Pieced Fabric: Historic Quilts of Ames ON DISPLAY AUGUST 19 - OCTOBER 28, 2017, SWEENEY GALLERY Quilting has always been a social outlet for women in Iowa. Old quilts are personally created signed gifts from quilters of the past, many of whom braved hardships as they sought a new life in a new land. They were […]
Kawishiwi River AARON SQUADRONI ON DISPLAY OCTOBER 6 - NOVEMBER 11, 2017, COMMUNITY GALLERY Artist Statement: "The Midwest is presently a battleground for resources. Fracking, oil pipelines, mining, and drilling are just some of the expanding industries in this region. In states like Minnesota and Wisconsin where the rugged beauty of the land is part of the […]
Relief From Endlessness ANDA TANAKA & JEREMY RUDD NOVEMBER 3 - DECEMBER 21, 2017, SWEENEY GALLERY Jeremy Rudd Artsist Bio A native Iowan, Rudd grew up in rural Benton County thirty minutes outside Cedar Rapids. He attended Iowa State University receiving a BFA in visual Studies with an emphasis on Three Dimensional Design, and completed his Master […]
Running With Scissors STEVE HOSCH NOVEMBER 16 - DECEMBER 21, 2017, COMMUNITY GALLERY Making art, to me, is not necessarily a response to the world. Rather, it’s often just a reaction to what’s rattling around in my head. It’s an attempt to make sense of my own inner clutter; regrets, hopes, doubts, dreams, fears. It’s […]
Amalgamation CHRIS MARTIN January 5 - February 17, 2018 COMMUNITY GALLERY As developing countries and emerging economies modernize, the traditional crafts that reflect the unique cultural and social traits upon which these countries have been built, are often disregarded opting for western goods instead. This is something that Chris Martin wants to do something about. […]
50th Annual Clay, Fiber, Paper, Glass, Metal, Wood January 26 - April 7, 2018 MAIN GALLERY & SWEENEY GALLERY 2018 marks the 50th annual All-Media juried exhibit at the Octagon Center for the Arts. The first Clay, Fiber, Paper, Glass, Metal, Woodopened in 1968, two years after the organization's founding in 1966. The Octagon was founded out of the […]
A Negro From the South CAMERON GRAY February 19 - March 6, 2018 COMMUNITY GALLERY The United States of America is the country where I was born and where I have lived for most of my life. In this country, I am a second-class citizen. As a child, I was raised to maneuver through systems […]
Metamorphosis DAN JOHNSON March 12 - 31, 2018 COMMUNITY GALLERY Closing reception: Friday, March 30 5-7 PM Metamorphosis relates to my broader theme of the possibilities of change and transformation as expressed through the human figure, focusing on explorations of transformative or fugitive ideas about the human figure. Using line, I want to discover the energy […]
Nice Life DAVID PARKER April 6 - May 19, 2018 COMMUNITY GALLERY Using a limited palette of pine, maple, vinyl, griptape, and spray enamel I’m looking at the material language of subculture. The work is an abstract look at the outsiders: skaters, rockers, hippies, artists, stoners, goths, shoegazers… and how they project their identity to outsiders […]
Elem/Mid/High 2018 An Annual Exhibition of Local Elementary, Middle, and High School Senior Students April 19 - May 5, 2018 MAIN GALLERY & SWEENEY GALLERY The Octagon Center for the Arts showcases artwork by local elementary, middle, and high school students annually. High School art instructors from schools within 20 miles of the Octagon Center […]
About Us
The Octagon Center for the Arts is a non-profit community art center in the heart of downtown Ames, Iowa. A cornerstone of the cultural scene in Ames since 1966, the Octagon serves more than 30,000 people each year through art classes and outreach, rotating exhibits, a retail gallery shop, and the annual Octagon Art Festival.
The Octagon Center for the Arts is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization funded in part through memberships, donations, and grants, including the City of Ames Commission on the Arts (COTA) and the Iowa Arts Council.
© 2023 Octagon Center for the Arts. All rights reserved.
Octagon Center for the Arts
413 & 427 Douglas Avenue
Ames, IA 50010
Phone: 515-232-5331
Email: info@octagonarts.org
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Octagon Shop and Community Gallery
Monday-Wednesday 10:00am-5:30pm
Thursday 10:00am-7:00pm
Friday 10:00am-5:30pm
Saturday 10:00am-5:00pm
Sunday CLOSED (except during the holidays)
