BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Octagon Center for the Arts - ECPv6.15.18//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:Octagon Center for the Arts X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://octagonarts.org X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Octagon Center for the Arts REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Chicago BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20210314T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20211107T070000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20220313T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20221106T070000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20230312T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20231105T070000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20240310T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20241103T070000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:20250309T080000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:20251102T070000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20240523T173000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20240523T200000 DTSTAMP:20260423T192256 CREATED:20240307T201453Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240307T201453Z UID:16145-1716485400-1716494400@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:A Place To Mend FREE EVENT (Ages 21+) DESCRIPTION:A Place to Mend\nThursday\, May 23rd\, 5:30 – 8 pm in the Dance Studio \nFree\, or a suggested donation of $5 for instruction\, tips -n- tricks. \nAges 21+ (Feel free to bring your favorite beverage; alcoholic or non-alcoholic) \nHave a few mending/repair projects you have been wanting to work on? Gather them up and join the Octagon for some creative\, productive\, and soulful fun. You are encouraged to bring any projects to work on\, ie.. knitting\, crochet\, needle work\, whatever. We will have a special guest\, and author of Mend it Better\, Kristin Roach\, with us for this community gathering. Kristin is also a published author of worldwide knitting patterns\, the Craftleftovers zine series\, a community organizer\, artist\, and owner of Little Woods: Herbs and Teas in downtown Ames. \nEvent Location: Octagon Center for the Arts\, Dance Studio \nUPCOMING MENDING NIGHTS:\nJune 27 URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/a-place-to-mend-free-event-ages-21-3/ LOCATION:Octagon Center for the Arts\, 427 Douglas Avenue\, Ames\, IA\, 50010\, United States CATEGORIES:Classes,Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://octagonarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/APtM.png ORGANIZER;CN="Octagon Center for the Arts":MAILTO:info@octagonarts.org GEO:42.0257584;-93.6123172 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Octagon Center for the Arts 427 Douglas Avenue Ames IA 50010 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=427 Douglas Avenue:geo:-93.6123172,42.0257584 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20240520T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20240615T170000 DTSTAMP:20260423T192256 CREATED:20230921T195735Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240307T184512Z UID:15352-1716199200-1718470800@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:2024 Annual Members' Show DESCRIPTION:2024 Annual Members’ Show\nGroup Exhibition by members of the Octagon Center for the Arts\nMay 20th – June 15th\, 2024 At The Octagon Community Gallery \nAbout this group exhibition:\nThis 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.\n \nExhibition Dates:\nMay 20th\, 2024 – Exhibition Opening Day\nJune 15th\, 2024 – Exhibition Closes \nArtist Biographies:\nTBA URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/annual-member-show/ LOCATION:Octagon Center for the Arts\, 427 Douglas Avenue\, Ames\, IA\, 50010\, United States CATEGORIES:Events,Exhibits ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://octagonarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/member-show-e1709837033870.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Octagon Center for the Arts":MAILTO:info@octagonarts.org GEO:42.0257584;-93.6123172 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Octagon Center for the Arts 427 Douglas Avenue Ames IA 50010 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=427 Douglas Avenue:geo:-93.6123172,42.0257584 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20240516T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20240516T200000 DTSTAMP:20260423T192256 CREATED:20240514T170641Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240514T175925Z UID:16311-1715878800-1715889600@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:Party on the Patio - May 16th DESCRIPTION:  \nThursday\, May 16th\n5 PM – 8 PM \nParty on the Patio is every third Thursday of the month\, May – September from 5 PM – 8 PM. Performers are scheduled to perform from 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM unless otherwise noted. Drinks and light refreshments provided for a donation. URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/party-on-the-patio-may-16th-kalliopi-katsiris/ LOCATION:Octagon Center for the Arts\, 427 Douglas Avenue\, Ames\, IA\, 50010\, United States CATEGORIES:Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://octagonarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/PatioNight_Final-01-_small_.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Octagon Center for the Arts":MAILTO:info@octagonarts.org GEO:42.0257584;-93.6123172 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Octagon Center for the Arts 427 Douglas Avenue Ames IA 50010 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=427 Douglas Avenue:geo:-93.6123172,42.0257584 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20240513T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20240516T190000 DTSTAMP:20260423T192256 CREATED:20240312T183305Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240514T170914Z UID:16154-1715601600-1715886000@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:Art Sale at the Octagon! DESCRIPTION:The Octagon Center for the Arts is planning to hold an art sale from May 13th to the 16th\, 2024. This unique event will allow patrons to view and purchase items from the Octagon which have never before been featured in the Octagon Shop! \nMay 13-15\, Noon-5:00 \nMay 16\, Noon-7:00 \nOctagon Community Gallery URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/art-sale-at-the-octagon/ LOCATION:IA CATEGORIES:Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://octagonarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/FullSizeRender-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20240501T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20240509T193000 DTSTAMP:20260423T192256 CREATED:20230921T195521Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240423T182914Z UID:15350-1714557600-1715283000@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:Iowa State University Integrated Visual Arts MFA Exhibition 2024 DESCRIPTION:Iowa State University Integrated Visual Arts MFA Exhibition 2024\nAn exhibition by MFA students in the Integrated Visual Arts program at Iowa State University\nMay 1st – May 9th\, 2024 At The Octagon Community Gallery \nAbout this group exhibition:\n \nThe 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. \nMFA 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.   \nArtists: \nOmid Afsharpour\nNatalie Deam\nParisa Keshavarziyan\nElnaz Masrour\nSam McCauley\nMatty Palamara\nMaryam Siahgaldeh Ghasempour\nNicole Soriano\nRana Tiba\nMichael Vitha Nolan\nRuby Walker\n \nExhibition Dates: \nMay 1st\, 2024 – Exhibition Opening Day \nMay 9th\, 2024 – Closing Reception 6-7:30pm \nMay 9th\, 2024 – Exhibition Closes URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/college-of-design-mfa-capstone-show/ LOCATION:Octagon Center for the Arts\, 427 Douglas Avenue\, Ames\, IA\, 50010\, United States CATEGORIES:Events,Exhibits ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://octagonarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/2024-MFA-Facebook.png ORGANIZER;CN="Octagon Center for the Arts":MAILTO:info@octagonarts.org GEO:42.0257584;-93.6123172 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Octagon Center for the Arts 427 Douglas Avenue Ames IA 50010 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=427 Douglas Avenue:geo:-93.6123172,42.0257584 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20240425T173000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20240425T200000 DTSTAMP:20260423T192256 CREATED:20240307T201208Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240307T201332Z UID:16140-1714066200-1714075200@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:A Place To Mend FREE EVENT (Ages 21+) DESCRIPTION:A Place to Mend\nThursday\, April 25th\, 5:30 – 8 pm in the Dance Studio \nFree\, or a suggested donation of $5 for instruction\, tips -n- tricks. \nAges 21+ (Feel free to bring your favorite beverage; alcoholic or non-alcoholic) \nHave a few mending/repair projects you have been wanting to work on? Gather them up and join the Octagon for some creative\, productive\, and soulful fun. You are encouraged to bring any projects to work on\, ie.. knitting\, crochet\, needle work\, whatever. We will have a special guest\, and author of Mend it Better\, Kristin Roach\, with us for this community gathering. Kristin is also a published author of worldwide knitting patterns\, the Craftleftovers zine series\, a community organizer\, artist\, and owner of Little Woods: Herbs and Teas in downtown Ames. \nEvent Location: Octagon Center for the Arts\, Dance Studio \nUPCOMING MENDING NIGHTS:\nMay 23\nJune 27 URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/a-place-to-mend-free-event-ages-21-2/ LOCATION:Octagon Center for the Arts\, 427 Douglas Avenue\, Ames\, IA\, 50010\, United States CATEGORIES:Classes,Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://octagonarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/APtM.png ORGANIZER;CN="Octagon Center for the Arts":MAILTO:info@octagonarts.org GEO:42.0257584;-93.6123172 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Octagon Center for the Arts 427 Douglas Avenue Ames IA 50010 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=427 Douglas Avenue:geo:-93.6123172,42.0257584 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20240408T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20240420T170000 DTSTAMP:20260423T192256 CREATED:20230921T195243Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240307T175400Z UID:15347-1712570400-1713632400@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:2024 Elementary\, Middle School\, High School Annual Student Show DESCRIPTION:2024 Elementary\, Middle School\, High School Annual Student Show\nApril 8th – April 20th\, 2024 At The Octagon Community Gallery \nAbout this group exhibition:\n \nThe 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. \nLearn more on this exhibition’s webpage here \nExhibition Dates:\nApril 8th\, 2024 – Exhibition Opening Day\nApril 20th\, 2024 – Exhibition Closes URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/elementary-middle-school-high-school-annual-student-show/ LOCATION:Octagon Center for the Arts\, 427 Douglas Avenue\, Ames\, IA\, 50010\, United States CATEGORIES:Events,Exhibits ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://octagonarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/elementary.