Octagon Center for the Arts

The Colors of Nature BRIDGET MARCUS & PAMELA DOUGLAS
2021-12-30 10:00 - 2022-01-30 17:30 (America/Chicago) | Octagon Center for the Arts, 427 Douglas Avenue, Ames, IA, 50010, United States
Bridget Marcus has been bird watching for most of her life and her wonder and love for birds is only increasing as the vulnerability of our avian neighbors becomes ever clearer. Growing up in South Africa much of her free time was spent in the “bushveld” resulting in a deep knowledge of South African birds. Since emigrating to the midwest United States, she has grown to know and love the birds of eastern deciduous forests and urban gardens.
Bridget loves intense, highly saturated color and so has been drawn to pastels. Jack Wilkes, her private teacher and mentor, has exposed her to the magic of this medium.
Inspired by the depth of color with pastels, Bridget has recently started developing a body of work depicting American birds that are attracted to the Michigan woodland property where she and her husband, Rick, are actively birdscaping by planting native plants to attract the insects on which specific bird species depend. This summer’s birds of note include scarlet tanagers, indigo buntings and cedar waxwings bathing in the pond, which was built as a source of water for the birds.
As a part of Bridget’s commitment to aid in bird conservation, she will donate 30% of any sales at this exhibition or from online sales to the Audubon Society to assist them in the meaningful work being done by this important organization.
“My lifelong connection with nature feeds my soul but I fear that opportunities to experience first hand its exquisite beauty and wonder are rapidly diminishing with the inexorable rise in extinction rates of so many species. I aim to share my love of and reverence for some of these magnificent creatures by depicting them through the use of texture and vibrant color. I hope to inspire those who see my work to slow down, notice, and feel.”
Pamela Douglas specializes in painting and drawing. She has worked in a lot of dierent mediums, but over the last several years, her works are primarily created in pastel. Landscapes and still life are the subject matter she paints most often. Rather than represent the row crops of the midwest, Douglas is drawn to the beauty of the natural landscape. Her still life work contains contemporary compositions representing simple objects set in a specific orientation in space.
Whether in the studio or outside along a dusty road, Douglas enjoys the experience of being in the moment while painting. Through her works, she invites the viewer to imagine the serenity found in nature and hopefully to realize how important those places are in our world.
In Douglas’ work, the interaction of color intensity and temperature strengthens the illusion of light, color, and form. Through her continued investigation of the use of color, she intentionally works to produce the limits of depth or atmosphere.
Douglas applies pastel in a layered method, working first with the hardest density pastels and then finishing with soft pastels. Values are generally applied from dark to light. Depth of space is created by applying just the right temperature, value and intensity of color where needed.
“As a child, most of my fondest memories are about creative play. I believe being actively creative was something important enough to have brought me to what I do today. Making art teaches me something new about myself and the creative process every day. I feel most fulfilled when I am alone and experiencing the creative process.”

AMENDA TATE
2021-11-13 - 2021-12-24
LOCATED IN THE COMMUNITY GALLERY
Artist Statement:
In Latin, the word Manibus means “from the hand.” I created the Manibus robotic painting device to utilize as an extension of the artist’s hand. A dancer wears a motion-sensing remote directing Manibus to render an artistic depiction of elapsed time and motion. Using this tool, I capture and translate the movement and visceral dynamics of dance into painted works of art.
I facilitate collaborative processes as a director combining the necessary components for creating the work of art. With a nod to Abstract Expressionism, I allow for spontaneity in the mark, but utilize my own set of constraints to orchestrate order in the process. I determine the scale, width of the brush, the color, the starts and stops, while resigning myself to accept some aspects of the output as they occur. In the spirit of Happenings, I encourage the contribution of creative energy within a prescribed structure.
My process yields an observable abstract representation of what has transpired. It is an opportunity to analyze the fleeting movements of dance. The works take shape as dynamic linear renderings that embody kinetic verve. The emotion of the dance becomes a painted vestige honoring that instance in time. The lingering traces are mapped connections facilitated by social interaction, art, engineering, and technology.
My work explores how art and dance can be utilized in a participatory way to cross societal divides, break down barriers and increase empathy through tangible and embodied interactions. Through imagination, curiosity, and courage, we can increase our self-awareness to grow introspectively and consciously thereby enabling us to better understand the experiences of others. I have been conducting happenings/events that encourage public participation in the performative and improvisational creation of a collaborative work of art as a means to explore social structures and confirm connections to being emotionally intelligent humans.
This work questions responsible use of technology, the construction of identity in a socially digitized world, authorship and ownership, privacy, and legacy.

The Art of Climate Planning
2021-10-12 - 2021-11-06
LOCATED IN THE COMMUNITY GALLERY
The Art of Climate Planning is produced by The EcoTheatre Lab and funded by a City of Ames Small Art Grant. The project is inspired by the City of Ames’ commitment to developing a climate action plan in the coming months. The EcoTheatre Lab commissioned seven local artists to develop art pieces with the aim of encouraging community participation in the climate action planning process. These art pieces will be displayed in various community spaces through March 2022. A big thank you to everyone involved in the Octagon Center for the Arts’ Outrage to Change Project in Summer 2020, which inspired the structure for The Art of Climate Planning.
About The EcoTheatre Lab: The EcoTheatre Lab is a small collective of three Ames artists (Charissa Menefee, Taylor Sklenar, and Vivian M Cook). They partner with fellow ISU and Ames artists and community members to produce arts events that build community and engage audiences in sustainability conversations. They approach their work from an asset-based perspective, examining the many assets that exist within our community and identifying ways to amplify and build on those assets through art. Follow The EcoTheatre Lab on Facebook and Instagram.
Work in image by Keygan Sands.

Image & Text: Visual Art and Creative Writing in Partnership
2021-08-21 - 2021-10-02
LOCATED IN COMMUNITY GALLERY
Image & Text features visual and written artworks crafted from partnerships between visual artists and creative writers. Whether the individual artworks or the overarching concepts behind the artworks are the collaboration, this gallery installation intends to show artwork generated by the interplay between (or among) visual artists and creative writers. A call for artists took place in the summer of 2019. Originally planned for the 2020 gallery season, the pandemic required rescheduling of this gallery show.
Additionally, throughout the month of September, The Octagon will be hosting several events to celebrate the collaboration of visual art and writing. We would love to have you join us!

Wednesday, September 1st, 7:00 PM
Gallery Talk with Debra Marquart and Ingrid Lilligren
A conversation with Ingrid and Debra involving art, readings of poems and excerpts, and a view into how collaboration between the artists creates new visual art. Watch the recording here: https://fb.watch/8b3U_6AZd4/

Thursday, September 9th, 6:00 – 8:00 PM
Eraser Poetry + Collage and Open Mic Night
A drop-in activity to learn about and create eraser poetry and collage alongside a public open mic night. Share the creative writing in your life. $5 suggested donation to help The Octagon cover material costs. Partnership with the Emerging Writers.

Thursday, September 16th, 6:00 – 8:00 PM
Galley Show Reception
A reception to celebrate the works of all artists in the show. Plus impromptu poetry readings of the show artists in attendance. See the Facebook event here.

Thursday, September 23rd, 6:00 PM NEW TIME!
Words Meet Art with Ana McCracken
A literary arts event that demonstrates through words how art invokes feelings, triggers memories, and inspires conversations across divides and demographics, plus a special announcement.

