Snáithín Bainneanach/Feminine Fiber
2023-01-30 08:00 - 2023-02-25 17:00 (America/Chicago) | Octagon Center for the Arts, 427 Douglas Avenue, Ames, IA, 50010, United States
Snáithín Bainneanach/Feminine Fiber — Exhibition by Cynthia O’Hern
January 30th – February 25th 2023
A new fiber exhibition by Cynthia O’Hern will be exhibiting from January 30th to February 25th in the Community Gallery!

Cynthia O’Hern is a figurative fiber artist who utilizes the process of feltmaking to create figure and form by coaxing wool fibers into solid cloths of felted wool. She is drawn to the medium of felt for its tactile nature; its slow, conscious process; and its latent expressive potential.

Upcoming event dates:

January 30th – Exhibition opening day
February 2nd – 5:00pm Artist talk at the Community Gallery

Octagonal 2023: The All Media Show
2023-03-03 08:00 - 2023-04-08 17:00
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.

CLICK HERE to visit the Octagonal Page

Exhibit Timeline

Applications Open: Dec 2, 2022
Applications Close: Jan 15, 2023, 11:59 pm
Notification of Jury Results: Jan 25, 2023
Artwork Delivery/Drop-off Deadline: Feb 18, 2023*
Exhibit Opening/Reception: March 3
Exhibit Closes: April 8
Artwork Pickup Dates: April 10 – 14, 2023
Artwork Ship Dates: April 17 – 21, 2023
*All artwork must be received by February 18, 2023. Dropoff only on weekdays (in-person)or via mail.

2023 Juror: Ash Hanson

Ash Hanson has 15 years of experience working with rural communities to activate stories, connect neighbors, and exercise collective imagination.
She is the Executive Director of the Department of Public Transformation (DoPT), an artist-led nonprofit working at the intersection of creativity and civic life in rural communities; the founder of PlaceBase Productions, a theater company that creates original, site-specific musicals celebrating small-town life; and, a member of the Center for Performance and Civic Practice Leadership Circle. Previously, she was the Program Director for the Minnesota Theater Alliance, serving the statewide performing arts community, and the Program Director for Public Art Saint Paul, producing large-scale public art events and experiences.
She was an Artist-in-Residence in the City of Minneapolis Planning Department and with the Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership, where she employed creative community engagement strategies for equitable participation in urban and rural planning processes. She holds an MA in Applied Theater with a focus on Rural Community Development, and she was named an Obama Foundation Fellow and a Bush Fellow for her work with rural communities. She believes deeply in the power of play and exclamation points!
Click to visit Ash Hanson’s website

Below are the accepted artists for 2023. Congratulations!

Last Name
First Name
Title

Arp
Jordan
Heart of Gold

Arp
Jordan
Red, White, BOOM

Busby
Betty
Don’t Touch Me

Busby
Betty
In the Beginning

Cooper
Karen
Doing Fine.

Deam
Natalie
Skullwreck

DuVal Mihelich
Katie
How Do I Say Goodbye?

Freese
Robert
Original Social Post

Gauerke
Jennifer
Comfortmaker

Hardy
Michele
Circles #51

Hoyt
Summer
The Spring of Fortitude

Huffman
Angie
Saturday

Joffe-Bouska
Marcia
RIO DEL OLVIDO (river of forgetfulness)

Kruse
Jerene
Peaceful Shelter

Lemons
Jon
Blank Billboard

McKaig
Kelly
Orbits and Excavations: Nine-Patch Orbit

Park
Sangsook
An old diary memory (Brooch)

Petersen
Clinton
Red City

Pfeiffer
Jarred
Twin Columns

prior
Isaac
Blue Folds, Waves

Quinn
Jess
Symphony In Purple and Green

Reeves
Elizabeth
Consumption

Reinhart
Catherine
Inland Surveying

Reinhart
Catherine
Clan Curio

Rocca
Kimberlee
A Stone’s Throw

Roethler
Megan
Dining Room

Shea
Bradley
Over the Hills and Far Away

Simonsen
Richard
NAUTICA

Sorrell
Josh
Generate

staniforth
art
jungle

Wallace
Rob
Eye of the Tiger

Whalley
Tom
Twister

Whetstone
Mattea
Nutshell

Wilkinson
Alicia
Childhood Sky [healing pixel textile painting]

Wollert
Zach
Construct

Zhang
Dafang
Chinese Wisteria

To all artists who submitted art to Octagonal this year, we want to thank you for supporting the Octagon!