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Octagon Center for the Arts":MAILTO:info@octagonarts.org GEO:42.0257584;-93.6123172 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Octagon Center for the Arts 427 Douglas Avenue Ames IA 50010 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=427 Douglas Avenue:geo:-93.6123172,42.0257584 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20240328T173000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20240328T200000 DTSTAMP:20260423T192256 CREATED:20240307T200806Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240307T201329Z UID:16137-1711647000-1711656000@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:A Place To Mend FREE EVENT (Ages 21+) DESCRIPTION:A Place to Mend\nThursday\, March 28th\, 5:30 – 8 pm in the Dance Studio \nFree\, or a suggested donation of $5 for instruction\, tips -n- tricks. \nAges 21+ (Feel free to bring your favorite beverage; alcoholic or non-alcoholic) \nHave a few mending/repair projects you have been wanting to work on? Gather them up and join the Octagon for some creative\, productive\, and soulful fun. You are encouraged to bring any projects to work on\, ie.. knitting\, crochet\, needle work\, whatever. We will have a special guest\, and author of Mend it Better\, Kristin Roach\, with us for this community gathering. Kristin is also a published author of worldwide knitting patterns\, the Craftleftovers zine series\, a community organizer\, artist\, and owner of Little Woods: Herbs and Teas in downtown Ames. \nEvent Location: Octagon Center for the Arts\, Dance Studio \nUPCOMING MENDING NIGHTS:\nApril 25\nMay 23\nJune 27 URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/a-place-to-mend-free-event-ages-21/ LOCATION:Octagon Center for the Arts\, 427 Douglas Avenue\, Ames\, IA\, 50010\, United States CATEGORIES:Classes,Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://octagonarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/APtM.png ORGANIZER;CN="Octagon Center for the Arts":MAILTO:info@octagonarts.org GEO:42.0257584;-93.6123172 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Octagon Center for the Arts 427 Douglas Avenue Ames IA 50010 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=427 Douglas Avenue:geo:-93.6123172,42.0257584 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20240229T173000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20240330T170000 DTSTAMP:20260423T192256 CREATED:20230921T194959Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240307T192147Z UID:15344-1709227800-1711818000@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:2024 Octagonal: The All Media Show DESCRIPTION:February 29th – March 30th\, 2024 At The Octagon Community Gallery \nAbout this group exhibition:\nOctagonal: 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! \nExhibition Dates:\nFebruary 29th\, 2024 – Exhibition Opening Day and Opening Reception\nMarch 30th\, 2024 – Exhibition Closes \nCongratulations to the winners of this year’s Octagonal!\nFrom 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) \n  \n  \n\n2024 Juror: Jill Wells\nIowa-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…\nLearn more on the Octagonal page!\n\n \n  \n  \n  \nThis year we will feature artwork from:\nAlicia 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 URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/octagonal-the-all-media-show-2024/ LOCATION:Octagon Center for the Arts\, 427 Douglas Avenue\, Ames\, IA\, 50010\, United States CATEGORIES:Events,Exhibits ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://octagonarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/octagonal-logo.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Octagon Center for the Arts":MAILTO:info@octagonarts.org GEO:42.0257584;-93.6123172 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Octagon Center for the Arts 427 Douglas Avenue Ames IA 50010 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=427 Douglas Avenue:geo:-93.6123172,42.0257584 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20240122T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20240224T170000 DTSTAMP:20260423T192256 CREATED:20230921T194751Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240110T160253Z UID:15342-1705917600-1708794000@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:The Music in My HeART DESCRIPTION:The Music in My HeART\nSolo Exhibition by Antonia Ruppert\nJanuary 22nd – February 24th\, 2024 At The Octagon Community Gallery \nExhibition Dates:\nJanuary 22nd\, 2024 – Exhibition Opening Day\nFebruary 24th\, 2024 – Exhibition Closes \nArtist Biography:\nChicago-born Antonia Ruppert is an artist\, singer-songwriter and educator who has been\npainting for over 30 years. Growing up in the Austin community\, she creates paintings that\nconnect people and tell a story. The oldest of six siblings\, with no funds to purchase art\nsupplies\, she recalls drawing on discarded paper inserts from her Mom’s stockings. These\nhumble beginnings have been instrumental in inspiring hundreds of paintings and drawings\,\nwhere hope\, faith and community are central.\nRuppert was the 2021 Invest South/West Artist in Residence for Chicago’s Austin community\nand the 2022 Artist in Residence for the Addison Public Library. Ruppert is an honoree of the\nPeggy A. Montes Unsung Heroine Award for Cook County\, IL.\nRuppert has been featured in the Museum of Science and Industry Black Creativity Exhibition\,\nMoraine Valley Community College and the Dupage Art League’s Best of the Best Exhibition.\nHer favorite paintings and murals can be found in numerous regional venues including the\nChicago Public Library\, Berwyn North District 98 Elementary Schools\, University of Chicago\nHospitals\, Acorn Public Library\, Addison Public Library\, Austin Childcare Network\, Chicago\nSchool of Professional Psychology\, Forest Park Park District\, Elmwood Park Public Library\,\nGrand Prairie Services\, Living Springs Community Church\, Markham Public Library\, Near\nNorth Montessori School\, Oak Forest Park District and the Oak Park Area Arts Council.\nIn 2021\, she collaborated with the Office of the Mayor of the City of Berwyn and the Award-\nWinning Junior State of America Morton West Debate Club Chapter to commission and speak\nat the first Juneteenth Commemoration held in the city. Most recently\, she supported the\nMayor of the Village of Hazel Crest and the new 2023 Arts Committee.\nRuppert is thankful to God for her gifts and is the illustrator of a recently published children’s\nbook —The Place Where I Belong—by Candice Klopfenstein.\nRuppert’s art and music will be featured in upcoming exhibitions at the Harold Washington\nLibrary Center\, The Chicago Public Library North Austin Branch Library and now the Octagon\nCenter for the Arts in Ames\, Iowa in 2024.\nRuppert is well known at the frontlines of the artivist community and seeks to uplift her entire\ncommunity with artistic expression. Like African American sculptor\, Elizabeth Catlett\, Ruppert\naims to “do something for the betterment of all of us.” URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/the-music-in-my-heart/ LOCATION:Octagon Center for the Arts\, 427 Douglas Avenue\, Ames\, IA\, 50010\, United States CATEGORIES:Events,Exhibits ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://octagonarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Screenshot-2023-09-21-154514.png ORGANIZER;CN="Octagon Center for the Arts":MAILTO:info@octagonarts.org GEO:42.0257584;-93.6123172 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Octagon Center for the Arts 427 Douglas Avenue Ames IA 50010 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=427 Douglas Avenue:geo:-93.6123172,42.0257584 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20231218T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20240113T170000 DTSTAMP:20260423T192256 CREATED:20230921T193908Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231211T195814Z UID:15337-1702893600-1705165200@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:Uncontainable Meanderings and Affinities DESCRIPTION:Uncontainable Meanderings and Affinities\nGroup Exhibition by Ethan Edvenson and Kimberlee Rocca\nDecember 18th\, 2023 – January 13th\, 2024 At The Octagon Community Gallery \nAbout this group exhibition:\n \nExhibition Dates:\nDebember 18th\, 2023 – Exhibition Opening Day\nJanuary 4th\, 2024 – Exhibition Reception at 5pm in the Community Gallery\nJanuary 13th\, 2024 – Exhibition Closes \nArtist Biographies: \nEthan Edvenson is a fine artist from Des Moines\, IA who creates mixed media drawings. He conveys individualism\, humor\,\nand rebirth through gestural marks\, surreal imagery\, and storytelling. Edvenson graduated from the University of Northern\nIowa with a BFA in studio art and Art History minor. \nKimberlee Rocca is an Iowa artist whose passion for color\, process\, experimentation and reclamation merge to translate\nher love of nature and modern lines into vibrant and textural 2-d and 3-d abstract works and play sculptures. Works are\ncreated from mixed media and discarded construction debris. URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/ethan-edvenson-kimberlee-rocca/ LOCATION:Octagon Center for the Arts\, 427 Douglas Avenue\, Ames\, IA\, 50010\, United States CATEGORIES:Events,Exhibits ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://octagonarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Untitled-design-18.png ORGANIZER;CN="Octagon Center for the Arts":MAILTO:info@octagonarts.org GEO:42.0257584;-93.6123172 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Octagon Center for the Arts 427 Douglas Avenue Ames IA 50010 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=427 Douglas Avenue:geo:-93.6123172,42.0257584 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20231109T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20231209T170000 DTSTAMP:20260423T192256 CREATED:20230921T192156Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231017T201227Z UID:15335-1699524000-1702141200@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:Octagon Winter Market DESCRIPTION:Octagon Winter Market!