Thursday, September 29th, TBA
Reading Night with the Emerging Writers at Dog-Eared Books
A literary arts event that demonstrates through words how art invokes feelings, triggers memories, and inspires conversations across divides and demographics.

Saturday, October 2nd, 12:30 – 4:00 PM
Bookbinding: The Cross Structure Book, Ages 16+
A class on bookbinding. The Cross Structure binding is a non-adhesive structure that offers much freedom to the text block. This 20th century design is greatly inspired by the Long Stitch bindings of the medieval era. It is suitable for conservation or new bindings, such as travel journals or decorative bindings. The structure is uniquely constructed by interlocking the front and back covers at the spine. Instructed by Peggy Johnston. Pre-registration is required. Cost $95 class fee.

Theater of The Absurdo LEON RICHMOND
2021-07-10 - 2021-08-13
LOCATED IN COMMUNITY GALLERY
Artist Statement
Why is when, and now is why, and we will ALWAYS want, AND all is “What the holy crap!”
Never has this been an obstacle for lucid critical or crucial thought for whom the dummbbbell tolls in the skies of material wantonness. Q: How did we even get here? The needs, creeds and greeds of all the wants are re-assembled in this body of work. Faux luxury facilitated by dead corporate machines like Sears, JC Penny’s and Montgomery Wards with 1200 page catalogs are a good place to begin perhaps. Paper bricks printed on glossy non-archival paper layered to the sky for empire building. If aliens from outer space were to visit us right now, many of their questions could be answered in those catalogs. Core samples have been gathered in these non-fine art things and born again from merely rummaging through the grave yards of consumable “goods” re-swapped for $$ in the stores of thrift and performing fleas. By the process of cultural anthropology, many of these cheap consumer goods have been given a new life, again to adorn the walls and tables of mainstream America. The artist has found inspiration in the cheap stuff of yester-year, thusly re-arting the stuff that was mass-produced to give the façade of style and class. So hurry! We’re running out of stuff fast!
The white middle/upper/other classes examined have been recorded in both the good and bad books of history and consequently flushed out the birth canals of the unimaginative landfills (progress). Facsimiles with objective meanings defy our understanding in the rubbish now, yet provide proof-positive of who we were, who we are and what we mostly still want to be. So uselessly useful in their time now become “utilitarian fine art” again for their utilitarian purpose in the third place. Artistic alchemical license has freely given the artist a full-on-all-out-all-American stratagem with these junk store findings. America in its most peculiar vintage hour… American at its final artistic process…
So for now, we look to the past for where we went wrong, right and/or left. Based on the hunting and gathering of antiquated pictorial evidence, allegorical signifiers, aggressive branding and personal insider insights, observable clues are given in an absurdist, unflinching and often lowbrow way for your viewing entertainment. To laugh or to cry?… You decide…
Meet the artist at the closing reception Friday, August 13, 5 – 7pm in the Community Gallery. Everyone is welcome and masks are required.

Octagon Member Show
2021-05-29 - 2021-07-03
LOCATED IN THE COMMUNITY GALLERY
More information coming soon.

What's Good Project JENNIFER DRINKWATER
2021-04-17 - 2021-05-22
LOCATED IN THE COMMUNITY GALLERY
Please join us for a closing reception on Thursday, May 20th, 5 – 7pm with artist, Jennifer Drinkwater! The reception will be at the Octagon Community Gallery.
What is What’s Good, you ask.
Culturally, it seems that we are addicted to negativity. What happens when we deliberately acknowledge and discuss the assets in our communities? What happens when we make a choice to look for what is working where we live? Can this build community momentum and lead to a “spiraling up effect” within the community?
The What’s Good Project stems from asset-based community development and highlights community strengths. According to research, shifting focus from community challenges to strengthening community assets can result in more effective community improvement. Using that as a framework and art as the output, The What’s Good Project explores what we value where we live.
A Mississippi native, Jennifer Drinkwater has lived in various communities across the country – including the Mississippi Delta, a state park in Western Massachusetts, New Orleans, multiple Appalachian Trail crew base camps, a Blackfoot reservation in Montana, along the shoreline of Lake Turkana in Kenya, Eastern North Carolina, Mississippi suburbia, college-town Iowa, Atlanta, and artist residencies in Truth and Consequences, NM; Peoria, IL; Marquette, NE; Johnson, VT; and New York Mills, MN.
She has spent one year of her life in tents, and currently lives with her beloved husband and dog in a house in Ames, Iowa.
Jennifer is an assistant professor with a joint appointment between the department of art and visual culture and Iowa State University extension and outreach. She has a B.A. in both studio art and anthropology from Tulane University and earned an M.F.A in
painting from East Carolina University. Her paintings have been exhibited nationally in juried and solo exhibitions and have been featured in New American Paintings and Studio Visit magazine.
Jennifer explores how we bring artwork from the studio into the world, and accordingly, how this work can both build and shape community. During the past few years, she has partnered with communities in Iowa and Mississippi in various community
art projects, programming and theatre productions. She helped to organize a community-wide steamroll printmaking event in Perry, Iowa; created installations in restored prairies in Nebraska; collaborated on public art projects in vacant sites on
Iowa main streets; spearheaded a community knit-bombing project; and painted two murals with middle school children on a juke joint in the Mississippi Delta.

2021 Octagonal: The All Media Show
2021-03-06 - 2021-04-10
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 53 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.

Awards
Winifred V. Brown Best of Show award: $1000
Media award for each category: $100

2021 Juror: Jenie Gao

Jenie Gao is a full-time artist, creative director, and entrepreneur. She specializes in large-scale projects including murals, public installations, curatorial works, and creative direction. She is an interdisciplinary leader with a professional background in the arts industry, public education, and lean manufacturing, and an advocate for equity for artists and creative labor. As a first generation American, she is a spokesperson for the arts as a path to cultural relevance for a diverse citizenry.

Jenie is an arts ambassador who has served as the Vice President of Wisconsin Visual Artists, Chair of the Biennial at Museum of Wisconsin Art, and Public Art Committee member for Madison Arts Commission. She is a founding member of Arts + Literature Laboratory and Dane Arts Mural Arts, where she has served as a fundraiser and systems builder for the financial longevity of these nonprofits. Jenie is a TEDx Madison speaker and outspoken advocate for the value of the arts in our ecosystems. She is a former artist-in-residence at Proyecto’ace in Buenos Aires, Argentina; Museo de Arte Moderno in Castro, Chile; Iowa Lakeside Laboratory, Madison Public Library, and Artist Campaign School with Fractured Atlas. As a curator, she has produced exhibits at companies like Promega Corporation and AC Hotel
Marriott as a way to build bridges between artists and businesses.

Jenie currently runs a 1,700 square foot production studio and has hosted 20 interns since 2018. Through her interdisciplinary work, Jenie has become a visionary leader who knows how to bring together industries, education systems, and cultural representation to create a more equitable ecosystem for everyone. https://jenie.org/

The competition was fierce this year. Jenie Gao chose 41 pieces from a total of 349 submissions by 134 artists. This means that 12% of the overall submissions were chosen for this show. The artwork is selected through a blind process (the juror sees the artwork without the artist’s name or location). Award winners will be selected by the juror just before the show opens. Awards are partly funded through an endowment from the Brown Family. We would also like to thank our Octagonal sponsor: Haila Architecture, Structure, and Planning.