2023 Elementary/Middle/High School Annual Student Show
2023-04-17 - 2023-05-13
The Octagon Center for the Arts highlights artwork by local elementary, middle, and high school students annually.

GRADES K – 8 (Virtual):
SHOW DETAILS:

Google Form Submission Due: 5 pm, Saturday, April 1, 2023
Virtual Exhibit Opening: Monday, April 17, 2023
Art from Grades K – 8 will be displayed virtually.
Each elementary and middle school student may submit one piece to exhibit.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:

All submitted artwork must be entered into the Google Form by April 1st at 5:00 pm to be included in the show.
All media will be accepted.
Photographic reproduction of entries may be used or copied by the Octagon Center for the Arts, without further agreement by the artists, for exhibition and/or publication (print or online). Artwork may not be credited in publications due to space limitations.

GRADES 9 – 12:
IMPORTANT DATES:

Show Opening in the Community Gallery: Monday, April 17, 2023
Reception: Thursday, April 20, 2023, 4:00-5:30pm in the Community Gallery. Our juror will announce high school awards and share comments on the show.
Show Closing in the Community Gallery: Saturday, May 13, 2023

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS:

If you are a 9-12 art instructor or homeschool parent and would like to enter your students’ work into the show, please email the Gallery Director to recieve a copy of the complete submission guidellines.
Eligible high schools or homeschool students must be located within 20 miles from Ames.

2023 EXHIBIT JUROR: SUSAN NORRIS

Susan Norris, an Ames artist, is a human magpie. Walk with her and you’ll witness her exclaim as she picks up a bit of rusty metal or a shard of plastic. Variety is the spice of Norris’ life from the colors, patterns and textures of her thrifted clothing and garden to the way she sets a table.
She is a scrappy collector and determined connector who can stitch Humpty-Dumpty back together again in a variety of imaginative ways. During the 2021 Ames Artist Studio tour folks asked, “How did you think of so many different ways to put things together?”
Norris is passionate about rescuing discarded objects, likening them to discarded people. The process of finding, sorting and grouping objects inspires ideas for expression through assemblage. Norris is currently experimenting with ways to combine her lifelong love of hand stitching and her newfound interest in mending with found object art.

QUESTIONS?
Contact: Casey Bridgham, Gallery Director
Address: 427 Douglas Avenue, Ames, IA 50010
Phone: 515-232-5331
Email: exhibits@octagonarts.org

The Words He Cannot Say
2023-05-22 10:00 - 2023-06-17 17:00
The Words He Cannot Say — Exhibition by Leo Bird
May 22nd – June 17th, 2023
A exhibition by Leo Bird
Exhibiting in the Community Gallery

This exhibition is a collection of works of Leo’s art accompanied by Leo’s writings.

About The Words He Cannot Say:

I, Leo Bird (b. 1991, Ames, Iowa) was diagnosed with autism when I was three years old and created the graphic memoir The Words He Cannot Say. In this memoir I show how I overcame alienation and bullying, succeeded in my job search, and learned from mistakes through the patient help of parents, teachers, and classmates.
From analyzing my past, I learned how I or someone else could have acted differently so the conflict could have had a better outcome. I write and draw to provide commentary on actions that my peers and I took in the past, without being influenced by any book, movie, author, or genre. My work is life becoming art instead of art imitating life. Some parts of The Words He Cannot Say were written objectively enough to allow subjective opinions. Audiences react to it in ways that surprise me and I learn from the audience. My stories inspire audiences to be kind, self aware, courageous, and adventurous and have debunked myths. The artist I draw like is Alex Katz, whom I had not heard of before artists had analyzed my art. I aim to use a color scheme that creates the maximum amount of contrast between adjacent colors using the minimum amount of color.
I got the idea for The Words He Cannot Say an interview in the summer between my junior and senior year of college in 2013. The interviewer suggested I could teach people about autism. I thought I could do that by using the true storytelling techniques I learned in my Writing Short Stories Class. When I shared my stories, I learned that nuerotypicals (people without autism) and even cats and dogs faced the same challenges fitting in as I did and found the topic interesting, so I shifted the focus of The Words He Cannot Say to fitting in, building talent and character and allowed The Words He Cannot Say to lose the autism theme. This discovery motivated me to write about my life.

