Group Art Exhibition: Cedar River Artisans “Voices”
2025-10-09 08:00 - 2025-11-13 17:00 (America/Chicago) | Octagon Center for the Arts, 427 Douglas Avenue, Ames, IA, 50010, United States
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

Group Art Exhibition: Joe Muench “Lessons Learned: Explorations in Metal”
2026-04-10 10:00 - 2026-04-30 17:00
Lessons Learned: Explorations in Metal
Group Exhibition by Joe Muench & former students of the ISU jewelry/metalsmithing courses
This exhibit features work created by Joe Muench, Professor Emeritus of Art and Visual Culture, in the College of Design at Iowa State University and Mr. Muench’s former students of the jewelry/metalsmithing courses.

Exhibition Dates:
April 10, 2026 – Exhibition Opening Day
April 30, 2026 – Public Reception from 5:30pm – 7pm in the Community Gallery
April 30, 2026 – Exhibition Closes

Artist Statements:
More information to come

Artist Biographies:
More information to come

“Lessons Learned: Explorations in Metal” Reception
2026-04-30 17:30 - 19:00

2026 College of Design MFA Capstone Show
2026-05-04 10:00 - 2026-05-11 17:00
2026 College of Design MFA Capstone Show
Group Exhibition by graduate students in the Integrated Visual Arts MFA program at Iowa State University
May 4th – May 11th, 2026 in the Octagon Community Gallery

About this group exhibition:
Graduate students in the Integrated Visual Arts MFA program at Iowa State University will showcase their capstone projects in the Community Gallery.

Exhibition Dates:
May 4th, 2026 – Exhibition Opening Day
May 7, 2026 – Exhibition Reception
May 11th, 2026 – Exhibition Closes

2026 College of Design MFA Capstone Reception
2026-05-07 17:30 - 19:00

2026 Annual Members' Show
2026-05-21 10:00 - 2026-06-27 17:00
2026 Annual Members’ Show
Group Exhibition by members of the Octagon Center for the Arts
May 21 – June 27 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.
Octagon Members – use the link below to submit your entry. Deadline is 11:45 PM, May 3.

Link to submit entry
Exhibition Dates:
May 21, 2026 – Exhibition Opening Day
June 11, 5:00-8:00 PM – Exhibition Reception
June 27, 2026 – Exhibition Closes
Artist List:
TBD

Octagon 60th Birthday Hullabaloo
2026-08-31 10:00 - 2026-10-10 17:00
Octagon 60th Birthday Hullabaloo
Octagon History Exhibition by the Octagon Staff

Exhibition Dates:
August 31, 2026 – Exhibition Opening Day
TBD – Exhibition Reception
October 10, 2026 – Exhibition Closes