\nNovember 9th – December 9th\, 2023 At The Octagon Community Gallery \nAbout this group exhibition:\nThe 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!\nStay Tuned! \n  \nExhibition Dates:\nNovember 9th – Exhibition Opening Day\nDecember 9th – Exhibition Closes URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/octagon-holiday-shop/ LOCATION:Octagon Center for the Arts\, 427 Douglas Avenue\, Ames\, IA\, 50010\, United States CATEGORIES:Events,Exhibits ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://octagonarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/HOLIDAY-MARKET-1.png ORGANIZER;CN="Octagon Center for the Arts":MAILTO:info@octagonarts.org GEO:42.0257584;-93.6123172 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Octagon Center for the Arts 427 Douglas Avenue Ames IA 50010 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=427 Douglas Avenue:geo:-93.6123172,42.0257584 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20231009T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20231104T170000 DTSTAMP:20260423T192256 CREATED:20230921T191825Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231010T211032Z UID:15330-1696845600-1699117200@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:"Intersection of Parallel" Group Exhibition by Jen Hem and Julie Russell-Steuart DESCRIPTION:Intersection of Parallel\nGroup Exhibition by Jen Hem and Julie Russell-Steuart\nOctober 9th – November 4th\, 2023  \nOpening Reception: Thursday\, October 12th\, 6-8pm \nThe Octagon Community Gallery \nAbout this group exhibition:\n \nEven 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. \nWeaving 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. \nJen 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”. \nSome of Hem’s mixed media works are large\, spanning six feet with figurative-based vibrant  and energetic images and emotions running through them.  \nHem 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. \nThey 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.” \nJen’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. \nExhibition Dates:\nOctober 9th – Exhibition Opening Day\nNovember 4th – Exhibition Closes \nJulie 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. \n\n\n\n\nJoin 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. \n\n\n\n\n  \nArtist Biographies: \nJen 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. \nVisual 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. URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/jen-hem-and-julie-russell-steuart/ LOCATION:Octagon Center for the Arts\, 427 Douglas Avenue\, Ames\, IA\, 50010\, United States CATEGORIES:Events,Exhibits ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://octagonarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Intersection-of-Paralllel-Jen-and-Julie.png ORGANIZER;CN="Octagon Center for the Arts":MAILTO:info@octagonarts.org GEO:42.0257584;-93.6123172 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Octagon Center for the Arts 427 Douglas Avenue Ames IA 50010 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=427 Douglas Avenue:geo:-93.6123172,42.0257584 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20230921T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20230921T200000 DTSTAMP:20260423T192256 CREATED:20230512T164108Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230628T185115Z UID:15027-1695315600-1695326400@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:Party on the Patio - September 21st - Madhyami Deshmukh DESCRIPTION:  \nThursday\, September 21st\n5 PM – 8 PM \nParty on the Patio is every third Thursday of the month\, May – September from 5 PM – 8 PM. Performers are scheduled to perform from 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM unless otherwise noted. Drinks and light refreshments provided for a donation. \nThursday\, September 21st Performer:\nMadhyami Deshmukh\nIndian Classical Music \n \nBy request of our performer for cultural reasons\, drinks and refreshments will be available after the performance! We are encouraging our guests to respect this request from our performer. \n  URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/partypatioseptember/ LOCATION:Octagon Center for the Arts\, 427 Douglas Avenue\, Ames\, IA\, 50010\, United States CATEGORIES:Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://octagonarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/PatioNight_Final-01-_small_.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Octagon Center for the Arts":MAILTO:info@octagonarts.org GEO:42.0257584;-93.6123172 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Octagon Center for the Arts 427 Douglas Avenue Ames IA 50010 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=427 Douglas Avenue:geo:-93.6123172,42.0257584 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20230905T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20230930T170000 DTSTAMP:20260423T192256 CREATED:20230829T170335Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230901T152632Z UID:15249-1693908000-1696093200@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:"Crossroads" Exhibition by Central Iowa Textile Artists DESCRIPTION:Crossroads\nGroup Exhibition by Central Iowa Textile Artists\nSeptember 5th – September 30th\, 2023 At The Octagon Community Gallery \nAbout this group exhibition:\n“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. \nThe 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. \nArtist List:\nIlene Bartos\, Janet Bergeron\, Mary Cecil\, Barbara Jones\, Rebecca Kemble\, Sue Kluber\, Rebecca Loew\, Janet Pittman\, Wendy Read\, Barbara Riggs\, Barbara Stewart\, Fern Stewart \nExhibition Dates:\nSeptember 5th – Exhibition Opening Day & Reception at 5PM\nSeptember 30th – Exhibition Closes \nArtist Biographies:\n\nIlene Bartos –\nIlene has been working with fiber arts and quilting for over 20 years\, designing both traditional\nand art quilts. Her works have hung in galleries and shows and won various awards and blue\nribbons. She enjoys being a lecturer at guilds and loves teaching others how to make quilts that\nare slightly beyond their comfort level or outside the traditional box. Quilting combines her\npassion for color with her love of fabric and gives infinite possibilities for creative\nexpression.Ilene authored two traditional quilt books in 2009 and 2010 but has since been\ndevoting her time to designing contemporary art quilts and writing patterns for them. She loves\nteaching others how to work with bright colors because it makes everyone smile – her motto is to\nspread joy\, one quilt at a time. \nJanet Bergeron –\nTextiles have defined Janet’s world since the age of eight. From garment construction\,\ncostume design\, quilting\, dyeing\, and construction\, her happiness has always been\nfound in her sewing room. Her work has been exhibited locally and in a number of regional and traveling\nexhibitions\, as well as many homes and offices. \nMary Cecil –\nMary Cecil has always had an interest in the arts but never found her niche until she\ndiscovered quilting. As with most quilters\, she began with more traditional designs but\nthen began to see challenges in more diverse forms of expression. Her life in both the\nUS and Mexico has offered endless inspiration from images of architecture\, birds\, plants\nand more\, which she captures with her camera and then brings to life in fabric. Her work\nhas received recognition in a variety of venues and she continues to improve and\nexplore textile art making. \nBarbara Jones –\nFor the past twenty years\, Barbara has been involved in quilting\, primarily in creating\nfabric wall art rather than making bed quilts.\nOver the years she has sold many of her “fabric paintings” and has had her art\ndisplayed in galleries throughout the US. Her work as also been displayed in magazines\nand newspaper articles. In 2006 she started a pattern company of primarily whimsical animals. The patterns are\nsold in quilt stores throughout the US\, the UK\, Australia and Canada.\nHer process for many of her art quilt “paintings” begins with a sketch of the motif\,\n(usually an animal) which is then transferred to the background fabric. The quilt\n“paintings” often include various media\, i.e.\, painted or hand-dyed fabric by the artist\,\nwool\, silk\, yarn\, zippers\, buttons\, sticks\, etc. many of the fabric “paintings” are done\nentirely by hand\, so each piece requires months to complete.\nBarbara likes to bring awareness of the environmental issues facing many animals that\nare disappearing or on the endangered species list through her art. \nRebecca Kemble –\nRebecca has always been inspired by her environment\, and found joy in creating.