this public exhibition, each student submits a selection of their strongest and most representative work from the semester along with an artist statement to be critiqued by the Art and Visual Culture faculty at Iowa State University.
Artists:
Omid Afsharpour
Natalie Deam
Parisa Keshavarziyan
Elnaz Masrour
Sam McCauley
Matty Palamara
Maryam Siahgaldeh Ghasempour
Nicole Soriano
Rana Tiba
Michael Vitha Nolan
Ruby Walker

Exhibition Dates:
May 1st, 2024 – Exhibition Opening Day
May 9th, 2024 – Closing Reception 6-7:30pm
May 9th, 2024 – Exhibition Closes

2024 Annual Members' Show
2024-05-20 10:00 - 2024-06-15 17:00
2024 Annual Members’ Show
Group Exhibition by members of the Octagon Center for the Arts
May 20th – June 15th, 2024 At The Octagon Community Gallery
About this group exhibition:
This unjuried show celebrates the skills, creativity, and lived experiences of the Octagon community! Let’s fill the gallery and surround ourselves with our own amazing work — established artists next to emerging artists, all media.

Exhibition Dates:
May 20th, 2024 – Exhibition Opening Day
June 15th, 2024 – Exhibition Closes
Artist Biographies:
TBA

American Oddities
2024-06-24 10:00 - 2024-07-18 17:00
American Oddities
Solo Exhibition by Nick Gadbois
June 24th – July 18th, 2024 At The Octagon Community Gallery
About this solo exhibition:

I am a contemporary painter living and working in Kansas City, Missouri. My landscape work centers on subjects mostly from the Heartland of America. The artwork ranges from a somewhat straightforward painting approach to surreal tinged scenes. My palette displays a heightened dramatic sense of color. The paintings I create are based on photographs, many of which I take myself. In terms of surrealism, I chose to not create scenes from the imagination but paint scenes from real life that already appear surreal. My newer work pays tribute to what I call American oddities. To me these subjects show the offbeat, quirky, and playful side of the American spirit. Subjects such as the World’ largest rocking chair, the giant strawberry, Cornhenge, Carhenge, Wall Drug and the World’s largest ball of twine show a creative inventiveness uniquely American. My work celebrates subjects from the Heartland that I feel deeply attracted to. I want to call attention to the roadside attractions in America.
Exhibition Dates:
June 24th, 2024 – Exhibition Opening Day
July 18th, 2024 – Exhibition Closing Reception 4:30pm – 6:00pm in the Community Gallery
July 18th, 2024 – Exhibition Closes

Compositions of Line
2024-07-29 10:00 - 2024-08-24 17:00
Compositions of Line
Solo Exhibition by Isaac Prior
July 29th – August 24th, 2024 At The Octagon Community Gallery
About this solo exhibition:

Exhibition Dates:
July 29th, 2024 – Exhibition Opening Day
August 24th, 2024 – Exhibition Closes
Artist Biography:
Born and raised in Ames, I have been creating artwork professionally since 2012. I am a full time precious metalsmith at Ames Silversmithing, creating, repairing, and designing jewelry. My focus is on abstract line art, using hundreds of lines to give illusions of folds, dimension, or twists.

Mixed Emotions
2024-09-03 10:00 - 2024-09-28 17:00
Mixed Emotions
Solo Exhibition by Kelly Devitt
September 3rd – September 28th, 2024 At The Octagon Community Gallery
About this solo exhibition:

Exhibition Dates:
September 3rd, 2024 – Exhibition Opening Day
September 26th, 2024 – Exhibition Closing Reception, 5pm – 7pm in the Community Gallery
September 28th, 2024 – Exhibition Closes
Artist Biography:
Kelly Devitt is a ceramic artist who primarily creates sculptures depicting emotions physically expressed through the human body. Born in Ames, Iowa, she received her BFA in Integrated Studio Arts from Iowa State University in 2017 and her MFA in Ceramics from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth in 2022. Kelly is currently an Instructor of Art at the Southwestern Community College in Creston, IA.

Demulcent Terrain
2024-10-07 10:00 - 2024-11-02 17:00
Demulcent Terrain
Solo Exhibition by Lisa Truax
October 7th – November 2nd, 2024 At The Octagon Community Gallery
Reception: October 10th 5PM – 7PM in the Community Gallery

About this solo exhibition:

I am interested in the contrast between places such as parks and natural areas and modern ways of building and living. We have cultural ideas of beauty and the sense of the untouched associated with these places. Outdoor landscapes seem to be in their natural state, but are actually created, planned, built, and maintained as part of our culture. We think of nature as untouched and wild, and not something controlled or created by humans.
I question the idea of culturally valuable versus personally valuable natural space. The contrast between the natural and man-made, and the seen and the unseen are determining factors. The effect of these elements on our lives and psyche are important considerations.
Natural places can have positive effects on our well being, many of which we may not yet understand. The relationship we have both culturally and individually, the contrast between wildness and wilderness, and the effect this relationship has on daily living is the focus of my work.
Exhibition Dates:
October 7th, 2024 – Exhibition Opening Day
November 2nd, 2024 – Exhibition Closes
Reception: October 10th 5PM – 7PM in the Community Gallery
Artist Biography:

The Octagon 2nd Annual Winter Market
2024-11-11 10:00 - 2024-12-10 17:00
The Octagon 2nd Annual Winter Market
Event by Octagon Shop
November 11th – December 10th, 2024 in the Octagon Community Gallery
About this event:
The Octagon Shop is excited to announce a temporary expansion in our Community Gallery! From November 11th – December 10th, we will have new work by Shop artists, fun discounts and other surprises! Stay tuned!