2021 Award Winners

Priscilla Sage Fiber Award: “Iridescent Turkey Sticker on the Outside” by Lily Martina Lee. Sponsored by Haila Architecture, Structure, and Planning.

Janet Harris Squires Clay Award: “Ignorant” by Ingrid Lilligren. Sponsored by Haila Architecture, Structure, and Planning.

Martha Benson Metal Media Award: “Quilted Grid” by Jeremy Diamond. Sponsored by Haila Architecture, Structure, and Planning.

Veronika Ruedenberg Mixed Media Award: “The Transition of Venus” by Jamie Malone. Sponsored by Haila Architecture, Structure, and Planning.

Paper Media Award: “Frozen Floral Waste #1” by Jody Boyer. Funded by the Brown Family Endowment Fund.

Wood Media Award: “Tortuous” by Tom Whalley. Funded by the Brown Family Endowment Fund.

Painting Media Award: “Self Portrait as an Invasive Species” by Caylin Jayde. Funded by the Brown Family Endowment Fund.

Emerging Artist Award: “Baptism” by Paige Holzbauer. Funded by the Brown Family Endowment Fund.

Winifred V. Brown Best of Show Award: “Stretched Thin” by Katie Walberg. Funded by the Brown Family Endowment Fund.

Please visit our YouTube channel to see the virtual reception, which includes juror comments and a panel discussion with artists (Jody Boyer, Tibi Chelcea, Cyndi O’Hern, and Josh Sorrell) here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvK13pCHrqg

2021 Accepted Works

First Name
Last Name
Title

Chris
Abigt
Rock Bridge

Janet
Bergeron
Ketchikan

Jody
Boyer
Frozen Floral Waste #1

Makayla
Carlson
Testing the Waters

Makayla
Carlson
Whatever Keeps You Is All Right By Me

Nanette
Catigbe
Heart of Glass

Tiberiu
Chelcea
Randomly Accessed Memory #4

Kelly
Devitt
Outward

Jeremy
Diamond
Quilted Grid

Terry
Dooley
Little Big Creek

Maggie
Douglas
Surroundings

Jennifer
Drinkwater
Man, Superman, Gunman (March 11, 2013: Part I)

Nathan
Edwards
Horizons

Charlie
Esker
the divine feminine

Desiree
Fuller
Still Life #4

David
Garrison
Rushing Water

Cindy
Gould
Salt Flats: Great Rann of Kutch

Jill
Guffy
Small Quilt Collage II

Susan
Heggestad
Embellishments: Adorn/Repress

Paige
Holzbauer
Baptism

Randy
Hoshaw
SWITCHGRASS ON 69

Caylin
Jayde
Self Portrait as an Invasive Species

Marcia
Joffe-Bouska
RIO DE MI CORAZON (triptych)

Carole
Kunstadt
PRESSING ON No. 8

Diane
Kunzler
Turbulence

Lily Martina
Lee
Iridescent Turkey Sticker on the Outside

Lily Martina
Lee
Pot is the New Tanning

Ingrid
Lilligren
Ignorant

Jamie
Malone
The Transition of Venus

Christopher
Merchant
End Table Cabinet

Cynthia
O’Hern
(F)emanate

Chuck
Richards
A Gallery of Grotesque Self-Portraits

Anna
Segner
Bite Back

Josh
Sorrell
Viral

Jac
Tilton
Bullis Discount

Jac
Tilton
Chillin’ Below Michigan Ave.

Katie
Walberg
Stretched Thin

Gina
Westergard
With The Stars and With Me

Tom
Whalley
3-D Portholes: A Study in Black and White

Tom
Whalley
Tortuous

Alicia
Wilkinson
Setting The Oppressed Free

2021 Elementary / Middle / High Exhibit: An Exhibition of Local Elementary, Middle, and High School Students
2021-02-13 - 2021-02-27
COMMUNITY GALLERY AND VIRTUAL

The Octagon Center for the Arts is highlights artwork by local elementary, middle, and high school students annually. The Octagon loves loves hosting the work of these young emerging artists.
See the K – 8 Virtual Show here! The High School Show is in the Octagon Community Gallery, Feb. 13 – 27, 2021, at the Octagon Center for the Arts in Ames, Iowa.

2021 Jurors: Cathie Gebhart, Nancy Gebhart, & Lydia Mae
Cathie Gebhart is a former public school teacher teaching all grades preK- college, including high school art classes. After retiring, she taught the preK art class at the Octagon for two years. Author of several children’s books, she manages Dan the Fish Publishing which gives a voice for new writers and artists. Cathie’s favorite artist is Vincent Van Gogh. Cathie is the Mema to nine grands and mother of four, including Nancy Gebhart.
Nancy Gebhart is currently a PhD student at Iowa State working on her doctorate in Social and Cultural Studies of Education with a focus on the intersection of art and social justice. She was the Education Director at University Museums for ten years and has curated many exhibits both in Ames and Des Moines. Prior to coming to Iowa State, Nancy worked at the Lyman Museum in Hilo, HI and the Saint Louis Art Museum in Missouri. Nancy has received numerous awards including Art Educator of the Year from the Ames Community Arts Council, and the Woman of Achievement Award from the YWCA. Nancy’s favorite artist is Keith Haring. Nancy is the proud mother of Lydia Mae.
Lydia Mae is 2019 Octagon winner in the Kindergarten division for her wood block print on handmade paper. She has taken art classes at the Octagon since the age of two. She has also taken art classes at the Workspace, Reiman Gardens, and at Fused, a glass fusing studio in Roslyn, WA. Lydia has traveled to 16 states, visiting museums across the country. Her favorite artist is Georgia O’Keefe. Her favorite living artist is Yayoi Kusama, and her favorite artist that she knows is Cameron Gray.

Papercutters Times Three LINDA EMMERSON, LUCKY KIM, & BETH WUNDER
2021-01-09 - 2021-02-06
LOCATED IN THE COMMUNITY GALLERY
Papercutters Times Three
Paper Cutting is a traditional art form practiced in a variety of guises in countries around the world. The
three of us found our ways from different directions. Beth was introduced to the Polish style at a
Wycinanki workshop in New Mexico. Linda visited a museum devoted to Scherenschnitte in Switzerland,
and Lucky grew up with the Korean traditional paper (Hanji) art. All of these influences can be seen in
our individual and developing styles.

Linda Emmerson Statement + Bio
Since my discovery in 1976 of the Swiss Tradition of papercutting, I have been happily snipping away.
After 20 years of drawing with a T-square and triangle, my new career, 40 years and counting, continues
to be a liberating source of discovery and satisfaction.
Beth Wunder Statement + Bio
From my very first cutting, I have been fascinated by the challenge of changing a drawing into a
silhouette and deciding which lines must be cut to portray the essence of the design. I like the precision
and exactness required, and the clean look of the cut. Doing that with scissors or knife and paper, easily
accessible and inexpensive materials, is always exciting and fun.
I took a course from Elsbieta Kaleta, a Polish Wycinanki artist, in 1993 and have been cutting ever since. I
have taught weeklong workshops and do commissions as well as printed cards of original work. I am a
member of the Guild of American Papercutters.
Lucky Kim Statement + Bio
Lucky Kim, originally coming from South Korea, specializes in Korean Traditional Paper Art, Korean Paper
(Hanji) made from mulberry tree. Though she had no formal background in art, 30years ago, she
discovered the art of Hanji and fell in love with the bright colors and intricate, traditional patterns. In the
past, she has meddled in woodworking and felt and recently discovered clay as a new medium, inspiring
her to make traditional Hanji boxes with clay.

