Octagon Center for the Arts

Solo Art Exhibition: Denice Peters “Be Still”
2025-01-20 10:00 - 2025-02-15 17:00 (America/Chicago) | Octagon Center for the Arts, 427 Douglas Avenue, Ames, IA, 50010, United States
Be Still
Solo Exhibition by Denice Peters
January 20th – February 15th, 2025 At The Octagon Community Gallery
About this solo exhibition:

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

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

Valentine Makers’ Table
2025-02-08 14:00 - 16:00
Valentine Makers’ Table
Saturday, February 8
2 – 4 pm
$5
Make beautiful “Valentine-y”art, cards and messages for your special people. All supplies provided. Children under 10 must bring a paying adult partner.
Click here to RSVP!

Third Thursdays: Ames High String Quartet
2025-02-20 18:00 - 20:00
Join us in the gallery for beautiful music from the Ames High String Quartet. We will have drinks and snacks available for a donation and, if you’re interested, a music related craft at each table. It’s a great reason to get out of the house, spend time with friends, or maybe make up for that missed Valentine date. The event begins at 6:00 and music will start at 6:30. Join us anytime from 6:00-8:00 – we hope to see you here!
Sponsored by Lott Music Studio

RSVP Here: https://www.facebook.com/share/1AAeFtdCED/

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

Octagonal: The All-Media Show is the annual, juried all-media exhibition at the Octagon Center for the Arts in Ames, Iowa. Originally titled the Clay and Paper Show, the exhibit opened in 1968 to provide an opportunity to the central Iowa arts community. Over the past 56 years, the exhibit morphed over the decades to become the Clay, Fiber, Paper, Glass, Metal, Wood Exhibit that has featured hundreds of artists from dozens of states. The newest version of the exhibit, Octagonal: The All-Media Show, launched in 2018 taking a note from the past while moving forward to continue to provide an exciting opportunity for artists across Iowa, the Midwest, and the nation. This exhibit features a regionally-recognized juror each year, attracts artists from across the United States, and provides significant cash awards.

2025 Juror: Chris Vance

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

Third Thursdays - Game Night at the Octagon
2025-03-20 17:00 - 20:00
Third Thursdays:
♟♜♞♛ Game Night at the Octagon! ♥ ♠ ♦ ♣
Spring break will be wrapping up and you might need an activity to keep the family busy! Or, an opportunity to hang around some fun adults! Join us for Game Night on Thursday, March 20. From 5:00-6:30 pm we welcome people of all ages to play board games and card games. Then from 6:30-8:00 we will host an adults-only game time. Feel free to bring snacks and non-alcoholic beverages with you. Adult beverages will be provided from 6:30-8:00 for a donation.

Draw Your Pet with Bethany Schultz
2025-03-27 18:00 - 19:30
Draw Your Pet with Bethany Schultz
Thursday March 27 6:00pm-7:30pm
Donations encouraged!
This month’s featured artist, Bethany Schultz, is holding a drawing workshop on March 27th! Submit your photo to shop@octagonarts.org and Bethany will prep your drawing with a grid to help you in your drawing adventure!

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

Third Thursdays: Needle Night at the Octagon with Nittery Nook and Prairie Rose Needleworks
2025-04-17 18:00 - 20:00
Needle Night
Thursday, April 17th 6PM – 8PM
It’s needle night at the Octagon! Come see local artists demonstrate a variety of needle and fiber arts, including knitting, crocheting, embroidery, felting, quilting and mending. This come-and-go event is from 6:00-8:00 PM and is for all ages. Feel free to bring your own fiber projects to work on as you sit alongside our artists. No need to have experience or skill – enjoy seeing the work of others and possibly try something new! Co-sponsored by Prairie Rose Needleworks and Knittery Nook.
Artists: Amanda Zagloba, Rochelle Nickolay, Teddy Stark, Jill Guffy, Marilyn Andersen, Kristen Roach