\nWhether in the countryside\, or the city\, there is always something that catches her\ninterest to influence her art. As a mixed media artist\, she tends to combine the use of\npaint\, dye\, fabric and stitch to create both image and texture. Her work has been shown\ninternationally\, nationally\, and resides in private collections throughout the United\nStates. Because of her awareness of the world around her\, she is also keenly aware of how the\nenvironment is being affected by changes in our climate. Her latest works have focused\non the “little” things that provide so much for our survival. \nSue Kluber –\nThere has never been a moment in Sue Kluber’s life that did not include art.\nObserving all that nature offered consumed her. Love of the changing seasons \,the\nwildlife\, and a grandmother who lived “by the signs”  were treasured inspirations\, as\nwere life lessons from a colorful and diverse cast of talented characters that crossed\nher path.  She has entered some shows\, won a few awards\, and sells some pieces\,\nbut the rewards are really the joy of capturing moments that she loves in the art. \nRebecca Loew –\nRebecca Loew is a textile artist living in Grinnell\, Iowa. She has been quilting for more\nthan 40 years\, but in the past ten years Rebecca has explored many other areas of the\nfiber arts. She has exhibited her work in several gallery shows and has art in private\ncollections. She has taught Shibori\, natural dying\, and other textile arts at the Des\nMoines Art Center. \nJanet Pittman –\nJanet Pittman\, a quilt artist from West Des Moines\, Iowa\, has been quilting and\ndesigning as owner of Garden Trellis Designs for over 30 years. Janet’s quilt designs\nhave appeared in Love of Quilting\, American Patchwork and Quilting\, and Country\nMarketplace magazines. She the author of Appliqué\, the Basics and Beyond\, Colorful\nQuilts for Playful Kids and First Time Machine Appliqué.\nInspiration for her wall hangings comes from photographs she has taken of her own\ngarden and of gardens and other sites on her travels. She finds that the color variations\nin hand-dyed fabric and batik fabric add to the natural feel of her mostly realistic\ndesigns. Many of her quilts are embellished with decorative threads\, machine or hand\nstitched\, to add texture and color to the images. \nWendy Read –\nJust as many young children have throughout the generations\, Wendy Read became\ncomfortable with the fiber arts at an early age\, from playing with her mother’s button\nbasket and the fabric scraps that fell on the floor as her mother sewed\, to making many\nof her own clothes as a teenager. As an adult drawn to the arts\, she naturally\nexperimented with the media she was most familiar with\, incorporating exotic and\ninteresting fibers and materials\, paints\, and dyes to create her art. Born in Baton Rouge\,\nLouisiana\, she was fortunate to have the influence of several professional and amateur\nartists in her family\, as well as year-round access to nature.\nHer work has been displayed in numerous exhibits and private showings\, and has won\nmany awards throughout the country. While she uses many fiber art techniques\, there is\nusually extensive thread-painting in her work\, where the thread becomes her paint\, and\nthe sewing machine her paintbrush. \nBarbara Riggs –\nBarbara Riggs has been a fiber artist and art quilter for over 20 years. Having grown up\non a farm in Iowa has greatly influenced her art. Nature is a theme that is very much\nreflected in her work. Capturing what she saw with drawings and paintings was what\ndrew her to the art world. When the paints and solvents had to be put away\, she had to\nfind another medium to continue to create art. Having had a needle and thread in her\nhands from a very young age\, it was a natural transition to move to fiber art. Her work\nhas been shown internationally\, nationally and in many local and regional venues\,\nfeatured in national publications\, and received numerous awards. \nBarbara Stewart –\nBarbara (Barb) Stewart was first associated and greatly influenced into the art world by her\nmaternal grandmother\, who was an outstanding artist\, and by her Uncle Harry whose\ndrawings would have received numerous awards had they been displayed. Unfortunately\,\nshe never inherited these artistic blessing\, but was quite crafty and could literally sew\nanything. For her\, quilting was always a dream to pursue\, but that was not possible until her\nretirement. However\, prior to her retirement\, quilting expanded from the traditional style to\ninclude an amazing form of “art quilting”\, which allowed more creativity and spontaneity.\nThen\, with the directive of many exceptional art quilters\, books and classes\, she was able to\nacquire knowledge involving various techniques that expanded her art quilting abilities\,\nincluding creation of three-dimensional quilts. Barb’s quilts have been influenced by her life\nexperiences\, by nature\, by other artists\, by various themes or challenges from art quilt\ngroups she is involved with\, and quite often by scripture. Exhibits of her art quilts have\noccurred in various venues and at numerous private showings. Her quilts have also\nreceived awards and have been purchased. Art quilting became a blessing for Barb\, always\nencouraging her to stretch her mind and imagination to create artistic beauty for others to\nenjoy. \nFern Stewart –\nFern Stewart has quilted for the past 40 years.  Her early work mimicked the quilt\nmovement of the time relying on templates\, a limited color palette and traditional\napproach.  She quickly moved beyond those limitations and acknowledged her\nindependent creative spirit.  She has created a number of award winning quilts. \nCurrently she is working on a series of quilts entitled Urban Development in which\nshe reflects on the changes to cities due to population growth and developer greed. \nSocial changes\, housing density\, loss of habitat and related concerns will be the\nfocus of her next four quilts. URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/crossroads-exhibition-by-central-iowa-textile-artists/ LOCATION:Octagon Center for the Arts\, 427 Douglas Avenue\, Ames\, IA\, 50010\, United States CATEGORIES:Events,Exhibits ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://octagonarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Untitled-design-6.png ORGANIZER;CN="Octagon Center for the Arts":MAILTO:info@octagonarts.org GEO:42.0257584;-93.6123172 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Octagon Center for the Arts 427 Douglas Avenue Ames IA 50010 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=427 Douglas Avenue:geo:-93.6123172,42.0257584 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20230817T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20230817T200000 DTSTAMP:20260423T192256 CREATED:20230512T163845Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230601T161002Z UID:15025-1692291600-1692302400@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:Party on the Patio - August 17th - Featuring King Wylde DESCRIPTION:  \nThursday\, August 17th\n5 PM – 8 PM \nParty on the Patio is every third Thursday of the month\, May – September from 5 PM – 8 PM. Performers are scheduled to perform from 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM unless otherwise noted. Drinks and light refreshments provided for a donation. \nThursday\, August 17th Performer:\nKing Wylde\nRock\, R&B \n \nKing Wylde is an inspiring artist who tastefully blends the genres of Alternative Rock and RnB. With a truly electrifying stage presence and killer showmanship\, he is a must see musician. \n  URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/partypatioaugust/ LOCATION:Octagon Center for the Arts\, 427 Douglas Avenue\, Ames\, IA\, 50010\, United States CATEGORIES:Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://octagonarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/PatioNight_Final-01-_small_.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Octagon Center for the Arts":MAILTO:info@octagonarts.org GEO:42.0257584;-93.6123172 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Octagon Center for the Arts 427 Douglas Avenue Ames IA 50010 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=427 Douglas Avenue:geo:-93.6123172,42.0257584 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20230731T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20230826T170000 DTSTAMP:20260423T192256 CREATED:20230727T194741Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230727T194741Z UID:15236-1690790400-1693069200@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:"Misplaced and Lost" Exhibition by Lisa Lockman DESCRIPTION:“Misplaced and Lost” Exhibition by Lisa Lockman\nJuly 31st – August 26th\, 2023\nAn Exhibition by Lisa Lockman\nExhibiting in the Community Gallery\n \n\n \nLisa 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.”\n \nReception date TBD! URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/misplaced-and-lost-exhibition-by-lisa-lockman/ LOCATION:Octagon Center for the Arts\, 427 Douglas Avenue\, Ames\, IA\, 50010\, United States CATEGORIES:Exhibits ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://octagonarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/LisaLockman1.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Octagon Center for the Arts":MAILTO:info@octagonarts.org GEO:42.0257584;-93.6123172 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Octagon Center for the Arts 427 Douglas Avenue Ames IA 50010 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=427 Douglas Avenue:geo:-93.6123172,42.0257584 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20230720T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20230720T200000 DTSTAMP:20260423T192256 CREATED:20230512T163548Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230703T193440Z UID:15022-1689872400-1689883200@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:Party on the Patio - July 20th - Featuring The Bone People DESCRIPTION:  \nThursday\, July 20th\n5 PM – 8 PM \nParty on the Patio is every third Thursday of the month\, May – September from 5 PM – 8 PM. Performers are scheduled to perform from 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM unless otherwise noted. Drinks and light refreshments provided for a donation. \nThis event shares the same time and date as the 2023 Octagon Annual All-Member Show Reception!