Leo Bird’s Website: https://leobirdstandsup.com/about-leo-bird/

Upcoming event dates:

May 22nd – Exhibition Opening Day and Reception
June 17th – Exhibition Closes

The Octagon Annual All-Member Show
2023-06-26 08:00 - 2023-07-22 17:00
June 26th – July 22nd
Reception: July 20th at 5pm
At the Community Gallery

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.
Reception Event:
The reception for this show will be a closing reception on July 20th at 5pm. This shares the same date as our Patio Party, so there will be a live performance from our musical guest, The Bone People! You wont want to miss it!

2023 Artist List:
Penny Adam, Deborah Anders-Bond, Tiffany Antone, Sherry Berghefer, Casey Bridgham, Terry Brigman, Tina Campbell, Linda Cather, Johnson Caitlyn Chellew, Susan Cunningham, Mark Doherty, Pamela Douglas, Timothy F. Pross, Caroline Freese, Vaibhavi Gala, Jennifer Gauerke, Joe Geha, Jill Guffy, Erik Gustafson, Katharine Hensley, Donna Hoff-Grambau, Carl Kurtz, Kristin M. Roach, Joshua McCunn, Matthew McLain, Diane Michaud Lowry, Michael Moore, Christ & Nicole Nevels, Rebecca Newton, Rosalise Olson, Katy Patterson Phelps, Isaac Prior, Kuntal Raythatha, Kyle Renell, Kimberlee Rocca, Jill Sneed, Josh Sorrell, Tracey Stewart, Kathy Svec, Troy Thomas, Dean Traver, Mark True, Rob Wallace, Alicia Wilkinson, Amanda Williams, Kelsey Wilson, Irina Yavorskaya, Thomas Zimmerman.

"Misplaced and Lost" Exhibition by Lisa Lockman
2023-07-31 08:00 - 2023-08-26 17:00
“Misplaced and Lost” Exhibition by Lisa Lockman
July 31st – August 26th, 2023
An Exhibition by Lisa Lockman
Exhibiting in the Community Gallery

Lisa Lockman is an artist and a Professor of Art at Nebraska Wesleyan University where she teaches ceramics and metalsmithing. Her current work – ceramic murals and vessels – is influenced by maternal ancestry and the exploration of new technologies utilized with clay. “My interests in ancestry, specifically the women of my paternal side, and new technologies in art and ceramics have become the major influences in my current work.”

Reception date TBD!

"Crossroads" Exhibition by Central Iowa Textile Artists
2023-09-05 10:00 - 2023-09-30 17:00
Crossroads
Group Exhibition by Central Iowa Textile Artists
September 5th – September 30th, 2023 At The Octagon Community Gallery
About this group exhibition:
“Crossroads” – A place where two roads meet and cross each other. An intersection where a choice must be made, to go straight, or change course and take a new direction. We come to many crossroads in our lives, places where we decide to stay on the straight path, to take the path least taken, or to create a new path altogether. Sometimes life events force us down a path we don’t choose.
The artists who are members of the Central Iowa Textiles Artists have been creating art for many years. They come from varied backgrounds. Although only one member has a degree in art, all have studied with various artists in the field of textiles and beyond, for many years as they honed their own style and process.
Artist List:
Ilene Bartos, Janet Bergeron, Mary Cecil, Barbara Jones, Rebecca Kemble, Sue Kluber, Rebecca Loew, Janet Pittman, Wendy Read, Barbara Riggs, Barbara Stewart, Fern Stewart
Exhibition Dates:
September 5th – Exhibition Opening Day & Reception at 5PM
September 30th – Exhibition Closes
Artist Biographies:

