Pieced Fabric: Historic Quilts of Ames ON DISPLAY AUGUST 19 - OCTOBER 28, 2017, SWEENEY GALLERY Quilting has always been a social outlet for women in Iowa. Old quilts are personally created signed gifts from quilters of the past, many of whom braved hardships as they sought a new life in a new land. They were […]
Relief From Endlessness ANDA TANAKA & JEREMY RUDD NOVEMBER 3 - DECEMBER 21, 2017, SWEENEY GALLERY Jeremy Rudd Artsist Bio A native Iowan, Rudd grew up in rural Benton County thirty minutes outside Cedar Rapids. He attended Iowa State University receiving a BFA in visual Studies with an emphasis on Three Dimensional Design, and completed his Master […]
Elem/Mid/High 2018 An Annual Exhibition of Local Elementary, Middle, and High School Senior Students April 19 - May 5, 2018 MAIN GALLERY & SWEENEY GALLERY The Octagon Center for the Arts showcases artwork by local elementary, middle, and high school students annually. High School art instructors from schools within 20 miles of the Octagon Center […]
Based on a True Story ALEX BRAIDWOOD May 18 - August 11, 2018 SWEENEY GALLERY Sound is an important aspect of the world around us. It tells a great deal about our surroundings when we take the time to listen. Listening requires time to experience because sound requires time to exist. In today’s fast-paced culture, […]
ARTISANS ROADTRIP August 17 - October 27, 2018 SWEENEY GALLERY This year is the 15th Annual Artisans Road Trip. Artisans Road Trip invites you to travel Iowa's scenic byways and back roads looking for one-of-a-kind treasures. Artisans will offer a rare glimpse into creative processes as they demonstrate their craft in personal and unique work spaces. […]
Worlds Apart by BOGUMIL BRONKOWSKI October 4 - November 10, 2018 COMMUNITY GALLERY My current body of work explores the concepts of struggle, place, and belonging. I immigrated to America at the age of nine; initially, no one told me that my family was permanently moving here. I boarded that international flight thinking that my family […]
Cairo, Illinois: Photographs & Enamels by SARAH PERKINS & GWEN WALSTRAND November 15 - December 21, 2018 COMMUNITY GALLERY This work is a collaboration, of sorts, by Gwen Walstrand, photographer, and Sarah Perkins, metalsmith and enamelist. The works themselves are not collaborations, but instead are designed to be viewed together in order to have an impact […]
About Us
The Octagon Center for the Arts is a non-profit community art center in the heart of downtown Ames, Iowa. A cornerstone of the cultural scene in Ames since 1966, the Octagon serves more than 30,000 people each year through art classes and outreach, rotating exhibits, a retail gallery shop, and the annual Octagon Art Festival.
The Octagon Center for the Arts is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization funded in part through memberships, donations, and grants, including the City of Ames Commission on the Arts (COTA) and the Iowa Arts Council.
© 2025 Octagon Center for the Arts. All rights reserved.
Octagon Center for the Arts
413 & 427 Douglas Avenue
Ames, IA 50010
Phone: 515-232-5331
Email: info@octagonarts.org
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Octagon Shop and Community Gallery
Monday-Wednesday 10:00am-5:30pm
Thursday 10:00am-7:00pm
Friday 10:00am-5:30pm
Saturday 10:00am-5:00pm
Sunday CLOSED (except during the holidays)
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