NAOMI FRIEND
2020-11-13 - 2020-12-19
LOCATED IN THE COMMUNITY GALLERY
Artist Statement
I explore the intersection of our urban, rural, and wild spaces through artmaking. I am inspired by the love of the land we share in the midwest. My pieces are one-of-a-kind exposures using Cyanotype, combining the photo process with drawn illustrations of farm animals, cultivated, and native species.
My work highlights the strength and character of the animals while putting them into the context of our modern lifestyle. Their lives depend on our choices. For example, the piece Icelandic Chickens of Whipoorwill Farm uses a heritage breed created by the vikings and suggests its current habitat by including pictures of prairie, city, and cornfield. Scientific symbols suggest the balance of creation, evidenced by the sensitivity of crops to our intervention such as chemical applications and medicines. Using these tools well requires discernment. The Icelandic chicken thrives with only basic care, yet the breed is on the brink of extinction. To lose this breed would be to lose a living facet of history and human reliance on animals.
The artwork recognizes a contract of co-dependance between us and the creation around us. This relationship requires our love and respect to thrive and grow. My meticulous process of art-making reflects how I feel we can care for the world. When we care well for the small things, we care well for the big things too.
Artist Bio
Friend’s work has been shown in solo shows in Iowa, California, and Nebraska, and other group shows. It is recognized in local radio, newspaper, published in Diffusion magazine, and resides in public and private art collections. It has received awards in national juried art exhibits. She exhibits in a variety of outdoor public art events including the Des Moines Arts Festival.
She earned a Masters of Fine Art in Integrated Visual Arts at Iowa State University in 2013 and grew up in the community of Sioux Center, Iowa. Her undergraduate degree is from Dordt College where she studied fine art and graphic design. Naomi worked for three years at the Octagon Center for the Arts as the Exhibits Director. Naomi operates a small 3 acre farm, Friends Flowers, where she grows flowers for local markets.

Southwest Visions TERRY BRIGMAN
2020-10-10 - 2020-10-31
LOCATED IN THE COMMUNITY GALLERY

About Terry Brigman: After graduating in 1970, I went to work for a local company as a draftsman. In my spare time, I painted, sketched, and created small pieces of artwork that I sold or gave away. Art and the creation of art has wound its way through my life for the next many decades. Four years later, I left drafting and embarked on a career in the grocery business. The pay was substantially better, and I was able to complete some art pieces on the side. I took some classes at the local college and joined the Foothills Art Center in Golden, Colorado where I later went on to be a part of their “Shows on Loan”
program. Being part of that program, I became responsible for a one-person show at various government buildings, offices, non-profits, and private companies for one to two months at a time. During this time, I left the grocery business and went to work for the local utility company in Denver. In 1979, I moved to Phoenix, Arizona and joined the local artist guild. After a while, I decided to broaden my field, and possibly income, so I went back to school and got a degree in graphic design.

Over the next several years, I started my own graphic design business, got married, had two kids, and still found time to do my fine art. I created paintings, portraits, and a line of teeshirts. In 1994, we moved to Des Moines, Iowa. My art work slowed to a crawl between
many different jobs. The kids grew up and moved away. As my wife moved further into her career, I kept busy with writing. I had always written poetry, but one day I got an idea for a story. Eventually my writing became an obsession and my painting took a hiatus. I
published one book, another followed as well as a half-dozen short stories. Since that time, my writing has faded, and I now paint more than I have in years. My artwork has been accepted into the Iowa State Fair for five years, and I received an honorable mention in
2017. I have also shown my work at the Octagon, in the All Media Show, three times.

About Terry’s Artwork: I have gone from duplicating and practicing with my artwork, in an attempt to hone my abilities and further my career, to starting a conversation with my audience. I feel that with my later work, I have succeeded somewhat in trying to communicate a thought or strike up a conversation. My work became my voice for how I feel about the world around me and how I try to make sense of it all. This work can be large and bold or small and demure. At times, it is bright and colorful; other times drab and stark. I try to fit the medium with the tone of the content, so my work reflects a mix of
media. The results are a point of view that I would like to share.

The few pieces I am showing, here, are just some of my Southwest themed work; a discussion on the landscape and the indigenous people as I perceive it in today’s world. One piece, in particular a portrait of my uncle, Blackie, speaks of my heritage. He is half Osage and quarter Cherokee.

Wax Cathedral KAT SILENT WATER
2020-10-10 - 2020-10-31
LOCATED IN THE COMMUNITY GALLERY

Kat Silent Water is a printmaker based out of Ankeny, Iowa, working in woodblock and linoleum relief since 2014. She recently embraced the alchemical properties of encaustic painting in her latest body of work, ‘Wax Cathedral’. Silent Water’s inspiration has taken root in Art Nouveau’s celebration of organic forms and cultural anthropology.

Silent Water earned a Bachelor of Arts in Art and Visual Culture from Iowa State University in 2015, with an emphasis in printmaking and painting. Her work has been exhibited across the state of Iowa and St. Louis, Missouri, in national group exhibitions. She also painted a Mural for the University of Colorado Boulder, College of Music.

About Kat’s Artwork: Wax Cathedral is a glance into a world we have yet to visit; the bee hive. The body of artwork celebrates the sisterhood and hard work of honey bees in North America. Capturing their sainthood of agriculture and modern struggles against incursion
of mites, fungi and disease with beekeepers as watchful guardians of the hive.

Cathedrals are seen as hallowed ground. When individuals walk through the threshold of the sanctuary, they are transported to a safe place of spiritual solace. Cathedrals embellish every detail in their interior, allowing daily worries and hardships to dissipate. It creates an unworldly and beautiful place, as though you were in heaven itself.

Just as these spiritual institutions are maintained amongst a community of like-minded individuals, so is the hive of the honey bees. The unique fortress is founded on hard work and communication. It serves as an escape from the plague of predators and treachery. The worker bees build their interior with careful yet creative consideration.

The resilience shown in both the honey bees and beekeeper community have been the foundation of my artistic inspiration Although the enemies of mites, fungi and disease threaten the bee’s hallowed sanctuary, the beekeepers find ways to repair and mend
these colonies with research and patience.