\nMore information about the All-Member show can be found here: https://octagonarts.org/the-member-show/ \nThursday\, July 20th Performer:\nThe Bone People\nRock\, Jazz\, R&B\, Spoken Word\n \n \nJazz-poet Debra Marquart and her collaborators\, Peter Manesis and Anthony Stevens\, fuse elements of rock\, jazz\, and rhythm & blues with poetry and storytelling. The group performs in coffeehouses\, bookstores\, libraries\, colleges and high schools across the country. In live performances\, The Bone People move from storytelling to poetry to song\, drawing connections between different genres and art forms. Since the group’s inception in 1992\, The Bone People have worked to create a sound that blends the lyricism of poetry with the power of acoustic and electric music—to find that small sliver of a world where the two can co-exist without either one being compromised. \nThe Bone People Website: https://debramarquart.com/the-bone-people/ URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/partypatiojuly/ LOCATION:Octagon Center for the Arts\, 427 Douglas Avenue\, Ames\, IA\, 50010\, United States CATEGORIES:Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://octagonarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/PatioNight_Final-01-_small_.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Octagon Center for the Arts":MAILTO:info@octagonarts.org GEO:42.0257584;-93.6123172 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Octagon Center for the Arts 427 Douglas Avenue Ames IA 50010 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=427 Douglas Avenue:geo:-93.6123172,42.0257584 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20230626T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20230722T170000 DTSTAMP:20260423T192256 CREATED:20230703T195409Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230703T195816Z UID:15177-1687766400-1690045200@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:The Octagon Annual All-Member Show DESCRIPTION: \nJune 26th – July 22nd\nReception: July 20th at 5pm\nAt the Community Gallery \n\n\n\n\nThis 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. \nReception Event:\nThe 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! \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n2023 Artist List:\nPenny 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. URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/the-octagon-annual-all-member-show/ LOCATION:Octagon Center for the Arts\, 427 Douglas Avenue\, Ames\, IA\, 50010\, United States CATEGORIES:Exhibits ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://octagonarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/artists-working.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Octagon Center for the Arts":MAILTO:info@octagonarts.org GEO:42.0257584;-93.6123172 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Octagon Center for the Arts 427 Douglas Avenue Ames IA 50010 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=427 Douglas Avenue:geo:-93.6123172,42.0257584 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20230615T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20230615T200000 DTSTAMP:20260423T192256 CREATED:20230512T163346Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230601T162750Z UID:15020-1686848400-1686859200@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:Party on the Patio - June 15th - Featuring Cyre Empire™ DESCRIPTION:Thursday\, June 15th\n5 PM – 8 PM \nParty on the Patio is every third Thursday of the month\, May – September from 5 PM – 8 PM. Performers are scheduled to perform from 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM unless otherwise noted. Drinks and light refreshments provided for a donation. \nThursday\,  June 15th Performer:\nCyre Empire™\nHip Hop \n\n\n \nCyre bio –\n \nMy name is Cyre\, I am a Designer\, Podcaster\, Music Artist\, and more. I’m from the south-side of Chicago\,IL. I am aspiring to become a torch of light for the youth\, to show them anything is possible by planting seeds to blossom a better future for you and I.\n \n\nLito bio –\n \nI am designer\, rapper\, songwriter\, self taught music engineer from Libreville Gabon. Growing up I lived in both France and Gabon and traveled around the world with my parents which enriched my cultural background. I want to disrupt the status quo with my design and my music to inspire people to be who they are and not what the society is forcing them to be.  URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/partypatiojune/ LOCATION:Octagon Center for the Arts\, 427 Douglas Avenue\, Ames\, IA\, 50010\, United States CATEGORIES:Events ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://octagonarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/PatioNight_Final-01-_small_.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Octagon Center for the Arts":MAILTO:info@octagonarts.org GEO:42.0257584;-93.6123172 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Octagon Center for the Arts 427 Douglas Avenue Ames IA 50010 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=427 Douglas Avenue:geo:-93.6123172,42.0257584 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20230601T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20230601T200000 DTSTAMP:20260423T192256 CREATED:20230512T164300Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230601T160655Z UID:15029-1685638800-1685649600@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:Ames Art Walk - June 1st DESCRIPTION: \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n5 PM – 8 PM June 1st\, 2023 \n\nHere’s who is coming to The Octagon during Ames Art Walk!\n \n  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n⏪ Nathan Moore \nCeramicist\, Artist\, Teacher \n“Born in the Midwest\, my journey as a ceramic artist started at a small liberal arts college nestled in the northeast corner of Iowa. There\, I became increasingly interested in clay and its power to connect people to each other and art.” \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJordan Brooks ⏩ \nMulti-Disciplinary \nJordan Brooks (he/him) is a creator\, educator\, facilitator\, and community builder. He is the founder and owner of KNWSLF (pronounced “know self”). Jordan blends creative expression and inquiry with community-centered and student-centered interventions to create developmentally engaging experiences. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n⏪ Cyre Empire™ \nMixed Media \nProvocatively Afrocentric Mix Media \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nNicole and Christ Nevels ⏩ \nPaintings and Mixed Media \nMultiple textures and materials blooming with vibrant colors mixed with people-watching\, movement and martial arts make each of Mixed Media Christian-artists Christ (pronounced Chris) and Nicole Nevels paintings\, drawings\, prints\, altered books/cards and jewelry a rich\, joyful experience with a life-giving message being conveyed. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n⏪ Valerie Williams \nPottery \nValerie specializes in bowls that are functional and light\, graceful and very usable. She never liked stoneware – too heavy\, and she didn’t like the scratchy feeling of the fork on the matte glazes. So when Valerie started throwing clay\, she knew she wanted thin walls on her pots and a very smooth glaze. But Valerie found an affinity for stoneware. She loves the malleability of the clay and the communication she feels with the material when she’s throwing. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAshley Vance ⏩ \nPrintmaking & Mixed Media \nAshley Fay Vance is a printmaker and mixed media artist from Knoxville\, Iowa. In 2022\, Ashley graduated with her BFA in integrated studio arts from Iowa State University\, with a minor in women’s and gender studies. Ashley’s work focuses on issues regarding feminism and social justice and primarily comprises different types of print media. Ashley is interning for ceramics artist Caroline Freese and attending grad school for art therapy and counseling in the fall. URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/15029/ LOCATION:Octagon Center for the Arts\, 427 Douglas Avenue\, Ames\, IA\, 50010\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://octagonarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/amesartwalk.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Octagon Center for the Arts":MAILTO:info@octagonarts.org GEO:42.0257584;-93.6123172 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Octagon Center for the Arts 427 Douglas Avenue Ames IA 50010 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=427 Douglas Avenue:geo:-93.6123172,42.0257584 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20230522T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20230617T170000 DTSTAMP:20260423T192256 CREATED:20230516T170803Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230516T172411Z UID:15047-1684749600-1687021200@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:The Words He Cannot Say DESCRIPTION:The Words He Cannot Say — Exhibition by Leo Bird\nMay 22nd – June 17th\, 2023\nA exhibition by Leo Bird\nExhibiting in the Community Gallery\n\n \nThis exhibition is a collection of works of Leo’s art accompanied by Leo’s writings.\n \nAbout The Words He Cannot Say:\n\n\n\nI\, 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.  \nFrom 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. \nI 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.