Exhibition Dates:
November 11th, 2024 – Exhibition Opening Day
December 10th, 2024 – Exhibition Closes

The Faces I've Seen.
2024-12-16 10:00 - 2025-01-11 17:00
The Faces I’ve Seen.
Solo Exhibition by Karen Cooper
December 16th, 2024 – January 11th, 2025 At The Octagon Community Gallery
About this solo exhibition:

Exhibition Dates:
December 16th, 2024 – Exhibition Opening Day
December 19th, 2024 – Exhibition Reception 6PM – 7PM in the Community gallery
January 11th, 2025 – Exhibition Closes
Artist Biography:

I am a watcher.
If someone with an interesting face, or someone who looks like they might be great in a painting, is out there on a sidewalk somewhere in the world, then I say ‘game on’. It’s time to capture some reference material. Lots of these captures come via my camera. On a perfect day, some of these random, and often unknowing ‘models’ are stationary long enough to make it to my sketchbook. I have said the bottom line and always the focus, is that the painting be a thing of substance and solidity and interest and beauty. But here’s something I am observing as my work matures – I no longer like playing it safe. I find it important and necessary to NOT paint safe – but rather to see the challenge, accept it, and give it my best shot.
Karen was born and raised in Nebraska, and then moved across the river to live in Iowa. From 2013 thru 2017, Karen lived in Lipetsk, Russia – long enough for the power and beauty of Russian impressionist art to make a potent impact. Study with a talented figurative artist while in Lipetsk, increased the desire/need to draw with substance and clarity, as part of the painting process. Karen has now returned to live, and paint in Grinnell, Iowa.

Solo Art Exhibition: Denice Peters “Be Still”
2025-01-20 10:00 - 2025-02-15 17:00
Be Still
Solo Exhibition by Denice Peters
January 20th – February 15th, 2025 At The Octagon Community Gallery
About this solo exhibition:

Creating realistic pastel paintings using strong light and shadow with a bit of nostalgia and a sense of peace is my goal. I’m inspired by the effect that light has on objects. It’s the spark of brightness shining against the darkness that appeals to me. Every painting is about this dramatic glow evoking an emotional response, regardless of the subject. Ipaint without any tools other than my fingers and pastel sticks. My work is pure soft pastels. No other medium is used . I paint in my self honed style I call ‘Blended Reality’. I want to help others see the beauty and peace that is all around us. Life is too short to do otherwise.
Exhibition Dates:
January 20th, 2025 – Exhibition Opening Day
January 23rd, 2025 – Exhibition Reception, 5:30PM – 7:30PM in the Community Gallery
February 15th, 2025 – Exhibition Closes
Artist Biography:

Denice Peters is a recognized woman artist in Contemporary Realism Art. This native of NW Iowa has painted with pastels for over 30 years. Her work centers around dramatic light and mood. Her artworks resonate with the viewer and is laced with nostalgia. Her level of skill has bestowed her with recognition In magazines, national and international competitions and awards. Also she’s achieved a level of talent that garnered her as a juried member of the prestigious International Guild of Realism and earned Signature Status in Pastel Society of America, MidAmerican Pastel Society and the Iowa Pastel Society and elected as President of the Iowa Pastel Society. Born in 1958 in LeMars, Iowa, USA, and raised on a farm instilled in her connection to the earth and Midwest values. She incorporates these things into her still life paintings. Married to her high school sweetheart and raising a family slowed her art career until they got older. When she decided to take a workshop , it changed her life, introducing her to pastels. She had found her medium and never looked back She didn’t have the opportunity to earn an art degree, so she took it upon herself to hone her talent, learning by trial and error. She took every art class she could in high school and was selected to be in the advanced art class as a senior. In time she developed a style that she refers to as “Blended Reality”. She worked with pastels until she reached the outcome she could see in her head. She was told you can’t paint realistically with soft pastels, but she bucked the trend and painted in her own way. She uses no implements, just pastels and her fingers. So she becomes a part of the work in every way. Her work is collected mostly by private collectors in the US and 2 other countries Denice’s work can be seen on her website denicepelers.com and through Kavanaugh Gallery in West Des Moines, IA.

Octagonal: The All Media Show 2025
2025-02-27 10:00 - 2025-03-29 17:00
February 27th – March 29th, 2025
RECEPTION:
February 27th 5:30PM-7:30PM
In the Community Gallery
Awards announced at 6:30PM
ALL ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND!

Octagonal: The All-Media Show 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 56 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 Show, 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.