Ilene Bartos –
Ilene has been working with fiber arts and quilting for over 20 years, designing both traditional
and art quilts. Her works have hung in galleries and shows and won various awards and blue
ribbons. She enjoys being a lecturer at guilds and loves teaching others how to make quilts that
are slightly beyond their comfort level or outside the traditional box. Quilting combines her
passion for color with her love of fabric and gives infinite possibilities for creative
expression.Ilene authored two traditional quilt books in 2009 and 2010 but has since been
devoting her time to designing contemporary art quilts and writing patterns for them. She loves
teaching others how to work with bright colors because it makes everyone smile – her motto is to
spread joy, one quilt at a time.
Janet Bergeron –
Textiles have defined Janet’s world since the age of eight. From garment construction,
costume design, quilting, dyeing, and construction, her happiness has always been
found in her sewing room. Her work has been exhibited locally and in a number of regional and traveling
exhibitions, as well as many homes and offices.
Mary Cecil –
Mary Cecil has always had an interest in the arts but never found her niche until she
discovered quilting. As with most quilters, she began with more traditional designs but
then began to see challenges in more diverse forms of expression. Her life in both the
US and Mexico has offered endless inspiration from images of architecture, birds, plants
and more, which she captures with her camera and then brings to life in fabric. Her work
has received recognition in a variety of venues and she continues to improve and
explore textile art making.
Barbara Jones –
For the past twenty years, Barbara has been involved in quilting, primarily in creating
fabric wall art rather than making bed quilts.
Over the years she has sold many of her “fabric paintings” and has had her art
displayed in galleries throughout the US. Her work as also been displayed in magazines
and newspaper articles. In 2006 she started a pattern company of primarily whimsical animals. The patterns are
sold in quilt stores throughout the US, the UK, Australia and Canada.
Her process for many of her art quilt “paintings” begins with a sketch of the motif,
(usually an animal) which is then transferred to the background fabric. The quilt
“paintings” often include various media, i.e., painted or hand-dyed fabric by the artist,
wool, silk, yarn, zippers, buttons, sticks, etc. many of the fabric “paintings” are done
entirely by hand, so each piece requires months to complete.
Barbara likes to bring awareness of the environmental issues facing many animals that
are disappearing or on the endangered species list through her art.
Rebecca Kemble –
Rebecca has always been inspired by her environment, and found joy in creating.
Whether in the countryside, or the city, there is always something that catches her
interest to influence her art. As a mixed media artist, she tends to combine the use of
paint, dye, fabric and stitch to create both image and texture. Her work has been shown
internationally, nationally, and resides in private collections throughout the United
States. Because of her awareness of the world around her, she is also keenly aware of how the
environment is being affected by changes in our climate. Her latest works have focused
on the “little” things that provide so much for our survival.
Sue Kluber –
There has never been a moment in Sue Kluber’s life that did not include art.
Observing all that nature offered consumed her. Love of the changing seasons ,the
wildlife, and a grandmother who lived “by the signs” were treasured inspirations, as
were life lessons from a colorful and diverse cast of talented characters that crossed
her path. She has entered some shows, won a few awards, and sells some pieces,
but the rewards are really the joy of capturing moments that she loves in the art.
Rebecca Loew –
Rebecca Loew is a textile artist living in Grinnell, Iowa. She has been quilting for more
than 40 years, but in the past ten years Rebecca has explored many other areas of the
fiber arts. She has exhibited her work in several gallery shows and has art in private
collections. She has taught Shibori, natural dying, and other textile arts at the Des
Moines Art Center.
Janet Pittman –
Janet Pittman, a quilt artist from West Des Moines, Iowa, has been quilting and
designing as owner of Garden Trellis Designs for over 30 years. Janet’s quilt designs
have appeared in Love of Quilting, American Patchwork and Quilting, and Country
Marketplace magazines. She the author of Appliqué, the Basics and Beyond, Colorful
Quilts for Playful Kids and First Time Machine Appliqué.
Inspiration for her wall hangings comes from photographs she has taken of her own
garden and of gardens and other sites on her travels. She finds that the color variations
in hand-dyed fabric and batik fabric add to the natural feel of her mostly realistic
designs. Many of her quilts are embellished with decorative threads, machine or hand
stitched, to add texture and color to the images.
Wendy Read –
Just as many young children have throughout the generations, Wendy Read became
comfortable with the fiber arts at an early age, from playing with her mother’s button
basket and the fabric scraps that fell on the floor as her mother sewed, to making many
of her own clothes as a teenager. As an adult drawn to the arts, she naturally
experimented with the media she was most familiar with, incorporating exotic and
interesting fibers and materials, paints, and dyes to create her art. Born in Baton Rouge,
Louisiana, she was fortunate to have the influence of several professional and amateur
artists in her family, as well as year-round access to nature.
Her work has been displayed in numerous exhibits and private showings, and has won
many awards throughout the country. While she uses many fiber art techniques, there is
usually extensive thread-painting in her work, where the thread becomes her paint, and
the sewing machine her paintbrush.
Barbara Riggs –
Barbara Riggs has been a fiber artist and art quilter for over 20 years. Having grown up
on a farm in Iowa has greatly influenced her art. Nature is a theme that is very much
reflected in her work. Capturing what she saw with drawings and paintings was what
drew her to the art world. When the paints and solvents had to be put away, she had to
find another medium to continue to create art. Having had a needle and thread in her
hands from a very young age, it was a natural transition to move to fiber art. Her work
has been shown internationally, nationally and in many local and regional venues,
featured in national publications, and received numerous awards.
Barbara Stewart –
Barbara (Barb) Stewart was first associated and greatly influenced into the art world by her
maternal grandmother, who was an outstanding artist, and by her Uncle Harry whose
drawings would have received numerous awards had they been displayed. Unfortunately,
she never inherited these artistic blessing, but was quite crafty and could literally sew
anything. For her, quilting was always a dream to pursue, but that was not possible until her
retirement. However, prior to her retirement, quilting expanded from the traditional style to
include an amazing form of “art quilting”, which allowed more creativity and spontaneity.
Then, with the directive of many exceptional art quilters, books and classes, she was able to
acquire knowledge involving various techniques that expanded her art quilting abilities,
including creation of three-dimensional quilts. Barb’s quilts have been influenced by her life
experiences, by nature, by other artists, by various themes or challenges from art quilt
groups she is involved with, and quite often by scripture. Exhibits of her art quilts have
occurred in various venues and at numerous private showings. Her quilts have also
received awards and have been purchased. Art quilting became a blessing for Barb, always
encouraging her to stretch her mind and imagination to create artistic beauty for others to
enjoy.
Fern Stewart –
Fern Stewart has quilted for the past 40 years. Her early work mimicked the quilt
movement of the time relying on templates, a limited color palette and traditional
approach. She quickly moved beyond those limitations and acknowledged her
independent creative spirit. She has created a number of award winning quilts.
Currently she is working on a series of quilts entitled Urban Development in which
she reflects on the changes to cities due to population growth and developer greed.
Social changes, housing density, loss of habitat and related concerns will be the
focus of her next four quilts.

"Intersection of Parallel" Group Exhibition by Jen Hem and Julie Russell-Steuart
2023-10-09 10:00 - 2023-11-04 17:00
Intersection of Parallel
Group Exhibition by Jen Hem and Julie Russell-Steuart
October 9th – November 4th, 2023
Opening Reception: Thursday, October 12th, 6-8pm
The Octagon Community Gallery
About this group exhibition:

Even as they act individually and independently, the work of these artists cross paths and intersect in powerful ways. Printmaker Julie Russell-Steuart and mixed media artist Jen Hem face off on the parallel gallery walls to tell a story together. Viewers will move through the space they inhabit, pick up the threads and follow them to places of their own.
Weaving themes of voice, activism, advocacy, social justice and mental health, Jen and Julie create an experience together that is only as deep and curious as one is willing to dive in: an of-the-moment snapshot of the emotions and undercurrents of being alive right now.
Jen Hem talks about their underlying themes and experience with mental health, “Depression can be debilitating and painful, literally like you’re bound with your mouth sewn shut. Pulling myself ‘up by my bootstraps’ was impossible. It can be hard to function, sometimes hard to even get out of bed…and it can be even harder to ask for help due to fear of not being heard and being dismissed, but finding yourself—and your voice—is possible”.
Some of Hem’s mixed media works are large, spanning six feet with figurative-based vibrant and energetic images and emotions running through them.
Hem believes that art is a powerful tool for healing and self-expression. They say that the ink “pulls the art out of me, I do not tell the brush what to paint.” This process allows Hem to tap into their subconscious mind and create works that are both honest and raw.
They contrast with Julie’s more restrained and tightly coiled root-like drypoint etchings, some with boundary pushing colors, like textured neon inks and “rainbow rolls.” Her work also draws on a spontaneity of expression and a dialogue with the work. An enigmatic figure and the anthropomorphic root shapes of a small series within delve into storytelling and narrative art. Poem fragments as titles are incorporated using hand-set metal type offer a layer of contextual experience. Other work is more focused on specific time and place like the 2020 George Floyd protests in “Names in Ash.”
Jen’s works speak too with painted words found in shapes, and symbology like locks and birds. Jen and Julie both share the heart as a symbol and vehicle of expression. Together, Hem and Russell-Steuart create an exhibition that is both deeply personal and universally resonant to viewers, especially activists and advocates finding their voice.
Exhibition Dates:
October 9th – Exhibition Opening Day
November 4th – Exhibition Closes
Julie will teach a pop-up letterpress poster printing workshop on Saturday, Oct 21, from 1 to 4pm, focusing on expressing a message with a short intro to protest poster print history. The resulting student prints will be displayed in the exhibition on a resource wall. Sign up for poster workshop here.

Join us for the opening reception on Thursday, October 12, from 6-8pm, to meet the artists and see their work in person. The exhibition will be on view through November 4, 2023.

Artist Biographies:
Jen Hem is an Iowa artist who works primarily in India Ink, and is active in Mental Health Awareness Advocacy, Advocacy for the Awareness of Violent and Sexual crimes, and exploring other mediums through their art. Jen exhibits some attributes of realism, pop art, minimalistic line art, and abstract expressionism. Their art is full of color and infused with vulnerable emotions, and psychological undertones that have developed through their experience growing up in poverty amidst a difficult family life. Jen often says “the quiet part out loud” in their art, as they bring awareness to topics including mental health, consent, sexual crimes, inequality, LBGTQ+ rights, and abuses often not openly discussed.
Visual artist Julie Russell-Steuart grew up in Maryland and earned a BFA in General Fine Art from Maryland Institute, College of Art. Her work encompasses multiple mediums with a particular interest the synthesis of word and image. She publishes artist’s books and prints on a vintage Vandercook printing press under the imprint Caveworks Press. A guillotine paper cutter and seven type cabinets full of metal typefaces and various antique cuts round out her print shop. Her artwork often combines two or more printmaking techniques like linoleum carving, pressure printing, collograph, polyester lithography, drypoint, laser cut plates, metal type and wood engraving. She has shown her work internationally, and her books are collected by several University libraries, including The University of Iowa, Texas State University, and the University of Kentucky Lucille Little Fine Arts Library. She resides in Reinbeck, Iowa, with her husband David, and daughter Venus.

Octagon Winter Market
2023-11-09 10:00 - 2023-12-09 17:00
Octagon Winter Market!
November 9th – December 9th, 2023 At The Octagon Community Gallery
About this group exhibition:
The Octagon Shop is excited to announce a temporary expansion in our Community Gallery! From November 9th to December 9th, we will have new work by Shop artists, fun discounts and other surprises!
Stay Tuned!

Exhibition Dates:
November 9th – Exhibition Opening Day
December 9th – Exhibition Closes

Uncontainable Meanderings and Affinities
2023-12-18 10:00 - 2024-01-13 17:00
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.