\n\n \nLeo Bird’s Website: https://leobirdstandsup.com/about-leo-bird/\n\n \nUpcoming event dates:\n\nMay 22nd – Exhibition Opening Day and Reception\nJune 17th – Exhibition Closes\n\n \n  URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/the-words-he-cannot-say/ LOCATION:Octagon Center for the Arts\, 427 Douglas Avenue\, Ames\, IA\, 50010\, United States CATEGORIES:Exhibits ATTACH;FMTTYPE=application/pdf:https://octagonarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/The-Octagon-Title-Page-1.pdf ORGANIZER;CN="Octagon Center for the Arts":MAILTO:info@octagonarts.org GEO:42.0257584;-93.6123172 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Octagon Center for the Arts 427 Douglas Avenue Ames IA 50010 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=427 Douglas Avenue:geo:-93.6123172,42.0257584 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20230518T170000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20230518T200000 DTSTAMP:20260423T192256 CREATED:20230512T162255Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230516T182851Z UID:15010-1684429200-1684440000@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:Party on the Patio - May 18th - Featuring Leo Bird DESCRIPTION:Thursday\, May 18th\n5 PM – 8 PM \nParty on the Patio is every third Thursday of the month\, May – September from 5 PM – 8 PM. Performers are scheduled to perform from 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM unless otherwise noted. Drinks and light refreshments provided for a donation. \nThursday\, May 18th Performer:\nLeo Bird\nMotivational + Comical Speaker\nPerforming: 6:30 PM – 7:00 PM \n \nLeo’s website: https://leobirdstandsup.com/about-leo-bird/ \n  URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/partypatiomay/ LOCATION:Octagon Center for the Arts\, 427 Douglas Avenue\, Ames\, IA\, 50010\, United States CATEGORIES:Events ORGANIZER;CN="Octagon Center for the Arts":MAILTO:info@octagonarts.org GEO:42.0257584;-93.6123172 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Octagon Center for the Arts 427 Douglas Avenue Ames IA 50010 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=427 Douglas Avenue:geo:-93.6123172,42.0257584 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20230515T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20230519T170000 DTSTAMP:20260423T192256 CREATED:20230512T170035Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230516T172454Z UID:15039-1684137600-1684515600@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:515 Week at the Octagon DESCRIPTION:Monday\, May 15th – Friday\, May 19th\, 2023 \nClick the above image for more information about this event! \n\nDowntown Ames has a lot of fun scheduled each day from 5/15 – 5/19. On 5/16 and 5/17\, help us add some fun color to our patio and paint on our fence and exterior walls! \n\nThe Shop will be open late Tuesday\, Wednesday and Thursday for 515 Week!\nMonday special 15% off discount on several artists in the Shop!\nWe invite anyone and everyone to get creative with our patio fence! Paint will be provided during the evening on Family Night (Tuesday) AND during the 5th Farmer’s Market (Wednesday)! URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/515-week-at-the-octagon/ LOCATION:Octagon Center for the Arts\, 427 Douglas Avenue\, Ames\, IA\, 50010\, United States ORGANIZER;CN="Octagon Center for the Arts":MAILTO:info@octagonarts.org GEO:42.0257584;-93.6123172 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Octagon Center for the Arts 427 Douglas Avenue Ames IA 50010 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=427 Douglas Avenue:geo:-93.6123172,42.0257584 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230417 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230514 DTSTAMP:20260423T192256 CREATED:20230314T165340Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230406T160449Z UID:14918-1681689600-1684022399@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:2023 Elementary/Middle/High School Annual Student Show DESCRIPTION:The Octagon Center for the Arts highlights artwork by local elementary\, middle\, and high school students annually. \n \n\n\n\nGRADES K – 8 (Virtual):\nSHOW DETAILS: \n\n\n\nGoogle Form Submission Due: 5 pm\, Saturday\, April 1\, 2023\nVirtual Exhibit Opening: Monday\, April 17\, 2023\nArt from Grades K – 8 will be displayed virtually.\nEach elementary and middle school student may submit one piece to exhibit. \n\n\n\n\nENTRY REQUIREMENTS: \n\n\n\nAll submitted artwork must be entered into the Google Form by April 1st at 5:00 pm to be included in the show.\nAll media will be accepted.\nPhotographic 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.\n\n\n\n \nGRADES 9 – 12:\nIMPORTANT DATES: \n\n\n\nShow Opening in the Community Gallery: Monday\, April 17\, 2023\nReception: 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.\nShow Closing in the Community Gallery: Saturday\, May 13\, 2023\n\n\n\n\nENTRY REQUIREMENTS: \n\n\n\nIf 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.\nEligible high schools or homeschool students must be located within 20 miles from Ames.\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\n2023 EXHIBIT JUROR: SUSAN NORRIS \n \nSusan 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. \nShe 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?” \nNorris 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. \n\n\n\n\n  \nQUESTIONS?\nContact: Casey Bridgham\, Gallery Director \nAddress: 427 Douglas Avenue\, Ames\, IA 50010 \nPhone: 515-232-5331 \nEmail: exhibits@octagonarts.org \n  URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/2023-elementary-middle-high-school-annual-student-show/ LOCATION:Octagon Center for the Arts\, 427 Douglas Avenue\, Ames\, IA\, 50010\, United States CATEGORIES:Events,Exhibits ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://octagonarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/studentshows.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Octagon Center for the Arts":MAILTO:info@octagonarts.org GEO:42.0257584;-93.6123172 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Octagon Center for the Arts 427 Douglas Avenue Ames IA 50010 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=427 Douglas Avenue:geo:-93.6123172,42.0257584 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20230303T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20230408T170000 DTSTAMP:20260423T192256 CREATED:20230127T152946Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230307T185106Z UID:14733-1677830400-1680973200@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:Octagonal 2023: The All Media Show DESCRIPTION: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.\n\n \nCLICK HERE to visit the Octagonal Page\n\n \n\nExhibit Timeline \n\n\n\nApplications Open: Dec 2\, 2022 \nApplications Close: Jan 15\, 2023\, 11:59 pm \nNotification of Jury Results: Jan 25\, 2023 \nArtwork Delivery/Drop-off Deadline: Feb 18\, 2023* \nExhibit Opening/Reception: March 3 \nExhibit Closes: April 8 \nArtwork Pickup Dates: April 10 – 14\, 2023 \nArtwork Ship Dates: April 17 – 21\, 2023 \n*All artwork must be received by February 18\, 2023. Dropoff only on weekdays (in-person)or via mail. \n  \n\n\n\n2023 Juror: Ash Hanson \n\n\n\n \n\n\n\n\nAsh Hanson has 15 years of experience working with rural communities to activate stories\, connect neighbors\, and exercise collective imagination. \nShe 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. \nShe 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! \nClick to visit Ash Hanson’s website \n  \n\n\n\n\n\n\nBelow are the accepted artists for 2023. Congratulations! \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLast Name\nFirst Name\nTitle\n\n\nArp\nJordan\nHeart of Gold\n\n\nArp\nJordan\nRed\, White\, BOOM\n\n\nBusby\nBetty\nDon’t Touch Me\n\n\nBusby\nBetty\nIn the Beginning\n\n\nCooper\nKaren\nDoing Fine.\n\n\nDeam\nNatalie\nSkullwreck\n\n\nDuVal Mihelich\nKatie\nHow Do I Say Goodbye?\n\n\nFreese\nRobert\nOriginal Social Post\n\n\nGauerke\nJennifer\nComfortmaker\n\n\nHardy\nMichele\nCircles #51\n\n\nHoyt\nSummer\nThe Spring of Fortitude\n\n\nHuffman\nAngie\nSaturday\n\n\nJoffe-Bouska\nMarcia\nRIO DEL OLVIDO (river of forgetfulness)\n\n\nKruse\nJerene\nPeaceful Shelter\n\n\nLemons\nJon\nBlank Billboard\n\n\nMcKaig\nKelly\nOrbits and Excavations: Nine-Patch Orbit\n\n\nPark\nSangsook\nAn old diary memory (Brooch)\n\n\nPetersen\nClinton\nRed City\n\n\nPfeiffer\nJarred\nTwin Columns\n\n\nprior\nIsaac\nBlue Folds\, Waves\n\n\nQuinn\nJess\nSymphony In Purple and Green\n\n\nReeves\nElizabeth\nConsumption\n\n\nReinhart\nCatherine\nInland Surveying\n\n\nReinhart\nCatherine\nClan Curio\n\n\nRocca\nKimberlee\nA Stone’s Throw\n\n\nRoethler\nMegan\nDining Room\n\n\nShea\nBradley\nOver the Hills and Far Away\n\n\nSimonsen\nRichard\nNAUTICA\n\n\nSorrell\nJosh\nGenerate\n\n\nstaniforth\nart\njungle\n\n\nWallace\nRob\nEye of the Tiger\n\n\nWhalley\nTom\nTwister\n\n\nWhetstone\nMattea\nNutshell\n\n\nWilkinson\nAlicia\nChildhood Sky [healing pixel textile painting]\n\n\nWollert\nZach\nConstruct\n\n\nZhang\nDafang\nChinese Wisteria\n\n\n\n  \n\nTo all artists who submitted art to Octagonal this year\, we want to thank you for supporting the Octagon! URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/octagonal-2023-the-all-media-show/ LOCATION:Octagon Center for the Arts\, 427 Douglas Avenue\, Ames\, IA\, 50010\, United States CATEGORIES:Events,Exhibits ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://octagonarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Screenshot-2023-01-27-092844.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Octagon Center for the Arts":MAILTO:info@octagonarts.org GEO:42.0257584;-93.6123172 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Octagon Center for the Arts 427 Douglas Avenue Ames IA 50010 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=427 Douglas Avenue:geo:-93.6123172,42.0257584 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20230130T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20230225T170000 DTSTAMP:20260423T192256 CREATED:20230127T151029Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230127T151910Z UID:14723-1675065600-1677344400@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:Snáithín Bainneanach/Feminine Fiber DESCRIPTION:Snáithín Bainneanach/Feminine Fiber — Exhibition by Cynthia O’Hern\nJanuary 30th – February 25th 2023\nA new fiber exhibition by Cynthia O’Hern will be exhibiting from January 30th to February 25th in the Community Gallery!\n\n\n\nCynthia 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.\n\n\n \nUpcoming event dates:\n\nJanuary 30th – Exhibition opening day\nFebruary 2nd – 5:00pm Artist talk at the Community Gallery\n\n \n  URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/snaithin-bainneanach-feminine-fiber/ LOCATION:Octagon Center for the Arts\, 427 Douglas Avenue\, Ames\, IA\, 50010\, United States CATEGORIES:Exhibits ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://octagonarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/326779912_886695819113303_2630140141490379219_n-e1674832458289.