2025 Juror: Chris Vance

Click Here to learn more
Artist List:
Alicia Wilkinson, Amy Williams, Angie Huffman, Barb Thompson, Carolyn Abbott, Diana Friend, Diane Michaud Lowry, Emily Milewsky, Geri Wolfe Boesen, Hana Brock, Isaac Prior, Jerene Kruse, Jess Quinn, Joanne Alberda, Joseph Wyckoff, Josh Sorrell, Kaitlin Harvey, Kelly Devitt, Kelsey Wilson, Kimberlee Rocca, Linda Lewis, Lucy Watters, Lydia Nong, Maggie Douglas, Mattea Whetstone, Megan Hammer, Meghan Flynn, Melynda Van Zee, Michele Hardy, Natalie Deam, Pam Hibbs, Robert Wallace, Sara Slee Brown, Sean Thornton, Sydney Thompson, Tiffany Antone, Tim Olson, Trey Reis, Will Hildebrandt, Zack Bukovich

2025 Elementary, Middle School, High School Annual Student Show
2025-04-07 10:00 - 2025-04-18 17:00
2025 Elementary, Middle School, High School Annual Student Show
April 7th – April 18th, 2025 in the Octagon Community Gallery
About this group exhibition:
The Annual Student Art Show highlights artwork by elementary, middle, and high school students from schools within 20 miles of Ames.
Learn more on this exhibition’s webpage here
Exhibition Dates:
April 7th, 2025 – Exhibition Opening Day
April 18th, 2025 – Exhibition Closes

Group Exhibition: Round Up
2025-04-22 10:00 - 2025-05-10 17:00
Round Up
Group Exhibition by Various Artists
Exhibition Dates:
April 22nd, 2025 – Exhibition Opening Day
April 25th, 2025 – Exhibition Public Reception, 6:00PM – 7:30PM in the Community Gallery
May 10th, 2025 – Exhibition Closes
About This Exhibition:
A “round-up” of a few like-minded artists living and working in Iowa.
Artist List:
Sean Thornton
Ruby Walker
Rat Tunnel
Juan Gomez
Lydia Nong
Zack Bukovich
Rafa
Spike Dupree

2025 Annual Members' Show
2025-05-27 10:00 - 2025-06-21 17:00
2025 Annual Members’ Show
Group Exhibition by members of the Octagon Center for the Arts
May 27th – June 21st, 2025 in the Octagon Community Gallery
About this group exhibition:
This non-juried show celebrates the skills, creativity, and lived experiences of the Octagon community! Let’s fill the gallery and surround ourselves with our own amazing work — established artists next to emerging artists, all media.

Exhibition Dates:
May 27th, 2025 – Exhibition Opening Day
June 21st, 2025 – Exhibition Closes
Artist List:
Carolyn Abbott, Sushila Anderson, Abigail Badger, Janice Bell, Tina Campbell, Vivian M. Cook, Pamela Douglas, Lisa Fontaine, Jennifer Gauerke, Joe Geha, Raina Genaw, Erik Gustafson, Rex Heer, Gary Hoard, Denise Hoffman, Laurie Hoifeldt, Diane Holland Rickerl, Evan Hoyt, Summer Hoyt, Sean Johnson, Letitia Kenemer, Nancy Lindsay, Charissa Menefee, Susan Norris, Dori Patrick, Clint Petersen, Timothy F. Pross, Kristin M. Roach, Kimberlee Rocca, Delayne Segar, Robert Sunderman, Kathy Svec, Troy Thomas, Barb Thompson, Sean Thornton, Karen Van Wert, Rob Wallace, Kelsey Wilson, Jennifer Withers, J Yang, Thomas Zimmerman

Solo Art Exhibition: Raluca Iancu "Over + Under"
2025-06-30 10:00 - 2025-07-12 17:00
Over + Under
Solo Exhibition by Raluca Iancu

Exhibition Dates:
June 30th, 2025 – Exhibition Opening Day
July 10th, 2025 – Exhibition Reception from 6pm – 7:30pm in the Community Gallery
Raluca will be giving an Artist Talk at 6:30pm on July 10th!
July 12th, 2025 – Exhibition Closes

Artist Statement:
My work explores disaster, memory and vulnerability through different media, ranging from printmaking to performance, to edible art and printed objects. I question the way we look at tragedy as well as the way we deal with the aftermath. We depend on our technology (planes, trains, automobiles) and easily forget that it is just as fallible as our bodies. In our contemporary media driven culture, catastrophes, of all kinds, are trivialized by their frequent appearances across the spectrum of information media, especially as access to data is more widespread than ever before. We, as a society, have become desensitized to these events through constant exposure, unable to understand the serious consequences of our actions. Separated from the outside world by our screens and windshields, we create a culture of indifference as we learn to consume tragedy, on all scales, as entertainment. The automobile drastically changed the way that we experience the world, physically, as well as intellectually. We find ourselves with endless facets for the consideration of our impermanence, as morbid curiosity pushes us to hyperextend our necks, to the point of material transformation (skin, bone, and muscle, into rubber). The work in this exhibition is centered on the role of automobiles in our lives and their impact on our environment.

Artist Biography:
Raluca Iancu is currently an Assistant Professor in Art & Visual Culture, Printmaking, at Iowa State University (ISU). She earned her MFA in Studio Art, Printmaking, from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK), and her BFA in Printmaking from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Her work investigates disaster, memory, and vulnerability through different media, ranging from printmaking to performance, to edible art and printed objects. She is interested in how our relationship with technology simultaneously enhances our lives, while also leaving us vulnerable.
She has exhibited internationally, at venues including the Art Museum of Cluj-Napoca (Romania), and the CICA Museum (Korea); and nationally at the International Print Center of New York (NY), the Bradbury Art Museum, (AR), the Art Institute of Boston (MA), and the Hunterdon Museum (NJ), among others. She has been an artist in residence in the United States, at the Hambidge Center for Creative Arts & Sciences (GA) and the Vermont Studio Center (VT), among others; and internationally Art Print Residence (Spain), the Eugeniusz Geppert Academy of Fine Arts (Poland), St Michael’s Printshop (Canada), Mi-LAB and Studio Kura (Japan), and, most recently, BetterPress Lab (Italy).

Group Art Exhibition: Iowa Artist/Mother Group “Elusive Balance”
2025-07-21 10:00 - 2025-08-09 17:00
Elusive Balance
Group Exhibition by Iowa Artist/Mother Group

Exhibition Dates:
July 21st, 2025 – Exhibition Opening Day
August 9th, 2025 – Exhibition Reception 2:00PM – 5:00PM in the Community Gallery
August 9th, 2025 – Exhibition Closes

Artist Statement:
Works in this exhibition will include fiber art, painting, printmaking, mixed media, performance, sculpture, photography, and video with a variety of processes and methods. With our intention to showcase the voices of Iowa artist mothers who represent a range of diverse backgrounds, ages, motherhood stages, and mediums, the exhibition will convey a collection of experiences and perspectives that the work of one singular artist’s body of work would prove challenging to convey. The Iowa Artist/Mother group presents an exhibition entitled “Elusive Balance.” The theme of this exhibition explores the challenges of finding balance within artist and mother/caregiver identities. Since there is no one way to embody motherhood, this theme is open to broad interpretation, encompassing ideas of rest and productivity, contentment and overwhelm, stability and transition, responsibility and absurdity/play, and societal expectations vs. personal intuition. We are interested in how one finds personal balance or simply lets go of this elusive state, embracing or celebrating imbalance within life and art. This exhibition showcases the voices of Iowa artist mothers who represent a range of diverse backgrounds, ages, motherhood stages, and mediums. Each artist has one piece on exhibit. Many of the artists are affiliated with the Iowa Artist/Mother group, an egalitarian group started in 2021 that meets regularly to build community, share resources, and support artists who are also caregivers.

Artist Biography:
The Iowa Artist/Mother group presents an exhibition entitled “Elusive Balance.” The theme of this exhibition explores the challenges of finding balance within artist and mother/caregiver identities. Since there is no one way to embody motherhood, this theme is open to broad interpretation, encompassing ideas of rest and productivity, contentment and overwhelm, stability and transition, responsibility and absurdity/play, and societal expectations vs. personal intuition. We are interested in how one finds personal balance or simply lets go of this elusive state, embracing or celebrating imbalance within life and art.
This exhibition showcases the voices of Iowa artist mothers who represent a range of diverse backgrounds, ages, motherhood stages, and mediums. Each artist has one piece on exhibit.
Many of the artists are affiliated with the Iowa Artist/Mother group, an egalitarian group started in 2021 that meets regularly to build community, share resources, and support artists who are also caregivers.
You can learn more about this travelling exhibition HERE
Participating Artists:
Alicia Wilkinson, Akwi Nji, Alexandra Ackerman, Allison Rowe, Amenda Tate, Astrid Hilger Bennett, Catherine Reinhart, Bailey Fry-Schnormeier, Emily Newman, Emily Jalinsky, Genevra Daley, Hope Spragg, Jamie Elizabeth Hudrlik, Jill Wells, Julia Franklin, Kelly Devitt, Kay Ireland, Kristin M. Roach, Larassa Kabel, Lauren A. Ross, Mirzam Perez, Ramona Muse Lambert, Sheena Daugherty, Stephanie Brunia
Note: These artists have extend invitations to a selection of other female-identifying Iowa artists/caregivers for inclusion in the exhibition.

“Elusive Balance” Reception
2025-08-09 14:00 - 17:00

Group Art Exhibition: Alexandra and Jeremy Ackerman "Just Duet”
2025-08-18 10:00 - 2025-09-05 17:00
Just Duet
Group Exhibition by Alexandra Ackerman and Jeremy Ackerman

Exhibition Dates:
August 18th, 2025 – Exhibition Opening Day
September 5th, 2025 – Exhibition Reception 5:30PM – 7:30PM in the Community Gallery
September 5th, 2025 – Exhibition Closes

Artists’ Statements:

