Art Camp: Deep Sea Adventure, June 10-13
2019-06-10 09:00 - 11:30 (America/Chicago) | Octagon Center for the Arts, 427 Douglas Avenue, Ames, IA, 50010, United States
Deep Sea Adventure, ages 5.5* – 8
June 10 – 13
9 am – 11:30 am
$140
Let’s cool down the summer heat with aquatic adventures! Sharks and rays, stars of the bay, creatures of the deep, jellies and other squishy creatures will be our inspiration through the artistic process. Mini aquariums, sea globes, printmaking, and a multitude of mixed media projects will be created.
Class limit: 16
*Must have completed one year of kindergarten or pre-K program
Registration closes on at 5pm on 6/5/19 or when the camp fills.

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Art Camp: Clay/Glass/Canvas, June 10-13
2019-06-10 09:00 - 11:30 | Octagon Center for the Arts, 427 Douglas Avenue, Ames, IA, 50010, United States
Clay/Glass/Canvas, ages 8 – 12
June 10 – 13
9 – 11:30 am
$145
In this Mixed Media camp, students will spend some time in the Ceramics studio making handbuilt clay mosaic tiles for clay slab frames to be glazed and fired. Throughout the week, campers will create a glass fusion projects and finish out the week with a painted mini canvases project. Finishing touches and completion of all projects will take place on the final day of camp.
Class Limit: 10
Registration closes on at 5pm on 6/5/19 or when the camp fills.

To register:

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PRINTFEST
2019-06-07 - 2019-06-09 | IA
Join us for PRINTFEST, a celebration of printmaking featuring the work of April Katz!
All events are free and all are welcome!
For more information, click here.

Maker Night -- Travel Sketch Journals: Mapping it all out! June 6
2019-06-06 18:30 - 21:00 | Octagon Center for the Arts, 427 Douglas Avenue, Ames, IA, 50010, United States
Maker Night — Travel Sketch Journals: Mapping it all out! (ages 21+)
Thursday, June 6 (Register by May 23)
6:30 – 9 pm
$45
Create a personal and meaningful travel journal. We will cover simple techniques on how to capture details quickly while on the move that you can apply to your journal right away. Learn to edit through your photos, writings, sketches and tidbits of collected ephemera; culminating in bound journal to share and treasure. We will provide hard cover bound sketch journals, writing, painting, drawing, and cutting utensils, glue, paint and scrap paper.
North Studio
Class limit: 12
Registration closes on at 5pm on 5/23/19 or when the class fills.

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Maker Night -- Mosaics: May 30
2019-05-30 18:30 - 21:00 | Octagon Center for the Arts, 427 Douglas Avenue, Ames, IA, 50010, United States
Maker Night: Mosaics, ages 21+
Thursday, May 30
6:30 – 9 pm
$50
Bring a friend, snacks and a beverage of your choice and get creative with glass mosaics. Each student will learn basics of designing and laying down glass on backing. Pieces will be grouted by the Octagon staff and ready for pick up two weeks after class ends.
Studio: TBA
Class limit: 12
Registration for this class ends May 28 at 6am (or when the class fills).

To register:

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Make Your Own Mugs: May 28 - June 11
2019-05-28 18:00 - 21:00 | Octagon Center for the Arts, 427 Douglas Avenue, Ames, IA, 50010, United States
Make Your Own Mugs, ages 16+
Tuesdays, 6 – 9 pm
May 28 – June 11 (3 weeks) $85
All skill levels: Beginners will learn basic wheel throwing techniques to create mugs, and learn the fundamentals of wedging clay and glazing. Intermediate and advanced students will be guided to continue and practice their artistic pursuits. All skill levels will have finished functional pieces at the end of class. Finished pieces may be picked up two weeks after class ends.
Instructor: Jackie Comito
Ceramics Studio
Class Limit: 7
Location: Ceramics Studio
Registration for this class ends May 24 at 6am (or when the class fills).

To register:

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Measured Perceptions APRIL KATZ
2019-05-25 - 2019-07-13 | Octagon Center for the Arts, 427 Douglas Avenue, Ames, IA, 50010, United States
LOCATED IN THE COMMUNITY GALLERY
Artist Statement for Measured Perceptions
During a 2015 trip to Spain, Katz encountered evidence of La Convivencia (the coexistence of Muslim, Jewish and Christian populations) in Medieval Spain that provided hope for our current time of vitriolic discourse. Measured Perceptions embraces the similarities and unique contributions of the varied cultures that follow the three Abrahamic religions and combines them with the human languages of arithmetic and geometry to symbolize the universal search for order and understanding.
The project includes the series Essential Patterns of Perception a progression of intaglio prints based on one of ten geometric structures that advance from one (a point) through ten (a decagon). The sequence conveys increasingly complex cognitive engagement with the environment. The Contemplation series includes the above plates inset within larger, mixed media monoprints that provide varied cultural and natural contexts. These prints begin as digital collages that incorporate photographic and drawn imagery. Additional painting, drawing and collaged paper tesserae create rich visual layering that parallels the overlay of cultural histories found in buildings like the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba or the synagogue in Toledo. These prints invite meditative examination inspired by a wish for a future of peaceful coexistence, mutual respect and meaningful dialogue.
Artist Bio
April Katz received her M.F.A. degree from Arizona State University. She currently is Morrill Professor at Iowa State University where she has taught printmaking since 1999. For nineteen years she has organized the university’s annual international postcard print exchange. From 2004 – 2006 Katz served as president of the Southern Graphics Council. Her prints, which synthesize digital and traditional printmaking processes, are in numerous collections and have been exhibited throughout the US and recently in Portugal, Spain and China. She has presented papers for print, photographic and visual literacy professional national and international conferences.
Katz’s primary language and tool is the print whose vocabulary includes transfers, layers, seriality and variations on a theme. Printmaking is a dance whose movements of carving, scratching, etching, wiping and rolling she choreographs through varied thematic and visual lenses. Death of loved ones, serious illness and political discord are the forces that have shaken Katz to the core and led her to ask fundamental human questions about herself and her relationship to the world. She searches for connections between disparate elements to understand and convey their impact on current personal and cultural identity.