Making the art beekeeping even more valued just like Kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing and beautification of broken objects.

http://www.orthruspress.com/

Super Natural PEGGY JOHNSTON & VERA SCEKIC
2020-08-22 - 2020-10-03
LOCATED IN THE COMMUNITY GALLERY (STREET LEVEL)
Peggy Johnston
Artist Statement
My love of paper made it almost inevitable that I would discover the book arts. Since crafting my first books 30 years ago, I have explored bookmaking as an art as well as a craft.
I love to be surprised by my work (and usually am). Often, materials that I have collected inspire a piece. What would happen if I sewed a few hundred slide mounts together? How about coffee filters or heat warped polyester? Pine needles? Beads? Bicycle spokes? I just need to find out.
I don’t always know what is going to happen when I start a work. As often as not, an organic form emerges. I often say that I am not in control of my art. It controls me. I name my forms after they are completed, frequently flipping through a pictorial dictionary until I spot something that resembles the sculpture. Other times, I make up faux Latin names.
About Peggy Johnston (Artist Bio)
I graduated from the University of Wyoming with a double degree in Art and Education. Since then, I have continued my studies in painting, printing and the book arts. I’ve taught book art workshops in Oregon, Colorado, Wyoming, Connecticut, and Iowa, and have studied with leading book artists across the nation.
Locally, I’m a busy artist. In addition to my own work, I teach at the Des Moines Art Center. I have also taught in the public schools as a visiting artist, working with k-12 students. Other opportunities have allowed me to teach at the University of Northern Iowa, Iowa State University, Simpson College, Central College, and Drake University. Occasionally, I speak to local groups about my work and the book arts, and conduct seminars for graphic designers and art directors.
I was instrumental in the founding of The Prairie Book Collaborative, a group dedicated to the book in all its forms. The group produced three books before disbanding in 2012. (A copy of each one is held in the special collections at the University of Iowa library.) My work is in public and private collections nationally and internationally. I frequently exhibit my work in local and national exhibitions. To date, my work is included in twelve special collections around the country, including the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C.
Visit Waveland Studio for more info about Peggy Johnston.
Vera Scekic
Artist Statement
“For the first time in all time a living creature understands its origin and can undertake to design its future.”
-Robert Sinsheimer, as quoted in A Crack in Creation
My art practice originates from an abiding interest in the life sciences and an ethos that combines chance occurrences with a systematic approach. It is an analog response to recent developments (such as CRISPR) that have enabled alterations to mammalian genomes and
raised profound questions about human identity. Adopting the cell—life’s building block—as metaphor and armature, I treat paint as if it were an organism, exploring its material, chromatic and formal properties through a biological lens.
I generate membranes of paint by mixing it with various thinning agents and pouring the viscous fluid on polyester and ceramic substrates. When dry, the membranes are peeled, cut, spliced, layered, abraded and adhered to wood and canvas, producing naturally unnatural
hybrid forms that merge the manufactured and organic.
The process of creating the paint skins is repeated—frequently on top of existing pours—to mimic the cycle of growth, repair and degeneration. Gravity is the sole constant in the production process, underscoring the centrality of entropy and the tension inherent in a living system’s efforts to keep it at bay. Phagocytosis also comes into play as paint skins from earlier (disassembled) works are recycled and integrated into new cells. Framing the tattered, abraded and misshapen cells within “perfect” circles and rectangles magnifies the relationship between precision and irregularity, which animates all my projects.
The methodology guiding each work is time-intensive and multi-step, incorporating at certain stages the “gestures” of the lab while inviting extended inquiry into the nature of paint. The surface is a record of my negotiations between opacity and translucency, flatness and
dimensionality, expansion and containment, chance and control. At the project’s core lies my argument: that painting remains relevant in a digital era, and its ability to reflect essential questions about human experience and identity endures.
About Vera Scekic (Artist Bio)
Vera Scekic lives and works in Racine, Wisconsin. She has exhibited her paintings, drawings and installations at art centers, galleries and museums throughout the U.S. Recent solo and small group exhibitions include: Art Reflects Science (Prairie State College, Chicago Heights, IL), Twilight (Fitton Center, Hamilton, OH), Naturally Unnatural (Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center, Birmingham, MI) and Polymorphous Microtecture (Beverly Arts Center, Chicago, IL.) Scekic is a founding member of ArtRoot, a grassroots initiative to revitalize the city of Racine by building arts infrastructure, fostering connections and facilitating collaborations. Scekic is also the co-
founder and director of OS Projects, a contemporary art gallery located in downtown Racine.
Visit Vera Scekic’s website for more information.

Found Object Sculpture Project (Ages 5 - 15)
2020-07-20 08:00 - 2020-08-18 17:00
Summer 2020 Art Camps [At Home Edition]

Project Box: Found Object Sculpture Project: $10
Mixed bag of stuff! Plastic things, wooden spools, pipe cleaners/Chenille stems, feathers, beads, bric-a-brac, the works!

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT PROJECT BOXES
The Octagon will supply the activities/projects, supplies, a short video tutorial, and some written information (when needed). Depending on the project, we will also have live “studio hours” via zoom for any questions, critiques or show and tell. Tutorial links and any virtual information will be sent out once registration is complete. Sign up any time before the end date.
Please allow 2 business days to receive the tutorial links and other information.
The listed projects below are perfect for anyone who likes to work at their own pace when it fits best with their schedule. Campers will be introduced to a variety of disciplines in mixed media, painting, drawing, and textile arts during these fun projects. Project Boxes will contain most* art supplies and materials. Pick and choose your projects that interest you. Or, pick a curated theme containing a group of projects by media type.
Supplies:
Most supplies are included in the Project Boxes with the exception of scissors, watercolor paints, glue, pencils (things you may have from the school year). However, we can offer some gently used items (crayons, markers, colored pencils, pastels, and some watercolor paint trays, etc..) for a small donation upon pick up.
Pick Up:
Project Boxes will be available for contactless pick-up at the Octagon Center for the Arts Gallery Shop Tuesdays – Thursdays from 10 am – 5:30 pm. No delivery available. Materials will be available for pick up 2 business days after registration is complete.
Email education@octagonarts.org for more information.

Embroidery Hoop Pocket Organizer (Ages 5 - 15)
2020-07-20 08:00 - 2020-08-18 17:00
Summer 2020 Art Camps [At Home Edition]

Project Box: Embroidery Hoop Pocket Organizer (Ages 5 – 15) $15
1, 12 inch embroidery hoop, felt, patterned fabric (video tutorial included)

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT PROJECT BOXES
The Octagon will supply the activities/projects, supplies, a short video tutorial, and some written information (when needed). Depending on the project, we will also have live “studio hours” via zoom for any questions, critiques or show and tell. Tutorial links and any virtual information will be sent out once registration is complete. Sign up any time before the end date.
Please allow 2 business days to receive the tutorial links and other information.
The listed projects below are perfect for anyone who likes to work at their own pace when it fits best with their schedule. Campers will be introduced to a variety of disciplines in mixed media, painting, drawing, and textile arts during these fun projects. Project Boxes will contain most* art supplies and materials. Pick and choose your projects that interest you. Or, pick a curated theme containing a group of projects by media type.
Supplies:
Most supplies are included in the Project Boxes with the exception of scissors, watercolor paints, glue, pencils (things you may have from the school year). However, we can offer some gently used items (crayons, markers, colored pencils, pastels, and some watercolor paint trays, etc..) for a small donation upon pick up.
Pick Up:
Project Boxes will be available for contactless pick-up at the Octagon Center for the Arts Gallery Shop Tuesdays – Thursdays from 10 am – 5:30 pm. No delivery available. Materials will be available for pick up 2 business days after registration is complete.
Email education@octagonarts.org for more information.