Alexandra Ackerman:
For as long as I can remember I have found comfort and joy in making things with my hands. Art has helped me process and respond to the beauty and complexity of the world through every phase of life. Now, as an adult, I can see that all my work is in honor of childhood and in dedication to my childhood self, the girl who found pure freedom in creating her own worlds. My paintings are “internal landscapes”, unique environments that reflect a deep love of color, pattern, nature, and play. My visual language draws from my years of experience farming and gardening across the country. I have found infinite pleasure in the simple act of watching plants grow; my hands in the soil, bearing witness to the life cycle from seed to fruit, contemplating the mysteries of clouds, bugs, and steaming piles of compost. The transformative experience of pregnancy and motherhood have also shaped me as an artist, giving new meaning to the concept of “creation”.
For the past twenty years I have constantly sought to balance my roles of mother and artist, finding joy and tears in the process. During the pandemic I shifted my focus from watercolor to acrylic and mixed media. I began gluing fabric scraps onto wood panels, and painting around and over them. Cutting and gluing was grounding and healing in a time of extreme uncertainty. My current work – a series of acrylic and fabric paintings on wood – explores a combination of contrasting themes: wild vs. cultivated landscape, domestic vs. natural environment, order vs. chaos. Each painting seeks harmony and balance in color and composition, texture and pattern. I am especially inspired by folk art, botanical art, aboriginal art, and patchwork quilts. I hope my paintings will stimulate curiosity and encourage the viewer to look at the world with fresh eyes.
Jeremy Ackerman:
The irreverent artist Ray Johnson produced a series of seemingly improvised performances during his career that he referred to as “Throw Away Gestures.” Usually consisting of a few unremarkable objects, Johnson would break down social norms by interacting with these objects in playful yet unsettling ways. These performances were not slick but rather a series of untethered gestures that were meant to surprise those
bearing witness. Simple, uncomplicated, yet full of possibilities. In my most recent series of mixed media cut paper collages, I’ve adapted Johnson’s concept of the “Throw Away Gesture” for two dimensional work. Scribbles became loose forms that were drawn up very quickly; sometimes without even looking at the paper. As the number of my throw away gestures accumulated I would look for interesting relationships between them. The drawn gestures then went through a comically tedious process of being cut out with an x-acto blade. Ultimately, I was left with a collection of forms that were chopped up, reduced, expanded, connected, colored, layered and sometimes actually thrown away.
My lifelong fascination with music played a major role in the aesthetic of these works. Rhythm and color push against each other as the cut out gestures dive, slam, twerk, bounce and pogo; avatars for all the things floating around in my head. In these artworks the viewer might see glimmers of my lived experience of punk rock, doo-wop, death obsession, new age philosophy, hamburgers, boom boxes, spirits in the material world, guilt, divine comedies, garbage collection, aboriginal dreamtime conduits, cosmic jazz and other such additions to a life time laundry list. In the end, these sets of throw away gestures and random rules ushered in a new era of psychedelic storytelling that was in hot pursuit of self actualization.

Artists’ Biographies:

Alexandra Ackerman:
Alexandra Ackerman is a mixed media artist who uses color, pattern, and form (both organic and geometric) to create playful and dynamic abstract landscapes. Her artwork has been influenced by her years of experience working on farms and in gardens across the U.S. She is also inspired by folk art, patchwork quilts, abstract expressionism, and the Midwest landscape. Originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan, Ackerman grew up a keen observer of the natural world, knowing from a young age that she would be an artist. She earned her BFA at Massachusetts College of Art, where she explored a variety of media, often incorporating fabric, collage, and found objects into her work. Ackerman has continued her exploration for three decades, maintaining a childlike freedom in her painting while balancing her roles as artist and mother. She has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions nationally and her work has found a home in many public and private collections. Recent exhibitions include the Iowa State Capitol, Memorial Union Gallery at ISU, and the Dubuque Museum of Art biennial. Her work can be found at Liz Lidgett Gallery and Prairie Lights Bookstore. Alexandra shares a studio with her husband, Jeremy, in downtown Iowa City.
Jeremy Ackerman:
In the 1990’s, visual artist Jeremy Ackerman attended Massachusetts College of Art in Boston. There he studied unconventional painting and installation with Afro Cuban artist Magadlena Compos-Pons. Heavily influenced by Compos-Pons’ polymathic approach to art making, Jeremy began to explore a multitude of media including drawing, sculpture, film and performance. After moving back to his hometown of Minneapolis at the end of the century, Jeremy continued to create art work while also founding the critically acclaimed eclectic pop group, Walker Kong. During this creative era of music making, Jeremy also began to experiment with cut paper collage. As his cut paper practice developed, so did his vision for what could be expressed with the medium. Jeremy has spent the last two decades creating a body of cut paper work that distills hyperactive movement into eye popping psychedelic dreamscapes.
During the pandemic Jeremy created his most ambitious work to date “Run Run Run (We Could Have Died)!” The first public viewing will be at Octagon Center for the Arts. In addition to growing his visual art, Jeremy recently started a recording studio/ DIY music label, Mouse Traxx Sounds. He is a current member of the music group, Oranj Ruffs, whose debut album was released in June 2024. He lives in Iowa City with his partner Alexandra, and their two children.

"Just Duet” Reception
2025-09-05 17:30 - 19:30

Solo Art Exhibition: Christopher Hynes “Visions of Hildegard”
2025-09-12 10:00 - 2025-09-28 17:00
Visions of Hildegard
Solo Exhibition by Christopher Hynes

Exhibition Dates:
September 12th, 2025 – Exhibition Opening Day
September 12th, 2025 – Exhibition Reception 5:30PM – 7PM in the Community Gallery with choir performance by the group “Good Company” at 6pm
September 28th, 2025 – Exhibition Closes

Artist Statement:
“There is a little bit of something in everything and that is what I like to explore.”
My work is all about storytelling–my Assemblages, Sculptures, Collages, and Pigmented Plasters all bear a narrative element. Through observing, reinterpreting, repurposing, and reimagining objects, materials and artifacts, I create visual poems that are sometimes political and serious, sometimes whimsical and humorous, but always with purpose and intent. When I’m in my studio everything I need is there and the universe is perfect.
Hildegard of Bingen saw the world as a whole – nearly nine centuries before spaceflight allowed us to see the Earth as a vulnerable orb against the darkness of space. I have long had a personal connection with this exceptional mystic. Having raised ten children- I was the tenth- my mother returned to her vocation as a Benedictine nun after my father passed away. She told me about Hildegard, her work and her visions in the early eighties before she became known and celebrated in bibliotherapy research. So when Alex [collaborative composer] shared his ideas of working with Hildegard of Bingen’s concepts and music for our second collaboration, I was immediately drawn in. The number 3 occurs with regularity in Hildegard’s writings, and Alex made this central in his new composition. I then decided to base my palette on the three primary colors and their opposites. The nine paintings divided in three subsets of three sizes – 24 x 24, 48 x 48, and 24 x 48 inches determined the size of the paintings. I worked exclusively in pigmented plaster, which dates back to the Babylonians. It is a material that Hildegard would have been familiar with and that I discovered while working the trades in the early 2000s. I apply the plaster with a variety of knives ranging from large mud knives to very small palette knives typically used for oil Paint on a surface of wood Panels or from plywood found on job sites. Each tool allows me to create different textures and details, working with this ancient medium in a modern context. I chose the orbs to reflect Hildegard’s visionary depictions and the larger expansive world she perceived. The paintings represent the vibrant energy she found within her contemplative state in monastic life. I must say creating them takes me into a deep meditative state. The first three paintings I created, measuring 24″ x 24″, have the primary colors red, blue, and yellow, on a field of their complementary opposites, green, orange, and purple.
At the heart of each piece is an orb within a square, symbolically enclosed by a gilt cross. These simple yet powerful forms are inspired by Hildegard’s Benedictine tradition, evoking spiritual balance, the intersection of the earthly and the divine, and the cyclical nature of spiritual growth. The gold reflects spiritual awareness. Hildegard explained that her visions were not observed by the senses but within her soul, opened to experience. She called it “the reflection of the living light” and said it was “not spatial, but far, far brighter than a cloud which carries the sun. The three larger square paintings, 48″ x 48”, have an orb in a secondary color on a field of blended primary and secondary colors. These paintings symbolize Hildegard’s visions of the great unknown cosmos and her mystical experiences of astral travel. The orbs serve as metaphors for Hildegard’s visions and meditations on the divine order of the cosmos, which she documented in her manuscripts. These orbs also evoke the mystical nature of her “Music of the Spheres,” an ancient and medieval philosophical idea where the movements of celestial bodies are not random but instead follow a harmonious and ordered system, stirring with life. As she writes in her final text, The Book of Divine Works: “the waters flow as if alive, and the sun lives within its own light, and when the moon has waned it is rekindled by the light of the sun and thereby lives anew, and the stars shine forth in their own light as though alive.”‘ The final three paintings are horizontal works, measuring 24×48, inspired by the trio of musicians’ free improvisations that run throughout the jazz composition. The three primary colors in these pieces mirror the fluid and spontaneous nature of improvisation, where distinct yet interconnected elements come together to create a cohesive whole. The paintings have a visual reference to Physica, Hildegard’s treatises on medicinal plants, recording one of the first compendiums of European plants that offered insight into their herbal properties and their use as remedies.
Artist Biography:
Christopher Hynes is the youngest of 10 children and grew up in Washington, D.C. around artists, writers, and politicos. As a young man he was a studio assistant for several Washington artists. He also worked in an archival frame shop but, mostly, he played in rock and roll bands. In 1988 he turned to the visual arts full time. He is mostly self-taught and has had numerous group and one-man shows in Texas, New York, D.C., and other cities. His work is in many private collections across the United States. He’s lived in Austin since 1984.

“Visions of Hildegard” Reception
2025-09-12 17:30 - 19:00
Visions of Hildegard
Solo Exhibition by Christopher Hynes

Exhibition Dates:
September 12th, 2025 – Exhibition Opening Day
September 12th, 2025 – Exhibition Reception 5:30PM – 7PM in the Community Gallery with choir performance by the group “Good Company” at 6pm
September 28th, 2025 – Exhibition Closes

Artist Statement:
“There is a little bit of something in everything and that is what I like to explore.”
My work is all about storytelling–my Assemblages, Sculptures, Collages, and Pigmented Plasters all bear a narrative element. Through observing, reinterpreting, repurposing, and reimagining objects, materials and artifacts, I create visual poems that are sometimes political and serious, sometimes whimsical and humorous, but always with purpose and intent. When I’m in my studio everything I need is there and the universe is perfect.
Hildegard of Bingen saw the world as a whole – nearly nine centuries before spaceflight allowed us to see the Earth as a vulnerable orb against the darkness of space. I have long had a personal connection with this exceptional mystic. Having raised ten children- I was the tenth- my mother returned to her vocation as a Benedictine nun after my father passed away. She told me about Hildegard, her work and her visions in the early eighties before she became known and celebrated in bibliotherapy research. So when Alex [collaborative composer] shared his ideas of working with Hildegard of Bingen’s concepts and music for our second collaboration, I was immediately drawn in. The number 3 occurs with regularity in Hildegard’s writings, and Alex made this central in his new composition. I then decided to base my palette on the three primary colors and their opposites. The nine paintings divided in three subsets of three sizes – 24 x 24, 48 x 48, and 24 x 48 inches determined the size of the paintings. I worked exclusively in pigmented plaster, which dates back to the Babylonians. It is a material that Hildegard would have been familiar with and that I discovered while working the trades in the early 2000s. I apply the plaster with a variety of knives ranging from large mud knives to very small palette knives typically used for oil Paint on a surface of wood Panels or from plywood found on job sites. Each tool allows me to create different textures and details, working with this ancient medium in a modern context. I chose the orbs to reflect Hildegard’s visionary depictions and the larger expansive world she perceived. The paintings represent the vibrant energy she found within her contemplative state in monastic life. I must say creating them takes me into a deep meditative state. The first three paintings I created, measuring 24″ x 24″, have the primary colors red, blue, and yellow, on a field of their complementary opposites, green, orange, and purple.
At the heart of each piece is an orb within a square, symbolically enclosed by a gilt cross. These simple yet powerful forms are inspired by Hildegard’s Benedictine tradition, evoking spiritual balance, the intersection of the earthly and the divine, and the cyclical nature of spiritual growth. The gold reflects spiritual awareness. Hildegard explained that her visions were not observed by the senses but within her soul, opened to experience. She called it “the reflection of the living light” and said it was “not spatial, but far, far brighter than a cloud which carries the sun. The three larger square paintings, 48″ x 48”, have an orb in a secondary color on a field of blended primary and secondary colors. These paintings symbolize Hildegard’s visions of the great unknown cosmos and her mystical experiences of astral travel. The orbs serve as metaphors for Hildegard’s visions and meditations on the divine order of the cosmos, which she documented in her manuscripts. These orbs also evoke the mystical nature of her “Music of the Spheres,” an ancient and medieval philosophical idea where the movements of celestial bodies are not random but instead follow a harmonious and ordered system, stirring with life. As she writes in her final text, The Book of Divine Works: “the waters flow as if alive, and the sun lives within its own light, and when the moon has waned it is rekindled by the light of the sun and thereby lives anew, and the stars shine forth in their own light as though alive.”‘ The final three paintings are horizontal works, measuring 24×48, inspired by the trio of musicians’ free improvisations that run throughout the jazz composition. The three primary colors in these pieces mirror the fluid and spontaneous nature of improvisation, where distinct yet interconnected elements come together to create a cohesive whole. The paintings have a visual reference to Physica, Hildegard’s treatises on medicinal plants, recording one of the first compendiums of European plants that offered insight into their herbal properties and their use as remedies.
Artist Biography:
Christopher Hynes is the youngest of 10 children and grew up in Washington, D.C. around artists, writers, and politicos. As a young man he was a studio assistant for several Washington artists. He also worked in an archival frame shop but, mostly, he played in rock and roll bands. In 1988 he turned to the visual arts full time. He is mostly self-taught and has had numerous group and one-man shows in Texas, New York, D.C., and other cities. His work is in many private collections across the United States. He’s lived in Austin since 1984.

Performers:
Good Company is a premier women’s ensemble, bringing together women of all ages and walks of life to share the beauty of choral music in Ames. A small group of Good Company members will be performing two works by Hildegard of Bingen, under the direction of Steve Hoifeldt.
Website: goodcompanysings.com

Group Art Exhibition: Cedar River Artisans “Voices”
2025-10-09 08:00 - 2025-11-13 17:00
Voices
Group Exhibition by Cedar River Artisans

Exhibition Dates:
October 9th, 2025 – Exhibition Opening Day
November 13th, 2025 – Exhibition Public Reception from 6:00 – 7:30PM in the Community Gallery
November 13th, 2025 – Exhibition Closes

Artist Statement:
VOICES will center around what makes our thoughts similar not what makes us different. We look beyond ideologies, divisive words, materials and techniques. We live in a time when it is more critical than ever to come together as a country, community, and region and find commonalities. How does the ephemeral nature of paper speak to a paused sunset? How can abstraction bring us together in an age of dialogue and representation? Our focus returns full circle to look at our core values to share our interior person experiences and the kinship of the Cedar River Artisans with the greater Iowa community.
Exhibiting Artists:
Robert Fox, Ellen Kleckner, M.L Kline, Julia Kottal, Nancy Lindsay, Marty Mitchell, Elizabeth Rhoads Read, and John Schwartzkopf.

Artists’ Biographies:
Cedar River Artisans (CRA) is a consortium of professional artists seeking public and private art commissions for collaborative or individual artwork. We are based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Our artists live in Cedar Rapids and the surrounding regions. Individually, the members have a history of success in juried art shows throughout the area and are represented in several leading galleries and museums. As a collective we are interconnected. The Cedar River Artisans work in a broad swatch of materials: printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, pastel, oil painting, fiber arts and photography. Our working method is collaborative, and our objective is to produce a unified visual statement through our art and to bring the power of art into your public or commercial spaces.

The collective consists of eight members:
Robert Fox, Ellen Kleckner, M.L Kline, Julia Kottal, Nancy Lindsay, Marty Mitchell, Elizabeth Rhoads Read, and John Schwartzkopf.