Twenty Years: APRIL KATZ + 29 former printmaking students
2019-05-25 - 2019-08-17 | Octagon Center for the Arts, 427 Douglas Avenue, Ames, IA, 50010, United States
LOCATED IN THE MAIN GALLERY
Print Retrospective

Artist Bio: April Katz
April Katz received her M.F.A. degree from Arizona State University. She is Morrill Professor at Iowa State University where she has taught printmaking since 1999. For nineteen years she organized the university’s annual international postcard print exchange. From 2004 – 2006 Katz served as president of the Southern Graphics Council. Her prints, which synthesize digital and traditional printmaking processes, are in numerous collections and have been exhibited throughout the US and recently in Portugal, Spain and China. She has presented papers for print, photographic and visual literacy professional national and international conferences.
Katz’s primary language and tool is the print whose vocabulary includes transfers, layers, seriality and variations on a theme. Death of loved ones, serious illness and political discord are the forces that have shaken Katz to the core and led her to ask fundamental human questions about herself and her relationship to the world. She searches for connections between disparate elements to understand and convey their impact on current personal and cultural identity.
20 Years: April Katz and the Expanded ISU Printmaking Community
This 20-year retrospective includes examples from a variety of print series I made while teaching printmaking at Iowa State University. The community I share with my students, past and present; in my collaborations with JoAnn Boehmer as a member of BOKA; and as a regular participant in national and international dialogues at print conferences nurtures my artistic growth and stimulates my passion for creative inquiry. I am so pleased that former and current ISU printmaking students are willing to share their work with each other and with the Ames community for this exhibition.
Retrospection, the action of reviewing the past, encapsulates the primary focus of my prints. My work asks viewers to consider the role the past plays in shaping current identity. This initially involved personal memory and the recording of the day-to-day details that make up our lives. However, my investigation expanded to include historical, cultural and biological factors that shape us as individuals.

Hands on Harps: May 18
2019-05-18 10:00 - 11:30 | Octagon Center for the Arts, 427 Douglas Avenue, Ames, IA, 50010, United States
Hands on Harps, ages 16+
2 dates available:
May 18, 10:00-11:30
or
August 24, 10:00-11:30
$40/class
Learn more about the harp and try out different sizes of folk harps. Participants will have the opportunity to learn to play simple melodies and chords, in unison and in rounds. The harp is a very beginner friendly instrument (even mistakes sound good on the harp!) No musical experience necessary. Class limit: 12 students
Registration closes on at 6am on 5/15/19.
Instructor: Barb Evanson
Location: Community Gallery

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States of I MARY JONES & JOLYNN REIGELUTH
2019-05-18 - 2019-07-06 | Octagon Center for the Arts, 427 Douglas Avenue, Ames, IA, 50010, United States
LOCATED IN THE SWEENEY GALLERY
Artist Statement and Bio: Mary Jones
Mary Jones makes maps of the wilderness of personal history. Images and words are layered out of time and perspective; space is described by the inhabitants, whose journeys are being told. Details get piled on in the way that life is lived– in steps, notes, beats, breaths, and marks. Jones is a scavenger, and whether drawing or working in print media, collage is always an element.

Prior to moving to the Des Moines area, Jones lived in Chicago, where she exhibited at Ann Nathan Gallery. She was employed as an illustrator and designer, with work published by the Chicago Tribune, Playboy Magazine, and the Philadelphia Enquirer, among other publications. She was awarded residencies with the Ragdale Foundation, and with Anchor Graphics in Chicago. Twice she has taught photopolymer intaglio workshops for Frogman’s Print Workshops in Omaha, NE. For the past 14 years, she taught printmaking, design, and book arts courses Grand View University in Des Moines. She has work in several public collections, including the Illinois State Museum, and the Alter Collection of Art by Women at PAFA in Philadelphia. She is represented by Tory Folliard Gallery in Milwaukee and Moberg Gallery in Des Moines. She is a 2018-19 Iowa Arts Council Fellow.
Artist Statement and Bio: Jolynn Reigeluth
Jolynn Reigeluth is an artist originally from Des Moines, Iowa currently living and working in Indianapolis, Indiana. She earned her MFA in printmaking from Kansas State University in 2015. Currently she teaches courses at Indiana Wesleyan University, and annually curates a national printmaking exhibition and portfolio for the Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library in Indianapolis. In recent years, her work has been included in exhibitions across the United States including the Bradley International Print and Drawing Exhibition, Pacific States Biennial North American Printmaking Exhibition, and others
Reigeluth’s work has long been influenced by a wide range of art, music, TV, movies, etcetera emerging from the 1920s to 1960s, despite being born in the late 80s. She grew up watching cartoons from Fleishcer Studios like Betty Boop, Bimbo, Felix the Cat, Popeye and others. She also senses an influence from a range of blues and jazz artists from the 1920s to 40s like Lil’ Johnson and Cats and the Fiddle, who performed songs with titles such as Hot Nuts and Sam, the Hot Dog Man. These influences play an important role in her work which has been described as evocative of “the atomic and plastics age of the mid-century.” (Michaela Mullin, Moberg Gallery.) Reigeluth has a distinct affinity for the absurd and scatological that manifests in these introspective self-portraits. The imagery is fueled by humor and spontaneity, and is filled with an inventiveness and ambiguity of subject that ranges from cheekily adolescent to darkly absurd.
Current Work: https://www.jolynnreigeluth.com/prints-and-drawings

Easy Silver Earrings: May 16
2019-05-16 18:30 - 20:30 | Octagon Center for the Arts, 427 Douglas Avenue, Ames, IA, 50010, United States
Easy Silver Earrings, 16+
Thursday, May 16
6:30 – 8:30 pm
$35 materials included
Learn about wire work and make your own earrings. Learn about metals, wire, gauges, tools, and also learn about gemstones, wrapped eye loops and how to make head pins, bead links and dangles. Each participant will be able to create one pair of earrings from silver wire and beads. You may bring your own beads, or use ours.
Instructor: Terrie Hoefer
Location: Adams Studio
Minimum class limit: 4 Maximum class limit: 12
Registration for this class closes on May 14 at 9pm.

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Surface Wear AJ ZANDT
2019-05-11 - 2019-07-21 | Octagon Center for the Arts, 427 Douglas Avenue, Ames, IA, 50010, United States
LOCATED IN THE SMALL WALL GALLERY
Biography and Artist Statement
AJ Zandt is an artist and printmaker from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Surface Wear is the result of his latest efforts to expand the relationship between the human body and surface through the lens of skin and clothing. Each work in the exhibition is comprised of varied combinations of pressure-printed fabrics and impressions of human skin on paper that take the shape of sewing patterns. AJ tears his prints after the first layers are established and follows the tears with shuffling, reassembling, and reprinting before stitching the pieces together. The prints are a reflection on the role of surface as a boundary. They are barriers that capture, like a fine net or filter, the actions of the artist at work. The actions themselves permeate the paper, but the evidence of the experience is registered—or printed—onto the paper’s surface. They are left behind as proof of living.
AJ received a Master of Fine Arts in Integrated Visual Arts from Iowa State University in 2019 and a Bachelor of Design in Architecture from University of Minnesota in 2011. His printmaking work has been exhibited in numerous national exhibitions, including the Mid America Print Council Juried Exhibition in Laramie, Wyoming; the Parkside National Small Print Juried Exhibition in Parkside, Wisconsin; and the Annual Paper In Particular National Juried Exhibition in Columbia, Missouri.
Join us for an Artist Talk on Thursday, June 6 at 6pm

Exploring Art: May 7 - 28 (Ages 1.5 - 3)
2019-05-07 09:15 - 10:00 | Octagon Center for the Arts, 427 Douglas Avenue, Ames, IA, 50010, United States
Exploring Art, ages: 18 months – younger 3’s

Tuesdays, 9:15 – 10am
$55 for each 4 week session below:
January 8 – 29
February 19 – March 12
April 2 – 23
May 7 – 28
Children and their adult partner will explore art together in a relaxed environment. Toddlers will create their own works of art while learning new skills like tearing paper, gluing, cutting, coloring over texture, painting with different objects, moving through transitions and imitating art making processes. Activities will focus on age appropriate, playful, artistic and sensory materials.
Limit: 6 adult/child pairs.
Instructor: Beth Weninger
Hunziker Studio
To register:

enter the number of “tickets” you want below (one ticket per student)
click “add to cart”
complete the contact information form that appears after you add a ticket
complete the payment information
check your email for your receipt

Please contact us with any registration questions or concerns.
Registration closes on at 6am on 5/5/19.

Mirage Bellydance Hafla 2019
2019-05-04 18:00 - 21:00 | Octagon Center for the Arts, 427 Douglas Avenue, Ames, IA, 50010, United States
Mirage Bellydance Hafla 2019
Date: Saturday, May 4, 2019
Time: 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Location: The Octagon Center for the Arts, 427 Douglas Avenue, Ames IA 50010
515-232-5331
Cost: $10 All ticket revenue goes to support the Mirage Middle Eastern Dance Troupe and the Octagon Center for the Arts
Registration: Advance registration through the Octagon at www.octagonarts.org
Join the Mirage Middle Eastern Dance Troupe for an informal bellydance showcase and group dance hafla (Arabic for party ). Encourage and support local dancers of all levels and abilities, enjoy diverse performances and music, and even learn some basic moves for improvisational dancing together. Perfect for all ages! Light refreshments and family-friendly entertainment provided. In honor of May the 4th (be with you), Star Wars costuming is absolutely welcome! Online registration will close 48 business hours prior to event, but tickets will still be available at the door.
NOTE for PERFORMERS: Register as an attendee through the Octagon website. Select the checkbox as a performer, then email Sara at smerritt@iastate.edu to be added to the performance schedule. Also, feel free to participate in our costume exchange – bring any lightly used or new-ish costume elements to donate, and/or help yourself to others’ donated items.

To register:

scroll down to the “tickets” section (near the bottom of this page)
enter the number of “tickets” you want below (one ticket per student)
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click “proceed to checkout”
complete the contact information form that appears (this is where you can check a box if you want to be a performer)
complete the payment information
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Artistry in Cold Process Soapmaking: April 27
2019-04-27 13:00 - 16:30 | Octagon Center for the Arts, 427 Douglas Avenue, Ames, IA, 50010, United States
Artistry in Cold Process Soapmaking
Saturday, April 27
1 – 4:30 pm
$60
This workshop will focus on the artistry possible in cold process soapmaking. Using the masterbatch process of soapmaking we will explore color, additives and many design techniques such as swirling, layers, embeds, and texture. You will make three different designs to take with you equaling approximately 2 1/2 pounds of soap (approximately 9 large bars)! A fun and creative process so wear old clothing or bring an apron. Having one of Jan Verploeg’s soapmaking classes behind you will be helpful but is not required.
Instructor: Jan Verploeg
North Studio
Class Limit: 20
To register:

enter the number of “tickets” you want below (one ticket per student)
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Registration is now closed.

Elementary / Middle / High Annual Exhibit: An Exhibition of Local Elementary, Middle, and High School Students
2019-04-18 - 2019-05-11 | Octagon Center for the Arts, 427 Douglas Avenue, Ames, IA, 50010, United States
LOCATED IN MAIN & SWEENEY GALLERIES. The Octagon Center for the Arts showcases artwork by local elementary, middle, and high school students annually. High School art instructors from schools within 20 miles of the Octagon Center for the Arts are welcome to register students in their fall and spring classes for participation. (Home-school students are also welcome to register).
The opening reception and awards are April 18, 4:30 – 6:30pm with awards being announced at 5:30pm. All are welcome to attend and encourage these young artists!

2019 Juror: Naomi Friend
Artist Bio
Naomi Friend is a professional artist in Central Iowa. She makes art about the land and life based on farming, or “agrarian” art. She is most interested in the intersection of wild, urban, and rural environments and the work of humans as caretakers of creation.

Her 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 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.

2019 AWARD WINNERS KINDERGARTEN THROUGH – 11TH GRADE:

Grade
1st Place
2nd Place
3rd Place
Honorable Mention
Honorable Mention
Honorable Mention
Honorable Mention
Honorable Mention
Honorable Mention

K
Lydia Girard
Wilbert Zhang
Atesh McKilligan
Jack Patten

1
Amelia Luo
Emma Chen
Sophia Elsberry
George Logan

2
Miles Nutini
Noelle Kibbe
Ada McKilligan
Abigail Nott

3
Reinaldo Correa
Lynneah Pickering
Khlloe Graham
Jenny LaMar

4
Qimeng Li
Joy Zhang
Artie Helmers
Brooke Weisbrod

5
Betsy Winderfeldt-Rodriguez
Laura Chen
Ashlyn Carr

6
Hannah Harvey
Grace Helmers
Lucy Read
Chantel Enlenstein
Erica Lin
Eliza Teske

7
Maddison Geater
Autumn Wild
Gary Schultz
Lucas Wuebker
Braden Vinson
Aleesia Miller
Kiera Kreider

8
Delaney Kreider
Jackson Hufford
Leslie Kim
Capri Cory
Kennedy Downs
Ella Sirna
Angelina Chen
Thomas
Lehmkuhl
Kelsey Gartin

9
Emily Kaminski
Isabella Soriano
Josiah Teske

10
Jackson Bryant
Eden Bruner
Erin Murphy
Natalie Weber
Tayte Johnson

11
Austin Argutsinger
Kaitlyn Kilstoffe
Kaitlyn Kilstoffe

2019 HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR AWARD WINNERS:

Winifred V. and Jeffrey Brown Best of Show Award
Best of Show: Laura Hansen, Face to Dress, Roland Story High School

Ames Silversmithing Jewelry/Metalsmith Awards
First Tied: Laura Lynch, Earrings, Gilbert High School
First Tied: Olivia Sterling Chase, Dragon, Ames High School
First Tied: Eun Pyo Joo, Butterfly, Ames High School

Jeffrey Brown Memorial Photography Awards
First: T’Ana Smith, Speak Black, Ames High School
Second: Alejandro Rico-Gomez, Untitled, Gilbert High School
Third: Josh McCunn, Aunt Tia, Ames High School

Octagon Ceramic and Sculpture Awards
First: Lauren Hansen, Beaded Burgundy, Roland Story High School
Second: Dorothy Vernon, Recycled Dress, Ames High School
Third: Koby Hassebrock, Concept Swing, Roland Story High School

Octagon Mixed Media and Digital Collage Awards
First: Preston Witte, Experiment 1, Ames High School
Second: Grace Teig, Inspire, Roland Story High School
Third: Koby Hassebrock, Arctic Cat Personalized, Roland Story High School

David Burton Stone Awards in Painting
First: Alejandro Rico-Gomez, Construction #1, Gilbert High School
Second: Courtney Thompson, Too Much for Now, Ames High School
Third: Caylee Fuqua, Who’s Who, Ames High School

David Burton Stone Awards in Drawing
First: Katie Murray, Calla Lilies, Gilbert High School
Second: Mercury Fuhs, Release the Kraken, Ames High School
Third: Katie Murray, Dishes, Gilbert High School

Charmed Copper Charms: April 9
2019-04-09 18:00 - 21:00 | Octagon Center for the Arts, 427 Douglas Avenue, Ames, IA, 50010, United States
Charmed Copper Charms

TUESDAY, APRIL 9
6 – 9 pm
$35

Learn how to make some charms, dangles or other fun adornments and come away with a fun new necklace. Learn about metalsmithing and the some of the techniques artists use to create their work.

Instructor: Terrie Hoefer
Adams Studio
Class Limit: 12

Drypoint Printmaking: April 4 – 11
2019-04-04 18:00 - 20:00 | Octagon Center for the Arts, 427 Douglas Avenue, Ames, IA, 50010, United States
Drypoint Printmaking, ages 16+
Thursdays, 6 – 8 pm
April 4 – 11 (2 weeks) $70
Learn the basics of intaglio drypoint printmaking. Week one you will develop a plate using a drypoint needle. Week two, you will learn to ink, print, and use a printmaking press to create your own prints.
Instructor: Kristen Greteman
North Studio
Class Limit: 10

Creative Explorations: Apr 4 - Apr 25
2019-04-04 09:15 - 10:00 | Octagon Center for the Arts, 427 Douglas Avenue, Ames, IA, 50010, United States
Creative Explorations, ages 3 – 5 years
Thursdays, 9:15 – 10:00 am
$55 for each 4 week session below:
January 10 – 31
February 21 – March 14
April 4 – 25
This class is dedicated to the process of exploration through materials such as paint, charcoal, fabric, plastic, sculpture media, cardboard, paper, ink etc…Use of scissors and proper handling of materials will be covered. Basic painting etiquette and mixing of colors will also be explored.
Instructor: Beth Weninger
Hunziker Studio
Class Limit: 6
To register:

enter the number of “tickets” you want below (one ticket per student)
click “add to cart”
complete the contact information form that appears after you add a ticket
complete the payment information
check your email for your receipt

Please contact us with any registration questions or concerns.
Registration closes on at 6am on 4/2/19.

Exploring Art: April 2 - 23
2019-04-02 09:15 - 10:00 | Octagon Center for the Arts, 427 Douglas Avenue, Ames, IA, 50010, United States
Exploring Art, ages: 18 months – younger 3’s
Tuesdays, 9:15 – 10am
$55 for each 4 week session below:
January 8 – 29
February 19 – March 12
April 2 – 23
May 7 – 28
Children and their adult partner will explore art together in a relaxed environment. Toddlers will create their own works of art while learning new skills like tearing paper, gluing, cutting, coloring over texture, painting with different objects, moving through transitions and imitating art making processes. Activities will focus on age appropriate, playful, artistic and sensory materials.
Limit: 6 adult/child pairs.
Instructor: Beth Weninger
Hunziker Studio
To register:

enter the number of “tickets” you want below (one ticket per student)
click “add to cart”
complete the contact information form that appears after you add a ticket
complete the payment information
check your email for your receipt

Please contact us with any registration questions or concerns.
Registration closes on at 6am on 3/31/19.

JORDAN LUCKOW
2019-03-30 - 2019-04-27 | Octagon Center for the Arts, 427 Douglas Avenue, Ames, IA, 50010, United States
LOCATED IN THE SMALL [BUT MIGHTY] WALL GALLERY (3rd floor)
Artist Bio
Jordan Luckow of Sioux City, IA is a recent graduate from Iowa State University. While at Iowa State he received his bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts focusing on printmaking, and painting. Jordan currently is a full-time designer at Lincoln Center Hy-Vee Floral in Ames, where he continues to create and find inspiration arranging flowers. In his downtown he continues to make art, publishing a book, and is participating in Art Festivals and shows.

Artist Statement
Words of rap artist, Lil Wayne “I didn’t set out to be different. I set out to be me and people thought it was different.” Art celebrates one person’s differences and makes them accessible to the world. Acrylic and ink provide the medium for Jordan Luckow to express his uniqueness to the world.
Each of Jordan’s pieces reflects the different steps he takes in the journey of life. His non-traditional content contains metaphors that represent what he was going through, feeling, or experiencing at the time. For example Jordan uses a cacti in most of his pieces as a metaphor for himself, defensive, prick-ish, yet beautiful, strong, and continuously growing. Jordan plays the role of “You can hurt me, but you cant kill me” just like a cactus.
The art comes alive when someone views it and they begin to see the world in a nontraditional way. Although Jordan doesn’t set out for his art to be different, he does set out to be himself.

Naturescapes PRATIK RAY, MIKE LEINHAUSER, & GARY HOARD
2019-03-30 - 2019-05-18 | Octagon Center for the Arts, 427 Douglas Avenue, Ames, IA, 50010, United States
LOCATED IN THE COMMUNITY GALLERY
Artist Statement: Pratik Ray
I am fascinated by the beauty and majesty of nature and light – not just the landscapes and seascapes, but also the light that paints them in vivid colors. It is the many moods of light that gives rise to a range of emotional response to the scene. It is my endeavor to take in these moments, and capture these precious snapshots in time in a way that re-kindles the same feelings when I look back at these images. In short, to quote Robert Kincaid from the Bridges of Madison County, “I don’t take pictures, I make pictures”. Each of these pictures are made in order to preserve the many moods of nature that I have felt during my sojourns in the American West and the Mid-West.
Through my work, I hope to share my excitement and that rare feeling of bliss one experiences when journeying through the lap of nature, motivate people to appreciate nature and spark efforts to preserve and nurture them. Man has a strong connection with nature, but this connection may be latent for many. I endeavor to ignite a spark that helps people reconnect with the majesty of Mother Nature, in all her moods and glory.
Artist Biography: Pratik Ray
Pratik Ray is an artist and a scientist. He started out as an artist working primarily with charcoal and pastels. During his graduate school at Iowa State University, he started delving into the photographic medium. This medium melded beautifully with his other passion, namely electron microscopy. One involves capturing images of our daily visual world using the subtleties of light, while the other relies on electrons at microscopic levels. His art complements his other life as a scientist – with both the worlds studying and describing nature in their own unique ways.
Pratik’s interest in photography is two-fold. His fascination with Mother Earth results in a passion for landscape photography, displaying Nature in all her glory. Based in the American mid-west, his landscape shots reflect some of the mid-west surroundings in general, and his town (Ames, IA) in particular as well as the mountains of United States.
Pratik’s travels often lead him to rugged mountains and fascinating ocean fronts. A second interest relates to exploring the vagaries of the world from different point of views. In this endeavor, the same event is studied from different points of view – an attempt to reveal the underlying currents and counter-currents behind an innocuous image.

Artist’s Statement: Mike Leinhauser
In 1966 my dad took a couple photos of my new bride, developed and printed the negs, I was really impressed by all this. Out of the service in 1970, I got all his equipment and set about teaching myself how to use it. Read lots of articles and looked at lots of photographs and tried to make sense of it all. Took some photos and classes along the way and finally got tired of going classes where the instructors were just showing off their fancy equipment and decided to teach classes myself.
Taught some classes through Scott Community College and one through Lincoln Center for the Arts in Bettendorf. Really enjoyed the experience. Had some shows with the Photo Image League, a very enjoyable time. Had some other shows too. Entered a few contests.
Foggy mornings and inclement weather are when I like to photograph mostly. Suited my needs, did wonders for the backgrounds and I enjoyed the quiet. I just photograph whatever appeals to me, as one can see in my images.
What have I learned from all this? Maybe to have applied myself a bit more.
Artist Biography: Mike Leinhauser
Born 1945 in Ottumwa, IA. Moved a bit growing up, Branson, MO, Dallas, TX, Cleveland, OH, Akron, OH and in 1960 moved to Des Moines, IA where I attended jr. high and high school. Took some classes at Drake University and University of Iowa. Married in 1966 and off to the Air Force from 1966 to 1970, had a daughter and a son during that time and back to Des Moines after I was discharged until 1979 when we moved to Bettendorf, IA where I now currently live. Lost my wife Sally to cancer in Dec. 2015. Since 2002 I have worked as an electrician at John Deere Seeding in Moline IL.

Artist’s Statement: Gary Hoard
Photography is my way to capture the ordinary and unusual moments in the nature around us. Looking through the lens and composing an interesting shot forces me to be more aware of what is going on around me, enhancing the outdoor experience. I enjoy this natural experience whether or not I get the photo – the image is a bonus which allows me to share a special moment with others.
This ‘Naturescapes’ exhibit includes a collection of my photographic images on metal of plants, birds and animals in their natural environments, hopefully uncommon views of common subjects. I also include some landscapes that evoke the feeling of peace and solitude that being ‘close to nature’ brings us. The images are printed on metal which reflects the vibrancy I see in the natural world.
Artist Biography: Gary Hoard
Gary has been photographing for over 50 years, predominantly nature and city and rural landscapes. His interest in both photography and nature was kindled early by his parents: his Dad a US Navy photographer stationed at Pearl Harbor during the attack, and his Mom an avid naturalist and gardener. Gary’s 40-year career in plant genetics research furthered his interest in the natural world. He has enhanced his photographic skills by studying the biology of animals and plants, and by attending photography workshops and seminars.
His award-winning work has appeared in several exhibits including Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge, Ankeny Art Center, Iowa State Fair Photography Salon and Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, Sanibel FL. His photographs were used in the State Capitol Tour Guide.
Gary enjoys capturing uncommon views of common subjects. He spends most of his camera-time photographing at state, county and national parks, urban areas, or in his home gardens. He finds Iowa offers many beautiful photographic opportunities including lots of green space, interesting cityscapes and beautiful architecture, both historic and modern.
Website: GaryHoardPhotography.com

Drawing Workshop: March 23
2019-03-23 14:00 - 16:00 | Octagon Center for the Arts, 427 Douglas Avenue, Ames, IA, 50010, United States
Drawing Workshop, ages 18+
Saturday, March 23 (This is the re-scheduled date.)
2 – 4 pm
$45
Learn some fundamentals of drawing and shading in this condensed drawing session. Bring a sketchbook, at least 9”x12” and favorite drawing materials. Some paper and drawing materials will be supplied.
Instructor: Dick Shook
North Studio
To register:

enter the number of “tickets” you want below (one ticket per student)
click “add to cart”
complete the contact information form that appears after you add a ticket
complete the payment information
check your email for your receipt

Please contact us with any registration questions or concerns.
Registration closes on at 6am on 3/20/19.

Spring Break Art Camp: March 18 - 22
2019-03-18 09:00 - 15:00 | Octagon Center for the Arts, 427 Douglas Avenue, Ames, IA, 50010, United States
Spring Break Art Camp, ages K – 5
March 18 – 22
9 am – 3 pm
$210
Bring a sack lunch and drink each day to art camp
Scholarships Available
Class Limit: 16
To register:

enter the number of “tickets” you want below (one ticket per student)
click “add to cart”
complete the contact information form that appears after you add a ticket
complete the payment information
check your email for your receipt

Please contact us with any registration questions or concerns.
Registration closes on at 6am on 3/16/19.

Thursday Morning Art Projects: March 14
2019-03-14 11:00 - 12:00 | Octagon Center for the Arts, 427 Douglas Avenue, Ames, IA, 50010, United States
Thursday Morning Art Projects, ages K – 6
11 am – 12 pm
$10
Create unique and interesting art projects each class while learning about new artists, their methods and materials. All supplies included.
January 17
February 21
March 14
Class Limit: 8
To register:

enter the number of “tickets” you want below (one ticket per student)
click “add to cart”
complete the contact information form that appears after you add a ticket
complete the payment information
check your email for your receipt

Please contact us with any registration questions or concerns.
Registration closes on at 6am on 3/12/19.

Iowa State MFA Exhibit
2019-03-07 - 2019-03-23 | Octagon Center for the Arts, 427 Douglas Avenue, Ames, IA, 50010, United States
LOCATED IN THE COMMUNITY GALLERY
Artist Statement: Jasmine Beul
I see my ceramic works as sculptural vessels. They are inspired by historical vessel forms, but without the functionality. The utilitarian function is removed by making the forms asymmetrical, and exaggerating the scale and perforations. When utilitarian nature is removed what remains is an exploration of formal elements.
With my paintings, I was interested in creating a fragmented view of a landscape to be somewhere between realism and abstraction. In these close up views, there is never a sense of the surrounding scenery, but instead, the confrontation of a vertical surface. This close inspection tells the partial story of a place, but obscures the whole truth. It hints at a layered history, but in this extreme close up only a specific part of a story is being told. It becomes a metaphor for the way we retell stories, remembering only certain details, and maybe failing to see the complete truth behind a narrative.

Artist Biography: Jasmine Beul
Jasmine Beul is grew up in Denver, Colorado, and is currently a first year graduate student in the Integrated Visual Art program at Iowa State University. She graduated from the University of Montana in Missoula in 2017 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and creative writing. Her emphasis with her BFA was in ceramics, an interest which started in high school and she decided to pursue further in college. She also spent a year as a post-baccalaureate student at Montana State University in Bozeman, MT from 2017-2018. Her work has been influenced by living in these places, as well as travelling. This is her first solo exhibition of work in the state of Iowa.

Artist Statement: Manatsa Mazimbe
Art curator and Afrofuturist, Ingrid LaFleur, quotes, “Afrofuturism is an intersection of imagination, technology, the future, and liberation. I generally define Afrofuturism as a way of imagining possible futures through a black cultural lens.” My work will be a series of digital, traditional, and animated works based on an afro-futuristic setting where Africans and African Americans live in a thriving utopian society. It is an optimistic view of the combination of both cultures in the future through the lens of a character named, Mana.
Artist Biography: Manatsa Mazimbe
I am currently a third-semester M.F.A graduate student majoring in the Integrated Visual Arts with a focus on Illustration for Animation. I attained my B.F.A in Animation from an enriching education at the Savannah College of Art and Design. The combination of both areas of study has allowed me to expand my work and offer a complete design and storytelling experience.
My time as a student-athlete for four years helped me become disciplined in my work and to appreciate challenges, allowing for continuous focus and diligence. I also had the privilege to work on an Annie nominated film called, Frog Legs, which was directed by an old colleague and friend, Katie Tamboer. Coming from an African background with no knowledge and experience with technology prior to college, this was a satisfying accomplishment.

Mini Makers: Mar 3
2019-03-03 13:00 - 14:00 | Octagon Center for the Arts, 427 Douglas Avenue, Ames, IA, 50010, United States
Mini Makers, ages 3 – 5 with an adult partner
Sundays, 1 – 2 pm
January 27
February 10
February 24
March 3
$15 per session for one adult/child pair, $12 for each additional child or adult.
Spend some creative time making all kinds of art projects including handbuilt clay pieces, canvas paintings, collages, drawings independently or together.
Instructor: Maki Koep
Hunziker Studio
To register:

enter the number of “tickets” you want below (one ticket per student)
click “add to cart”
complete the contact information form that appears after you add a ticket
complete the payment information
check your email for your receipt

Please contact us with any registration questions or concerns.
Registration closes on at 6am on 3/1/19.

Mini Makers: Feb 24
2019-02-24 13:00 - 14:00 | Octagon Center for the Arts, 427 Douglas Avenue, Ames, IA, 50010, United States
Mini Makers, ages 3 – 5 with an adult partner
Sundays, 1 – 2 pm
January 27
February 10
February 24
March 3
$15 per session for one adult/child pair, $12 for each additional child or adult.
Spend some creative time making all kinds of art projects including handbuilt clay pieces, canvas paintings, collages, drawings independently or together.
Instructor: Maki Koep
Hunziker Studio
To register:

enter the number of “tickets” you want below (one ticket per student)
click “add to cart”
complete the contact information form that appears after you add a ticket
complete the payment information
check your email for your receipt

Please contact us with any registration questions or concerns.
Registration closes on at 6am on 2/22/19.

A Soldier Says Good-bye RICH ABRAHAMSON
2019-02-23 - 2019-03-23 | Octagon Center for the Arts, 427 Douglas Avenue, Ames, IA, 50010, United States
LOCATED IN THE SMALL WALL GALLERY (Third Floor)
Artist Statement
Camera’s freeze moments in split seconds while life passes in days, weeks and years.
Some lives are mixed with both quality and quantity of time. Those individuals celebrate memories while unaware that the final chapters of their lives are being written.
Photographs help us punctuate their journeys, empowering us to tell important stories. Photojournalists are called upon to document these events. This is our legacy.
In “A Soldier Says Good-bye” we follow a World War II veteran through the twilight of life. A time when moments resonate with love, vulnerability and tears.
The soldier, a 96 year-old Swede from Boxholm, Iowa, farmed with horses and picked corn by hand before joining the first group of Boone County Iowa men drafted into service in 1942. He joined the Army Air Corps and was assigned to crew on a B-24 heavy bomber.
Instead of harnessing a team of horses and working the fields, he was completing pre flight inspections on his plane. He’d push the aircraft’s throttles full forward, bringing four thundering 1200 horse power Pratt and Whitney engines to life.
The serene view over an Iowa corn field was replaced with the sensation of flying over the white caps of the Adriatic Sea, skimming above the water to avoid radar detection.
Some soldiers never came home. Others returned to Central Iowa and into the arms of their families. Many returned to the farm and their jobs. They got married. Started families.
A few lived to be old men One of them was my dad, Staff Sergeant Richard L. Abrahamson.
This is his story. A tribute told through the eyes of his son, the photojournalist.

Biography
Rich Abrahamson of Ames, Iowa is a career photojournalist and writer. His appreciation for photography and stories began as a kid while watching slide shows his dad created with photos shot around the family farm and during summer vacations.
In high school and college, he was part of the newspaper and yearbook staffs. The experience laid the groundwork for his career choice and showed him that work could be fun.
At 21, he bought his first 35 mm film camera while taking a photography course taught by Bob Person at the Des Moines Area Community College. Person’s style of instruction impacted students, including Abrahamson, with thoughtful advice and passionate critiques of student work.
In 1987 Abrahamson earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism from Northwest Missouri State University. A few months later he was hired as the lone photographer on the staff of the Fort Morgan Times, a small family-owned newspaper on Colorado’s northeast plains.
In 1991 he joined the staff of the Fort Collins Coloradan where he worked for the next 22 years.
Abrahamson has completed news, sports and documentary assignments throughout Colorado and the United States. He’s built a portfolio of images from 46 states and nine Canadian provinces.
For 26 years he covered professional and college sports including the Denver Broncos, Colorado Avalanche, Colorado Rockies and Colorado State University Rams.
His subjects have included Pope John Paul II, the Dalai Lama, Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, hall of fame quarterback John Elway, musicians Ray Charles, David Bowie, Carlos Santana, Buddy Rich and the Grateful Dead.
In 2013 Abrahamson returned to central Iowa and began freelancing as a photographer, writer and columnist for central Iowa newspapers. He also serves as a writer and photographer for Iowa State University’s Department of Residence newsletter.

Printmaking 101: February 21 - March 14
2019-02-21 18:00 - 19:30 | Octagon Center for the Arts, 427 Douglas Avenue, Ames, IA, 50010, United States
Printmaking 101, ages 9 – 13
February 21 – March 14 (4 weeks)
6 – 7:30 pm
$75
In this class, young artists will sharpen their drawing skills to create eye-catching printed artworks. Students will explore intricate designs and techniques of mono-print and relief printmaking, as well as alternative processes. Students will develop skills in layering, carving, composition and design as they explore materials and techniques. Each student will leave with their very own portfolio of prints. Class Limit: 8
North Studio
Instructor: Hannah Becker