Bundle: Mixed Media Pack (Ages 5 - 15)
2020-07-20 08:00 - 2020-08-15 17:00
Summer 2020 Art Camps [At Home Edition]

Theme Bundle: Mixed Media Pack (Ages 5 – 15) $50

Book Arts Pack (4 Bookmaking projects): Supplies to create 2 mini accordian books, 1 Turkish map fold book, and 1medium size concertina folded book (video tutorial included for concertina book)
Found object sculpture project: Mixed bag of stuff! Plastic things, wooden spools, pipe cleaners/Chenille stems, feathers, beads, bric-a-brac, the works!
Painted Animal Jar: 1 glass jar/lid with attached, unpainted toy animal miniature, 1, 2 oz.bottle craft paint (surprise color)
Mini Gnome Garden: Mini gnome figure, 3 artificial succulents, Spanish moss, craft brown tag board garden container, magic stones

The Octagon will supply the activities/projects, supplies, a short video tutorial, and some written information (when needed). Depending on the project, we will also have live “studio hours” via zoom for any questions, critiques or show and tell. Tutorial links and any virtual information will be sent out once registration is complete. Sign up any time before the end date.
Please allow 2 business days to receive the tutorial links and other information.
The listed projects below are perfect for anyone who likes to work at their own pace when it fits best with their schedule. Campers will be introduced to a variety of disciplines in mixed media, painting, drawing, and textile arts during these fun projects. Project Boxes will contain most* art supplies and materials. Pick and choose your projects that interest you. Or, pick a curated theme containing a group of projects by media type.
Supplies:
Most supplies are included in the Project Boxes with the exception of scissors, watercolor paints, glue, pencils (things you may have from the school year). However, we can offer some gently used items (crayons, markers, colored pencils, pastels, and some watercolor paint trays, etc..) for a small donation upon pick up.
Pick Up:
Project Boxes will be available for contactless pick-up at the Octagon Center for the Arts Gallery Shop Tuesdays – Thursdays from 10 am – 5:30 pm. No delivery available. Materials will be available for pick up 2 business days after registration is complete.
Email education@octagonarts.org for more information.

Bundle: 2-D Pack (Ages 5 - 15)
2020-07-20 08:00 - 2020-08-15 17:00
Summer 2020 Art Camps [At Home Edition]

Theme Bundle: 2-D Pack (Ages 5 – 15) $50
2-D Pack – $50 ~video tutorials included for each project

Print Pack: Pre Cut matboard, cardboard and corrugated cardboard for print plate construction, papers, and rubber bands, and texture materials for monoprints (paints not supplied)

Painters Pack: 1, 11” x 14” pre stretched canvas, 3, artist inspired drawing and painting projects (Heather Galler, Jasper Johns, Sandra Silberzweig), color wheel, samples, paper. (Paints not included)

Monochromatic Self Portraits: Paper sheets, skinny sharpie, mystery color colored pencil, facial feature idea guide

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT PROJECT BOXES
The Octagon will supply the activities/projects, supplies, a short video tutorial, and some written information (when needed). Depending on the project, we will also have live “studio hours” via zoom for any questions, critiques or show and tell. Tutorial links and any virtual information will be sent out once registration is complete. Sign up any time before the end date.
Please allow 2 business days to receive the tutorial links and other information.
The listed projects below are perfect for anyone who likes to work at their own pace when it fits best with their schedule. Campers will be introduced to a variety of disciplines in mixed media, painting, drawing, and textile arts during these fun projects. Project Boxes will contain most* art supplies and materials. Pick and choose your projects that interest you. Or, pick a curated theme containing a group of projects by media type.
Supplies:
Most supplies are included in the Project Boxes with the exception of scissors, watercolor paints, glue, pencils (things you may have from the school year). However, we can offer some gently used items (crayons, markers, colored pencils, pastels, and some watercolor paint trays, etc..) for a small donation upon pick up.
Pick Up:
Project Boxes will be available for contactless pick-up at the Octagon Center for the Arts Gallery Shop Tuesdays – Thursdays from 10 am – 5:30 pm. No delivery available. Materials will be available for pick up 2 business days after registration is complete.
Email education@octagonarts.org for more information.

Bundle: Fiber Pack (Ages 5 - 15)
2020-07-20 08:00 - 2020-08-15 17:00
Summer 2020 Art Camps [At Home Edition]

Theme Bundle: Fiber Pack (Ages 5 – 15) $50
Fiber Pack – $50 ~video tutorials included for each project

Plushie Pack: Plushie pattern, colored felt, needle, thread, wiggle eyes, polyfil stuffing

Pom Pon Pack: Yarn for a few (dependent on sizes) pom pons, pom pon making templates

Tassel Pack: Embroidery floss, colored yarn, key chain fob, pony beads

Embroidery hoop Pocket Organizer: 1, 12 inch embroidery hoop, felt, patterned fabric.

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT PROJECT BOXES
The Octagon will supply the activities/projects, supplies, a short video tutorial, and some written information (when needed). Depending on the project, we will also have live “studio hours” via zoom for any questions, critiques or show and tell. Tutorial links and any virtual information will be sent out once registration is complete. Sign up any time before the end date.
Please allow 2 business days to receive the tutorial links and other information.
The listed projects below are perfect for anyone who likes to work at their own pace when it fits best with their schedule. Campers will be introduced to a variety of disciplines in mixed media, painting, drawing, and textile arts during these fun projects. Project Boxes will contain most* art supplies and materials. Pick and choose your projects that interest you. Or, pick a curated theme containing a group of projects by media type.
Supplies:
Most supplies are included in the Project Boxes with the exception of scissors, watercolor paints, glue, pencils (things you may have from the school year). However, we can offer some gently used items (crayons, markers, colored pencils, pastels, and some watercolor paint trays, etc..) for a small donation upon pick up.
Pick Up:
Project Boxes will be available for contactless pick-up at the Octagon Center for the Arts Gallery Shop Tuesdays – Thursdays from 10 am – 5:30 pm. No delivery available. Materials will be available for pick up 2 business days after registration is complete.
Email education@octagonarts.org for more information.

Tassel Pack (Ages 5 - 15)
2020-07-20 08:00 - 2020-08-15 17:00
Summer 2020 Art Camps [At Home Edition]

Project Box: Tassel Pack: $10
Embroidery floss, colored yarn, key chain fob, pony beads (video tutorial included)

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT PROJECT BOXES
The Octagon will supply the activities/projects, supplies, a short video tutorial, and some written information (when needed). Depending on the project, we will also have live “studio hours” via zoom for any questions, critiques or show and tell. Tutorial links and any virtual information will be sent out once registration is complete. Sign up any time before the end date.
Please allow 2 business days to receive the tutorial links and other information.
The listed projects below are perfect for anyone who likes to work at their own pace when it fits best with their schedule. Campers will be introduced to a variety of disciplines in mixed media, painting, drawing, and textile arts during these fun projects. Project Boxes will contain most* art supplies and materials. Pick and choose your projects that interest you. Or, pick a curated theme containing a group of projects by media type.
Supplies:
Most supplies are included in the Project Boxes with the exception of scissors, watercolor paints, glue, pencils (things you may have from the school year). However, we can offer some gently used items (crayons, markers, colored pencils, pastels, and some watercolor paint trays, etc..) for a small donation upon pick up.
Pick Up:
Project Boxes will be available for contactless pick-up at the Octagon Center for the Arts Gallery Shop Tuesdays – Thursdays from 10 am – 5:30 pm. No delivery available. Materials will be available for pick up 2 business days after registration is complete.
Email education@octagonarts.org for more information.

Print Pack (Ages 5 - 15)
2020-07-20 08:00 - 2020-08-15 17:00
Summer 2020 Art Camps [At Home Edition]

Project Box: Print Pack $15
Pre Cut matboard, cardboard and corrugated cardboard for print plate construction, papers, and rubber bands, and texture materials for monoprints (video tutorial included, paints not included)

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT PROJECT BOXES
The Octagon will supply the activities/projects, supplies, a short video tutorial, and some written information (when needed). Depending on the project, we will also have live “studio hours” via zoom for any questions, critiques or show and tell. Tutorial links and any virtual information will be sent out once registration is complete. Sign up any time before the end date.
Please allow 2 business days to receive the tutorial links and other information.
The listed projects below are perfect for anyone who likes to work at their own pace when it fits best with their schedule. Campers will be introduced to a variety of disciplines in mixed media, painting, drawing, and textile arts during these fun projects. Project Boxes will contain most* art supplies and materials. Pick and choose your projects that interest you. Or, pick a curated theme containing a group of projects by media type.
Supplies:
Most supplies are included in the Project Boxes with the exception of scissors, watercolor paints, glue, pencils (things you may have from the school year). However, we can offer some gently used items (crayons, markers, colored pencils, pastels, and some watercolor paint trays, etc..) for a small donation upon pick up.
Pick Up:
Project Boxes will be available for contactless pick-up at the Octagon Center for the Arts Gallery Shop Tuesdays – Thursdays from 10 am – 5:30 pm. No delivery available. Materials will be available for pick up 2 business days after registration is complete.
Email education@octagonarts.org for more information.

Pom Pons Pack (Ages 5 - 15)
2020-07-20 08:00 - 2020-08-15 17:00
Summer 2020 Art Camps [At Home Edition]

Project Box: Pom Pons Pack: $10
Variety of colored yarn for a few pom pons, pom pon making templates (video tutorial included)

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT PROJECT BOXES
The Octagon will supply the activities/projects, supplies, a short video tutorial, and some written information (when needed). Depending on the project, we will also have live “studio hours” via zoom for any questions, critiques or show and tell. Tutorial links and any virtual information will be sent out once registration is complete. Sign up any time before the end date.
Please allow 2 business days to receive the tutorial links and other information.
The listed projects below are perfect for anyone who likes to work at their own pace when it fits best with their schedule. Campers will be introduced to a variety of disciplines in mixed media, painting, drawing, and textile arts during these fun projects. Project Boxes will contain most* art supplies and materials. Pick and choose your projects that interest you. Or, pick a curated theme containing a group of projects by media type.
Supplies:
Most supplies are included in the Project Boxes with the exception of scissors, watercolor paints, glue, pencils (things you may have from the school year). However, we can offer some gently used items (crayons, markers, colored pencils, pastels, and some watercolor paint trays, etc..) for a small donation upon pick up.
Pick Up:
Project Boxes will be available for contactless pick-up at the Octagon Center for the Arts Gallery Shop Tuesdays – Thursdays from 10 am – 5:30 pm. No delivery available. Materials will be available for pick up 2 business days after registration is complete.
Email education@octagonarts.org for more information.

Plushie Pack (Ages 5 - 15)
2020-07-20 08:00 - 2020-08-15 17:00
Summer 2020 Art Camps [At Home Edition]

Project Box: Plushie Pack: $15
Plushie pattern, colored felt, needle, thread, wiggle eyes, polyfil stuffing (video tutorial included)

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT PROJECT BOXES
The Octagon will supply the activities/projects, supplies, a short video tutorial, and some written information (when needed). Depending on the project, we will also have live “studio hours” via zoom for any questions, critiques or show and tell. Tutorial links and any virtual information will be sent out once registration is complete. Sign up any time before the end date.
Please allow 2 business days to receive the tutorial links and other information.
The listed projects below are perfect for anyone who likes to work at their own pace when it fits best with their schedule. Campers will be introduced to a variety of disciplines in mixed media, painting, drawing, and textile arts during these fun projects. Project Boxes will contain most* art supplies and materials. Pick and choose your projects that interest you. Or, pick a curated theme containing a group of projects by media type.
Supplies:
Most supplies are included in the Project Boxes with the exception of scissors, watercolor paints, glue, pencils (things you may have from the school year). However, we can offer some gently used items (crayons, markers, colored pencils, pastels, and some watercolor paint trays, etc..) for a small donation upon pick up.
Pick Up:
Project Boxes will be available for contactless pick-up at the Octagon Center for the Arts Gallery Shop Tuesdays – Thursdays from 10 am – 5:30 pm. No delivery available. Materials will be available for pick up 2 business days after registration is complete.
Email education@octagonarts.org for more information.

Painters Pack (Ages 5 - 15)
2020-07-20 08:00 - 2020-08-15 17:00
Summer 2020 Art Camps [At Home Edition]

Project Box: Painters Pack: $25
1, 11” x 14” pre stretched canvas, 3, artist inspired drawing and painting projects (Heather Galler, Jasper Johns, Sandra Silberzweig),color wheel, samples, sharpie or ink dauber, paper. (Video tutorials included, paints or pastels not included) Canvas not shown.

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT PROJECT BOXES
The Octagon will supply the activities/projects, supplies, a short video tutorial, and some written information (when needed). Depending on the project, we will also have live “studio hours” via zoom for any questions, critiques or show and tell. Tutorial links and any virtual information will be sent out once registration is complete. Sign up any time before the end date.
Please allow 2 business days to receive the tutorial links and other information.
The listed projects below are perfect for anyone who likes to work at their own pace when it fits best with their schedule. Campers will be introduced to a variety of disciplines in mixed media, painting, drawing, and textile arts during these fun projects. Project Boxes will contain most* art supplies and materials. Pick and choose your projects that interest you. Or, pick a curated theme containing a group of projects by media type.
Supplies:
Most supplies are included in the Project Boxes with the exception of scissors, watercolor paints, glue, pencils (things you may have from the school year). However, we can offer some gently used items (crayons, markers, colored pencils, pastels, and some watercolor paint trays, etc..) for a small donation upon pick up.
Pick Up:
Project Boxes will be available for contactless pick-up at the Octagon Center for the Arts Gallery Shop Tuesdays – Thursdays from 10 am – 5:30 pm. No delivery available. Materials will be available for pick up 2 business days after registration is complete.
Email education@octagonarts.org for more information.

Painted Animal Jar (Ages 5 - 15)
2020-07-20 08:00 - 2020-08-15 17:00
Summer 2020 Art Camps [At Home Edition]

Project Box: Painted Animal Jar: $15
1 glass jar/lid with attached, unpainted toy animal miniature, 1, 2 oz.bottle craft paint (surprise color)

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT PROJECT BOXES
The Octagon will supply the activities/projects, supplies, a short video tutorial, and some written information (when needed). Depending on the project, we will also have live “studio hours” via zoom for any questions, critiques or show and tell. Tutorial links and any virtual information will be sent out once registration is complete. Sign up any time before the end date.
Please allow 2 business days to receive the tutorial links and other information.
The listed projects below are perfect for anyone who likes to work at their own pace when it fits best with their schedule. Campers will be introduced to a variety of disciplines in mixed media, painting, drawing, and textile arts during these fun projects. Project Boxes will contain most* art supplies and materials. Pick and choose your projects that interest you. Or, pick a curated theme containing a group of projects by media type.
Supplies:
Most supplies are included in the Project Boxes with the exception of scissors, watercolor paints, glue, pencils (things you may have from the school year). However, we can offer some gently used items (crayons, markers, colored pencils, pastels, and some watercolor paint trays, etc..) for a small donation upon pick up.
Pick Up:
Project Boxes will be available for contactless pick-up at the Octagon Center for the Arts Gallery Shop Tuesdays – Thursdays from 10 am – 5:30 pm. No delivery available. Materials will be available for pick up 2 business days after registration is complete.
Email education@octagonarts.org for more information.

Monochromatic Self Portraits (Ages 5 - 15)
2020-07-20 08:00 - 2020-08-15 17:00
Summer 2020 Art Camps [At Home Edition]

Project Box: Monochromatic Self Portraits: $10
Paper sheets, skinny sharpie, mystery color colored pencil, facial feature idea guide (video tutorial included)

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT PROJECT BOXES
The Octagon will supply the activities/projects, supplies, a short video tutorial, and some written information (when needed). Depending on the project, we will also have live “studio hours” via zoom for any questions, critiques or show and tell. Tutorial links and any virtual information will be sent out once registration is complete. Sign up any time before the end date.
Please allow 2 business days to receive the tutorial links and other information.
The listed projects below are perfect for anyone who likes to work at their own pace when it fits best with their schedule. Campers will be introduced to a variety of disciplines in mixed media, painting, drawing, and textile arts during these fun projects. Project Boxes will contain most* art supplies and materials. Pick and choose your projects that interest you. Or, pick a curated theme containing a group of projects by media type.
Supplies:
Most supplies are included in the Project Boxes with the exception of scissors, watercolor paints, glue, pencils (things you may have from the school year). However, we can offer some gently used items (crayons, markers, colored pencils, pastels, and some watercolor paint trays, etc..) for a small donation upon pick up.
Pick Up:
Project Boxes will be available for contactless pick-up at the Octagon Center for the Arts Gallery Shop Tuesdays – Thursdays from 10 am – 5:30 pm. No delivery available. Materials will be available for pick up 2 business days after registration is complete.
Email education@octagonarts.org for more information.

Mini Gnome Garden (Ages 5 - 15)
2020-07-20 08:00 - 2020-08-15 17:00
Summer 2020 Art Camps [At Home Edition]

Project Box: Mini Gnome Garden: $15
Mini gnome figure, 3 artificial succulents, Spanish moss, craft brown tag board garden container, magic stones

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT PROJECT BOXES
The Octagon will supply the activities/projects, supplies, a short video tutorial, and some written information (when needed). Depending on the project, we will also have live “studio hours” via zoom for any questions, critiques or show and tell. Tutorial links and any virtual information will be sent out once registration is complete. Sign up any time before the end date.
Please allow 2 business days to receive the tutorial links and other information.
The listed projects below are perfect for anyone who likes to work at their own pace when it fits best with their schedule. Campers will be introduced to a variety of disciplines in mixed media, painting, drawing, and textile arts during these fun projects. Project Boxes will contain most* art supplies and materials. Pick and choose your projects that interest you. Or, pick a curated theme containing a group of projects by media type.
Supplies:
Most supplies are included in the Project Boxes with the exception of scissors, watercolor paints, glue, pencils (things you may have from the school year). However, we can offer some gently used items (crayons, markers, colored pencils, pastels, and some watercolor paint trays, etc..) for a small donation upon pick up.
Pick Up:
Project Boxes will be available for contactless pick-up at the Octagon Center for the Arts Gallery Shop Tuesdays – Thursdays from 10 am – 5:30 pm. No delivery available. Materials will be available for pick up 2 business days after registration is complete.
Email education@octagonarts.org for more information.

Book Arts Pack (Ages 5 - 15)
2020-07-20 08:00 - 2020-08-15 17:00
Summer 2020 Art Camps [At Home Edition]

Project Box: Book Arts Pack (Ages 5 – 15) $15
Supplies to create 2 mini accordion books, 1 Turkish map fold book, and 1medium size concertina folded book (video tutorial included for concertina book).

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT PROJECT BOXES
The Octagon will supply the activities/projects, supplies, a short video tutorial, and some written information (when needed). Depending on the project, we will also have live “studio hours” via zoom for any questions, critiques or show and tell. Tutorial links and any virtual information will be sent out once registration is complete. Sign up any time before the end date.
Please allow 2 business days to receive the tutorial links and other information.
The listed projects below are perfect for anyone who likes to work at their own pace when it fits best with their schedule. Campers will be introduced to a variety of disciplines in mixed media, painting, drawing, and textile arts during these fun projects. Project Boxes will contain most* art supplies and materials. Pick and choose your projects that interest you. Or, pick a curated theme containing a group of projects by media type.
Supplies:
Most supplies are included in the Project Boxes with the exception of scissors, watercolor paints, glue, pencils (things you may have from the school year). However, we can offer some gently used items (crayons, markers, colored pencils, pastels, and some watercolor paint trays, etc..) for a small donation upon pick up.
Pick Up:
Project Boxes will be available for contactless pick-up at the Octagon Center for the Arts Gallery Shop Tuesdays – Thursdays from 10 am – 5:30 pm. No delivery available. Materials will be available for pick up 2 business days after registration is complete.
Email education@octagonarts.org for more information.

#OutrageToChange
2020-07-01 - 2020-07-31
You can see all the details about this important and unusual exhibit here.

OCTAGONAL 2020: The Annual All Media Exhibit
2020-02-07 10:00 - 2020-04-04 17:00
LOCATED IN THE MAIN GALLERY
Octagonal: The All-Media Exhibit 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 51 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 Exhibit, 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.
2020 Juror: Jordan Weber
Using utilitarian materials, Jordan Weber produces sculptural social objects that speak to the ways in which racially oppressed peoples are restricted physically, geographically, and socially. The architecture of his work attempts to create inclusive environments where visitors might test or practice forms of sustainable urbanism. These public works are often modified to fit the site specificity of their environments both inside museums and cultural institutions and individual communities alike.
Weber is a Des Moines based multi-disciplinary artist/activist who works predominately with inner-city communities nationwide. His work has been exhibited at White Box, New York; Union for Contemporary Art, Omaha; Intersect Art Center, St. Louis; The Soap Factory, Minneapolis; Smack Mellon, New York; Manifest Justice, Los Angeles; Charlotte Street Foundation; Kansas City; Gallery 38, Los Angeles; Open Engagement, Chicago; Truth to Power, Philadelphia; 50/50, Kansas City. Awards and fellowships include Harvard LOEB candidate, A Blade of Grass fellowship NYC, Tanne Foundation award, Joan Mitchell nominee, USA Artist nominee, Des Moines Public Art Foundation fellowship, Iowa Arts Council Artist Fellowship (Creative Capital) and the African American Leadership Forum Fellowship. He is currently in residence at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis.
Thank you to HAILA Architecture Structure Planning Ltd. and the Huff Endowment for sponsoring Jordan’s juror honorarium.

2020 Selected Work
A sincere thank you to all who submitted work. Congratulations to those whose work was chosen for this year’s exhibit. Please join us for the reception on February 7, 2020, 5 – 7pm with awards presented at 6pm.