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

Live Jewelry Making Demo with Featured Artist, Margie Magnuson
2025-04-24 18:00 - 19:00
Live Jewelry Making Demo with Margie Magnuson
April 24th at 6PM at the Octagon Center for the Arts
Margie Magnuson, a goldsmith from Omaha, NE designs and creates her own jewelry line of pendants, earrings, and rings. She uses sterling silver, 14kt. gold and precious and semi-precious gemstones. Margie says her formal training stressed clean, simple design, employing hand forging techniques using a hammer and anvil to form her creations.
Margie will travel to Ames on April 24th and demonstrate some of her techniques at 6pm. Please join us and meet Margie in person!
CLICK HERE for the Facebook Event Page

Art From the Attic - Octagon Art Sale
2025-05-15 10:00 - 2025-05-17 17:00
Art From the Attic
Art Sale Event by Octagon Shop

Event Dates:
May 15th, 2025 – Event Opening Day
May 17th, 2025 – Event Closes

About This Event:
Art from the Attic begins Thursday, May 15! Purchase art from members of the Octagon who have graciously donated original artwork, and pieces we have gathered from our building that need a new home. We believe that art is for everyone, so you will find a variety of styles and prices that are affordable. Stop by the gallery between 10AM and 7PM to browse through one-of-a-kind artworks that will fit perfectly in your space at incredibly low prices. The sale continues Friday and Saturday, from 10AM to 5PM.
Donating Artwork:
If you have quality art pieces that you no longer have room for or no longer fits with your décor, we would love to have you consider donating it to our art sale. We provide incredible discounts on quality work to make it accessible to people from all walks of life. We are focused on original art and prints, as opposed to items purchased from box stores or home decor businesses. All proceeds go to support classes and events at the Octagon.

If you choose to donate, please make sure artwork is not damaged, dirty or faded. If you have multiple or large pieces, live in Ames, and don’t have a way to transport them to the Octagon, please contact office@octagonarts.org and the Octagon staff will make arrangements for pick up. Also, we are not able to accept jewelry for the sale. Once donated to the sale, the Octagon has full ownership and discretion of any remaining, unsold artwork.

We appreciate your commitment to the Octagon and our mission, through your membership, donations and attendance at events. If this is something you are interested in participating in, you can bring your art pieces to the Octagon Monday through Thursday, 10 AM to 5:30 PM. If those times don’t work for you, give us a call and we can set up a time to meet you.

NOTE: Per IRS guidelines, the Octagon is not able to provide a donation receipt for artwork since it’s a noncash charitable contribution, and the Octagon is unable to establish a cash value for donated artwork.

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

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

Third Thursdays: Paint & Plant on the Patio!
2025-06-19 17:30 - 19:30
Paint & Plant on the Patio!
June 19 from 5:30 – 7:30pm
Choose a free flower pot and decorate it in any way you can dream up! All are welcome – grab a friend, bring your family, or have an evening on your own!
Back Alley Plants will have a variety of plants available if your pot is in need of a resident. Free cuttings and $5 plants will be offered!

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

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

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

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

Third Thursdays: Musical Guests on the Patio Featuring The Bone People!
2025-07-17 17:00 - 20:00
Musical Guests on the Patio Featuring The Bone People!
Thursday, July 17 5pm – 8pm
The Bone People are back! This longtime Iowa-based band is back in the studio and ready to spend an evening singing for you. Join us on the patio, on the west side of the Octagon, from 5-8 PM on Thursday, July 17 for an evening of great music. This is a free event for all ages! Drinks will be available for a donation.

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

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

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

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

Art Supply Drive!
2025-08-01 09:00 - 2025-08-31 17:30
Calling for all spare art supplies!
We are partnering with area art stores and community members to provide a free art supply day for artists of all ages in September!
Prairie Rose Needleworks, The Knittery Nook, and The Octagon Center for the Arts are committed to making creativity inclusive so we’ve teamed up to for a special art & craft supply drive. Bring your new and/or gently used art & craft supplies to one of our locations during the month of August. The Octagon will then host a special free art supply day for the community in September.
Donation Rules:

We accept items that can be used for art/craft activities for any age, from fingerpaints and fat paintbrushes to oil paint and embroidery thread.
Any liquids (paint, glue, etc.) should be at least half full and able to flow through the lid.
Yarn, thread and other fibers should be wound or neatly presented. Please do not send a nest that needs to be untangled.
Fiber (yarn, roving, etc.) donations should be packaged in a Ziploc bag or airtight container
Items should be in clean containers. A little paint on the bottle is fine but please don’t send dusty or musty items.
Items should not be overly faded or smell bad.
All items should be unbroken and able to be used without requiring repair.
Storage space is limited so please bring in a reasonable amount of donations.
Only drop off donations during open hours and bring them inside the location. Do not leave items in front of locations during closed hours.

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

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

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

Artists’ Statements:

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

Artists’ Biographies:

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

Third Thursdays: Poetry SLAM!
2025-08-21 17:30 - 20:00
Poetry SLAM!
Thursday, August 21st, 5:30pm – 8pm
The Octagon is holding its first ever poetry slam! Come hear original work from local poets of all ages and styles. The event will begin at 5:30 and poets will take the stage at 6:00. This is a free event, for attendees and poets alike. We prefer that poets sign up in advance at this link: Poet Registration. However, we will allow same-day sign up at the event. We hope you’ll join us and support the poets who are participating!

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

Art Supply Treasure Hunt!
2025-09-06 10:00 - 14:00
Find your art supply treasures and bag them up for free!
From 10am – 2pm
In the Octagon 2nd Floor Dance Studio
Prairie Rose Needleworks, Knittery Nook and the Octagon have been gathering art and craft supplies from the community throughout August. And now we want to make them available to you – for free! Join us on the 2nd floor of the Octagon on September 6 and hunt for the art supplies you need. Or the art supplies that you wanted but didn’t know if you would use. Now is the time to find out! (We know there’s a big game that day – come before it starts or sneak away at halftime. There’s time!)
Free and open to all ages; 12 & under must be accompanied by an adult

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Third Thursdays: Downtown Ames Music Walk!
2025-09-18 17:00 - 20:00
Downtown Ames Music Walk!
Thursday, September 18th, 5:00pm – 8:00pm
Participate in Music Walk, from 5:00-8:00pm, throughout downtown and stop by to see our featured band, Foxpin!
Join us on the Octagon Patio in the alley on the west side of the building for good music and good company!
Our Performer:
Foxpin is a band from Ames, Iowa that performs earnest rock music with bluesy keys and a tasteful rhythm section. Foxpin members are Ben Erbes (keys), Chase Abner (bass/vocals), Dan McClanahan (drums), and Lane Jahn (guitar/vocals).
Check our their music and socials:
Music LinkTree
Facebook
Instagram

54th Annual Octagon Art Festival
2025-09-28 10:00 - 16:00
The Octagon Art Festival takes place the fourth Sunday of September along Main Street in downtown Ames, IA. The festival is held outdoors on pavement, RAIN OR SHINE. Visual arts, children’s art area, food vendors and performing arts form the foundation of the Octagon Art Festival. Approximately 10,000 people attend the festival.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Witches Walk!
2025-10-09 18:00 - 20:00
Come out for a scary good time on Thursday, October 9!
Downtown businesses will be open late and hosting snacks and sips between 6:00 – 8:00pm.
Visit us at the Octagon Shop and gift yourself with a great pair of earrings, then come back in November for a gift for someone else! 10% off all earrings in the Octagon Shop!
This Downtown event is generally geared towards adults, but all are welcome and costumes are encouraged. If you are looking for a trick or treating opportunity for kids, join us for Downtown Trick or Treat on October 30!
Visit the Downtown Ames event to get more info for deals and activities at other Ames businesses

Third Thursdays: Halloween Maker’s Table!
2025-10-16 17:30 - 19:30
Halloween Maker’s Table!
Thursday, October 16th, 5:30pm – 7:30pm
We provide an array of Halloween and fall art supplies and you create to your heart’s content! Open to all ages, from 5:30-7:30pm, for a $5 fee.

Featured Artist Talk: Carol Patrick
2025-10-23 18:00 - 19:00
Featured Artist Talk
Creating With Carol
October 23, 2025 from 6:00 – 7:00pm in the Octagon Shop
Free! Ages 16+
Join Ames artist Carol Patrick and learn how she creates new from old, how to combine colors and patterns, and a few of her tips that make sewing fun and easy. Carol creates unique reversible aprons from vintage tablecloths; learn how she does it and a bit about the history of 40’s and 50’s tablecloths.
Carol sells her aprons in the Octagon Shop, but will have additional aprons for sale that haven’t been available in the Shop!