**Work in Event Image (from top left to bottom right)
John Schwartzkopf – Swing
Marty Mitchell – Phlox at the Quarry
Bob Fox – Spotted Bee Balm
M.L. Kline – Captured Moments
Nancy Lindsay – Untold Stories
Ellen Klenecker – Loop
Julia Kottal – Colorfield Lilac, Green & Orange
Elizabeth Rhoads Read – Super Imposition

“Voices” Reception
2025-11-13 18:00 - 19:30

Octagonal: The All Media Show
2026-01-19 10:00 - 2026-03-14 17:00
Octagonal: The All Media Show
Group Exhibition by Various Artists

Exhibition Dates:
January 19, 2026 – Exhibition Opening DayJanuary 22, 2026– Exhibition ReceptionMarch 14, 2026 – Exhibition Closes

Exhibiting Artist List:

Joanne Alberda – Lunar LandscapeShelly Bales – WonderlustJasmine Beul – Rose Window BottleAmanda Brown – SpaceBetsy Busby – Behold the OnionMaureen Burke – AweTroy Cannon – Osprey’s CrySara Carlson – Too Close To The SunTroy Chebuhar – Waste GeocentricismNatalie Deam – Swim SwarmPamela Douglas – Red Lily PadsLinda Emmerson – LondonJoani Feiner – Enticing RufflesElaina Fredrickson – Chaotic ExposureJill Guffy– Abstract Duet: Coming and Going

Kaitlin Harvey – Forget Me Nots & MarigoldsJoanna Haug – It’s Over Why Scream?Jim Heemstra – Decay of the MightyHeather Hicks – Neck CrackWill Hildebrandt – FloraDiane Holland Rickerl – Mary JaneEvan Hoyt – Ascent from SlumberMarcia Joffe-Bouska – THE UNRAVELINGPeggy Johnston – Party at Nick’sAnnie Laursen – Gray VLinda Lewis – Comfortable in her own skinIngrid Lilligren – TumblingSarah Loch-Test – Mining NecklaceDiane Michaud Lowry – UnityGenevieve Moritz – Cats in Bloom

Lydia Nong – Oranges Smell GoodDeb O’Brien – BirdsongGeoff Paulline – Playin’ PossumSarah Perkins – Barnacle ContainerIsaac Prior – Aeons WaltzSara Rieger – Sinking by the Bow at MidnightLiona Rocca – Image BearerKarl Schecht – Cosmic Marble #9Hongci Shih – Ephemeral BlessingAudrey Stirling – Glowing in the ShadowsSydney Thompson – PenumbraMattea Whetstone – DoneAlicia Wilkinson – The TreasureGraham Young – Renting on Pluto, Dreaming of Saturn

Octagonal Artists' Reception
2026-01-22 17:30 - 19:00
Octagonal: The All Media Show
Group Exhibition by Various Artists

Exhibition Dates:
January 19, 2026 – Exhibition Opening DayJanuary 22, 2026 – Exhibition Reception Awards announced at 6:15pmMarch 14, 2026 – Exhibition Closes

Exhibiting Artist List:

Joanne Alberda – Lunar LandscapeShelly Bales – WonderlustJasmine Beul – Rose Window BottleAmanda Brown – SpaceBetsy Busby – Behold the OnionMaureen Burke – AweTroy Cannon – Osprey’s CrySara Carlson – Too Close To The SunTroy Chebuhar – Waste GeocentricismNatalie Deam – Swim SwarmPamela Douglas – Red Lily PadsLinda Emmerson – LondonJoani Feiner – Enticing RufflesElaina Fredrickson – Chaotic ExposureJill Guffy– Abstract Duet: Coming and Going

Kaitlin Harvey – Forget Me Nots & MarigoldsJoanna Haug – It’s Over Why Scream?Jim Heemstra – Decay of the MightyHeather Hicks – Neck CrackWill Hildebrandt – FloraDiane Holland Rickerl – Mary JaneEvan Hoyt – Ascent from SlumberMarcia Joffe-Bouska – THE UNRAVELINGPeggy Johnston – Party at Nick’sAnnie Laursen – Gray VLinda Lewis – Comfortable in her own skinIngrid Lilligren – TumblingSarah Loch-Test – Mining NecklaceDiane Michaud Lowry – UnityGenevieve Moritz – Cats in Bloom

Lydia Nong – Oranges Smell GoodDeb O’Brien – BirdsongGeoff Paulline – Playin’ PossumSarah Perkins – Barnacle ContainerIsaac Prior – Aeons WaltzSara Rieger – Sinking by the Bow at MidnightLiona Rocca – Image BearerKarl Schecht – Cosmic Marble #9Hongci Shih – Ephemeral BlessingAudrey Stirling – Glowing in the ShadowsSydney Thompson – PenumbraMattea Whetstone – DoneAlicia Wilkinson – The TreasureGraham Young – Renting on Pluto, Dreaming of Saturn

The Annual High School Show
2026-03-26 10:00 - 2026-04-04 17:00
The Annual High School Senior & Junior Show
Group Exhibition by Various High School Artists

Exhibition Dates:
March 26, 2026 – Exhibition Opening Day
March 26, 2026 – Artists’ Reception from 4:30-5:30pm; Awards to be announced at 5:00pm
April 4, 2026 – Exhibition Closes

The Annual High School Show Reception
2026-03-26 16:30 - 17:30