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Octagon Center for the Arts":MAILTO:info@octagonarts.org GEO:42.0257584;-93.6123172 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Octagon Center for the Arts 427 Douglas Avenue Ames IA 50010 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=427 Douglas Avenue:geo:-93.6123172,42.0257584 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230105 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20230122 DTSTAMP:20260423T192256 CREATED:20221121T180955Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230130T015145Z UID:14289-1672876800-1674345599@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:[unTITled]: how a breast cancer survivor learned to say goodbye to her boobs DESCRIPTION:[UNTITLED]: how a breast cancer survivor learned to say goodbye to her boobs\nOctagon Center for the Arts Community Gallery \nCurated by Tiffany Antone and Vivian M. Cook \nNote that\, in order to protect our community — and especially high-risk members of our community\, such as cancer patients — masks will be required in the gallery and during all events for this exhibit. Thank you!  \nContent warning: This exhibit (and accompanying performances) features some strong language and nudity\, including photos from Tiffany’s mastectomy and radiation treatments. \nJanuary 5-21\, 2023: \n\n Exhibit on display in the Octagon Community Gallery \n \nCo-curated with Tiffany Antone\, who recently went through breast cancer and a double mastectomy\, this exhibit will offer space for community\, connection\, and healing through conversations around breast cancer and breast removal. Tiffany\, and a community of artists with shared experiences of breast cancer\, will showcase visual\, literary\, and performance artwork\, and the Octagon will invite community members to participate in interactive art-making opportunities. This exhibit will interrogate our cultural obsession with breasts\, bring light to the sometimes fraught (and oft-times under-realized) connection we have to them\, and give voice to the myriad complicated feelings that comes with letting them go.  \nFrom Co-Curator and Featured Artist\, Tiffany Antone: \nIn fall of 2021 I had my first ever mammogram\, which led to a breast cancer diagnosis and a double mastectomy.  Facing down the time-crunch of having to decide very quickly whether I wanted to also have reconstructive surgery\, I found myself confronting an internal stew of contradictions.  I discovered that my relationship to my breasts was much more complex than I realized\, and while having them removed was the correct health-wise course to take\, reconciling myself to this new\, now-altered\, body has been a very tortuous experience. It is the complexity of this journey which left me yearning for ways to connect with others not only about breast cancer\, but also about what breasts mean to them and what our breasts (or lack thereof) mean to the people around us.  \nOctagon Class Discounts! \nDuring the run of this exhibit\, breast cancer patients\, previvors\, and survivors will receive a 20% discount on the purchase of an art class at the Octagon. Register in- person or call the Octagon Shop (515-232-5331) between January 5 – 21 to receive the discount. (Youth art camps excluded.) \nSaturday\, January 7\, 2023: \n\n 10:30-11:45 AM: Soulful Healing Yoga \n \nOctagon Dance Studio \n \nJoin Melissa\, founder of Soulful Healing Yoga\, for a restorative yoga practice. This type of yoga is rooted in supporting the health of the body and the brain – rewiring functions of the nervous system – by enhancing the ability to reduce stress and process it; boosting the immune system; reducing muscle tension – imagine a sense of completely being able to let go! – and providing tools to learn how to relax and self-soothe. Each shape will be held in a supportive manner with no muscular strength required. \nCombine this with yoga nidra\, a “yogic sleep” in which the practitioner is in a state of consciousness between wake and sleep that allows for complete physical\, mental and emotional relaxation. By allowing your physical body to fall into deep relaxation\, you’ll withdraw from your senses and the world around to sink into greater inner awareness and in this meditative state. \nThis class will have seated and reclined positions\, both on the floor. If you have a blanket\, pillow or bolster\, yoga mat\, and blocks of your own\, please bring them. If you do not have these items\, no worries! Please let us know upon registration and they will be provided for you. If you prefer to do this class seated in a chair\, please let us know as well. \nThis event is geared toward breast cancer patients\, survivors\, and previvors. However\, anyone is welcome to join! No prior yoga experience is required. Please register (for free!) here by January 5th.  \n \n\n 1:00-3:30 PM: Writing Through Cancer Meets [UNTITLED]: how a breast cancer survivor learned to say goodbye to her boobs\n \nOctagon Community Gallery \n \nBring your notebook and pen\, and invite your muse to write to writing prompts inspired by the Octagon exhibit\, [UNTITLED]: how a breast cancer survivor learned to say goodbye to her boobs. \nAfter introductions and creating a safe space\, we will write together for timed intervals. After each session of writing\, participants will have the opportunity to read their stories to the group\, which is healing on many levels\, and a self-care surprise. \nThis afternoon of writing is led by Ana McCracken\, founder of the Ames Writers Collective. For the past year\, Ana has led virtual Writing Circle Wednesdays for the William R. Bliss Cancer Resource Center. Writing Through Cancer Writing Circles are inspired by the Amherst Writers & Artists method\, which believes that everyone is a writer. \nRSVPs for this free event are not required\, but preferred. Please email ana@ameswriterscollective.org for questions and to RSVP. Visit ameswriterscollective.org for more information about Writing Through Cancer writing circles. \nQuotes from Writing Circle Wednesday Participants: \n“I’ve come to regard Writing Circle Wednesdays as an integral part of my cancer treatment. As\nmuch as I appreciate the efforts of my medical team and support from family and friends\, I still\nfeel an “aloneness” in this journey. Writing Circle Wednesdays has proved a convenient\nopportunity to air my worries\, concerns\, hopes and fears that only another cancer patient can\ntruly fathom. It is a safe space to share insights\, tears\, and laughter.” —NJ \n\n“This has helped with chemo brain SO MUCH.” —KG \n\n“Living with cancer is a lonely journey. Only those who have been or are on that same journey\ntruly understand the emotions\, fears and challenges we face each day. I was hoping to gain some\ninsight into how others coped with their diagnosis. I not only gained that\, but also came to\nunderstand more fully my own reactions to my personal cancer story. This was a valuable\nexperience for me. I don’t feel quite as alone as I did.” —PP \nThursday\, January 12\, 2023: \n\n 7:00-8:30 PM: An [UNTITLED] Performance\n \nOctagon Main Gallery \nJoin Tiffany\, and a host of talented artists\, as they share an uncensored look at their breast cancer experiences through poetry\, short plays\, narrative essays\, and a dash of stand-up comedy. Told with humor\, heart\, and sincerity\, this performance offers audiences an opportunity to connect more deeply to the artists’ journeys\, and one another.  \nImage: “Heavy Lift” by Tiffany Antone.  \n \nSaturday\, January 14\, 2023: \n\n 1:00-2:30 PM: An [UNTITLED] Performance\n \nOctagon Main Gallery \nJoin Tiffany\, and a host of talented artists\, as they share an uncensored look at their breast cancer experiences through poetry\, short plays\, narrative essays\, and a dash of stand-up comedy. Told with humor\, heart\, and sincerity\, this performance offers audiences an opportunity to connect more deeply to the artists’ journeys\, and one another.  \nImage: “Heavy Lift” by Tiffany Antone.    \n\n 3:00-5:00 PM: Make Your Own Boob Prints! Craft Day\n \nOctagon Dance Studio \nBefore Tiffany’s mastectomy\, she created an inkprint of her breasts\, and she’s so glad she did! Tiffany’s inkprint is featured in the Octagon Community Gallery\, and she invites community members to create their own breast-prints! This event will take place in the Octagon Dance Studio\, with a private room available for individuals to actually create a print they can take home with them. Tiffany will provide guidance throughout the process! \nAnyone who wants to create a breast-print is welcome to join!  \nWe particularly want to invite breast cancer patients\, survivors\, and previvors to register for this event. All boobs are welcome\, but please note that Tiffany tried this on her reconstructed boobs\, and it was a little more challenging.  \nPlease register (for free!) here by January 13th. \nImage: Inkprint by Tiffany Antone  \nQuestions about the exhibit? Email curator@octagonarts.org  \nLooking for some resources related to cancer screening and awareness? \nCheck out Iowa Cancer Consortium and the William R. Bliss Cancer Center. \nSome additional helpful resources recommended to us: \nAmerican Cancer Society\nLGBTQ+ Guide for Cancer Screening\nAn article from the American Cancer Society about racial disparities in breast cancer statistics   \nThank you to our exhibit artists:\nTiffany Antone\, Marla Andich\, Summer Awad\, Diana Burbano\, Pamela Crouch\, Hilde DeBruyne\, Sharon Goldner\, Carolyn Krueger\, Kimberly Kruse\, Amy McEntaffer\, Molly McGuire\, Karen Murphy\, Connie Mutel\, Angela J. Olney\, Kelly Marie Schaefer\, Rowen Schussheim-Anderson & Students at Augustana College \nArt 253 Fiber Sculpture Class\, Gaye Shannon-Burnett\, Jill Sneed\, India Snow-Watt\, Mónica Toro Lebrón\, Megan Wassom\n \nThank you to our exhibit photographers: \nKamaura Kim (ArtForce Iowa) and Alyson O’Hara  \nThank you to our exhibit partners: \nAmes Writers Collective\, Iowa Cancer Consortium\, NormaLeah Ovarian Cancer Initiative\, Soulful Healing Yoga\, and William R. Bliss Cancer Center \n \n \n   \n \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \nThank you to our exhibit funders: \nCity of Ames Commission on the Arts\, Humanities Iowa and the National Endowment for the Humanities\,* and Mary Greeley Medical Center.  \nThe Octagon Center for the Arts is also supported by the Iowa Arts Council and Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs.  \n \n  \n  \n        \n*This program is supported by Humanities Iowa. The views and opinions expressed by this program do not necessarily reflect those of Humanities Iowa. URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/untitled-january-2023/ LOCATION:Octagon Center for the Arts\, 427 Douglas Avenue\, Ames\, IA\, 50010\, United States CATEGORIES:Exhibits ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://octagonarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/unTITled-show-graphic-e1669054167372.png ORGANIZER;CN="Octagon Center for the Arts":MAILTO:info@octagonarts.org GEO:42.0257584;-93.6123172 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Octagon Center for the Arts 427 Douglas Avenue Ames IA 50010 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=427 Douglas Avenue:geo:-93.6123172,42.0257584 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20221119 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20221225 DTSTAMP:20260423T192256 CREATED:20220329T221406Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221121T163314Z UID:13701-1668816000-1671926399@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:WHAT'S THE BUZZ? [explorations in handmade paper]: Dawn Wohlford DESCRIPTION:Artist Statement:\nI could be the Poster Child for the slogan “Reuse\, Reduce\, Recycle.” Handmade paper is the basis for the majority of my artwork\, but I often incorporate\, weave or build using other found materials. I use old clothes\, dead plants\, shredded money\, and items such as old doormats (made of natural fibers) to make paper pulp. I cast or incorporate pieces of rusty metal\, vintage glass\, bicycle inner tubes\, leather and anything else that catches my eye. Pieces are often finished with pigment to achieve the appearance of metal.  \nMy approach to art making is methodical. Each piece is carefully planned and goes through several time intensive processes before reaching its final state. Each stage informs and alters the finished piece. The finished piece aspires to be both a beautiful object and a thought provoking or humorous reflection. \nMost recently\, the plight of bees\, as well as the construction of their hives (which is a form of papermaking) has captured my interest. Recent pieces reflect thoughts about the structure of beehives and how they are similar to human homes as not only a supposedly safe haven\, but a place to work and create. \nAbout the Artist:\nSculptural paper artist Dawn Wohlford discovered handmade paper during a National Art Educators conference in 1983\, while she was a junior at Truman State University. She returned to college and read everything she could find about making paper\, then began experimenting with handmade screens\, an old blender and recycled paper\, using her bathtub as a vat. Using these crude supplies\, she was able to create art for her Senior Show and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. Still obsessed with creating art with paper pulp\, she chose to attend Arizona State University to learn hands on from one of the authors whose book she had studied. With her new skills\, she moved to Colorado and became an apprentice to Raymond Tomasso\, an internationally known artist. She gave workshops in Vail and Leadville and produced 150 sheets of nearly identical denim papers for a limited-edition book\, Strange Papers\, that was assembled and bound in Germany. At the same time\, she attended the University of Colorado and earned an MFA in sculpture in 1988. She moved back to her hometown in Iowa in 1998 and she became the Visual Arts Director for Quad City Arts\, a nonprofit organization. She oversees two art galleries and a public sculpture program. Additionally\, she serves on the Acquisitions Committee for the Figge Art Museum and teaches papermaking at Gilda’s Club. After caring for her home & family\, she creates art in the wee hours of the night. She consistently exhibits her work in regional exhibitions. \n  URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/dawn-wohlford/ LOCATION:Octagon Center for the Arts\, 427 Douglas Avenue\, Ames\, IA\, 50010\, United States CATEGORIES:Exhibits ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://octagonarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2018-06-16-14.04.07-scaled-e1668707941404.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Octagon Center for the Arts":MAILTO:info@octagonarts.org GEO:42.0257584;-93.6123172 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Octagon Center for the Arts 427 Douglas Avenue Ames IA 50010 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=427 Douglas Avenue:geo:-93.6123172,42.0257584 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20221008 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20221113 DTSTAMP:20260423T192256 CREATED:20220329T221125Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221025T233545Z UID:13699-1665187200-1668297599@octagonarts.org SUMMARY:LAYERS OF REALITY: ANDREW CLARRIDGE AND MATTHEW TERRY DESCRIPTION:Artist Statements\nAndrew Clarridge\n \n“My work is an endeavored process culminating out of experiences many or all of us have had in our lives. I like to focus on an array of issues such as technology and its psychological effects\, enslavement\, love\, loss\, death\, renewal\, enlightenment and empowerment. These are broad topics that have deep historic layers from which to sift through. The “layers” of inspiration are ambiguously related to the layers I build up in each piece. The digital work incorporates up to 50 layers or more of blending\, mirroring\, breaking apart\, color correction etc. This work is derived from hand made pieces involving wildly vivid and bright colors\, wood burned matrices and geometric form interplayed with organic counterparts. In both computer generated and hand-made pieces (sometimes both in one) the colors and forms are created to coexist with each other in a harmonious dance that often resonates with music I may be listening to at the same time.” \n  \n  \n  \nMatthew Terry\nLife is expression; and from a young age Matthew has fully embraced this expression. Lost within his surroundings\, at 16 he found photography\, and through this medium he developed a way to connect with other individuals who also felt a similar level of detachment. By combining subjective perspective with universal appeal Matthew has found unique ways of questioning not only the identity of who we are\, but also how we interact & relate to that which surrounds us. Whether he’s capturing a Landscape\, Architecture\, or the Human Form\, his work challenges the relation of inherent truths & fiction that occur in our existence. Utilizing contrasting tones\, and a distinctly deliberate perspective influenced by combining the conscious and subconscious as a means to question reality\, Matthew showcases conceptual photos which evoke a level of detachment subtle enough for most people to connect with. It is through this connection that Matthew proves on a perceptual level just how related we actually are. \nAbout the Artists\nAndrew Clarridge is from Story City\, and graduated with a BFA in 2009 from Iowa State University. Andrew has exhibited work with the artist group Paintpushers and also independently around central Iowa since 2010. Currently\, Andrew creates work out of Mainframe Studios in Des Moines\, and has an open studio where he demonstrates and discusses his work every first Friday of the month. \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n \nMatthew Terry is a Fine Art Photographer and graduate of the Academy of Art University\, where he attained his BFA-Photography with a focus in Fine Art Photography in December of 2014. Currently located in the Davenport Iowa/Quad City area\, Matthew picked up his first film camera in 2004 at age 16\, and since has exhibited and sold work at galleries in Rome\, San Francisco\, and Minneapolis\, among others. Additionally seeing work published both Nationally (Iowa\, Vermont\, New York\, Atlanta) and Internationally (Italy\, England). Growing up in the Midwest\, he long felt alienated in both a physical and mental sense. Lost within his surroundings he found photography\, and through this medium he found a way to connect with other individuals who also felt a similar level of detachment. \nRecently featured in the Iowa 175th Anniversary edition of The Annals of Iowa and a featured guest at the 2021 Celebrate Iowa Gala\, Matthew is a quickly emerging talent from the Eastern edge of Iowa attempting to change up the perception of what Midwestern/Iowa art has traditionally represented. \nExhibit Event\nLayers of Reality Artist Talk with ISU Alum\, Andrew Clarridge   \nWednesday\, November 2\, 4:30-5:30 p.m.\nOctagon Center for the Arts Community Gallery\nFree and Open to the Public\nMasks Required \nJoin artist Andrew Clarridge\, an alum of ISU College of Design and a featured artist in the Octagon Center for the Arts’ Layers of Reality exhibit\, for an artist talk on November 2nd. Andrew will talk about his exhibit artwork and artistic process\, as well as answer questions from students and community members. \n  \nLayers of Reality: Andrew Clarridge and Matthew Terry is sponsored by the Department of Art and Visual Culture at Iowa State University and PhotoSynthesis.    URL:https://octagonarts.org/event/andy-clarridge-and-matthew-terry/ LOCATION:Octagon Center for the Arts\, 427 Douglas Avenue\, Ames\, IA\, 50010\, United States CATEGORIES:Exhibits ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://octagonarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Layers-of-Reality-Andrew-Clarridge-and-Matthew-Terry.jpeg ORGANIZER;CN="Octagon Center for the Arts":MAILTO:info@octagonarts.org GEO:42.0257584;-93.6123172 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Octagon Center for the Arts 427 Douglas Avenue Ames IA 50010 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=427 Douglas Avenue:geo:-93.6123172,42.0257584 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR