ArtNotes: iowa artisans gallery

Facelift...

2012-02-06T13:25:00.002-06:00

It's been a little noisy around here. Our historic Paul-Helen Building is undergoing a facelift in the form of the addition of new windows, which are replacing older, drafty ones. Above, you can see the building as it once was closer to the turn of the century. The building next door no longer exists.

The new windows conform to Historic Preservation Standards. We appreciate the new look and will be happy to see the work done. Below, you can see for yourself how large these windows really are. This project also means that we have lost all of our window signage. Have heart- it shall return!

we're also about small art pleasures...

2011-12-06T11:25:00.000-06:00

Contemporary American Craft is all about big, tour de force, often museum-quality pieces. At least that's the prevailing impression for many people, and the gallery is incorrectly described as only having expensive items. However, one of the most endearing aspects of American Craft is its enrichment of the simple things we do in our everyday lives. A favorite mug with impressions of the artist's hands; the satisfying, tactile experience of hand-printed napkins or a cutting board with interesting wood grain. The colorful display of fall root vegetables on a ceramic platter. These are items that add to a shared communal experience of food and camaraderie around a dining table, and they need not be costly.

This holiday season, we chose to show customers an array of options that are attractively priced at under $50. Artists are eager to make them, and we are equally interested in showing off their work. Give the gift of handmade, functional art! Here are just a few of the many examples of items that qualify.

Arin Arthur's blockprinted silk crepe scarves

Handmade for the Holidays, items under $50 include Basic Spirit magnets ($18), Burke ($16-20) and fused glass message wall pieces by Nina Cambron ($44), Skyflight mobiles ($35), Overdue Industries journals ($20) and coasters ($15), Coleman wall tiles ($25) and a multitude of Moonspoons items. This only portrays one portion of this section.

Tin Woodsman pewter teabag holders

Vilmain pewter bird box

Connie Roberts wooden whistle Santas, reindeer ($45) and other ornaments ($15)

Ornaments are our specialty! Priced from $7.50 to $39, our ornaments include Russell Greenslade's wooden puzzle ornaments, pewter ornaments by Leandra Drumm and Vilmain, felted Santas and reindeer by Reclaimed Wool, ceramic ornaments by Little Guy and Marilyn Davis (check out her reinguin), and a huge assortment of handblown glass ornments by various artists.

We also carry a variety of toys, bookends and books for kids. Shown here: toys by D & Me Toymakers and Snugglebunnies by Jaroslava Sobiskova.

Kalona's JK Creative Woodworking cutting boards, Ames artist Steve Aitchison's vases

Although these boxes, bowls and ceramic pieces are not part of our "50-under-$50" display, they represent some of the many other wonderful items that give daily life a more tactile dimension.

Girls Can Tell screenprinted felt coasters, $18 for 4

Mary Obodzinski's raku pears on raku platter

Moonspoons tea strainers and a handmade mug, perfect for winter afternoons

Astrid Hilger Bennett's hand screenprinted Iowa City tea towels, available online as well

Girls' Night Out: Steel Cow Paintings by Valerie Miller

2011-10-17T14:44:00.000-05:00

Check out what the girls are doing during our exhibition, “Girls Night Out,” Steel Cows by Valerie Miller. Show dates are October 14 to November 7. And check out the holiday ornaments s the Girls have been up to.

Valerie Miller's Steel Cow paintings, Iowa Artisans Gallery

Selection of mini-moos, Valerie Miller's Steel Cow, Iowa Artisans Gallery

Val Miller, Iowa Artisans Gallery

Valerie Miller is an Iowa artist and a relatively recent University of Iowa graduate. She visits cows in fields across the country, naming each cow painting after her family, friends or people who have influenced her. Miller has established a national presence with her oversized cow portraits, from which her canvas prints are made. Several new “Girls” make their debut at the gallery including Arlene, Caroline, Kelly, Sharon, and Yolanda. They join Queenie, Virginia, Susan and the rest of the Girls. Hers is a family operation, with woodworker husband Josh creating the frames. The couple has an interest in sustainable practices. Her original paintings are made on organic cotton canvas, and the frames are built with certified sustainable maple.

The Opening Reception took place during the Downtown Iowa City Gallery Walk, and Val had the idea of making cow masks, or fans, for visitors. They were an instant hit!


Val Miller's cow masks...

another view of Gallery Walk, October 2011, Iowa Artisans Gallery

Celebrate with us! American Craft Week 2011

2011-10-05T11:55:00.001-05:00

American Craft Week is a national event scheduled for October 7 – 16, 2011, and we're joining the festivities. What is American Craft Week? Communities of individuals, small businesses and organizations across the country are joining together to celebrate the way that handmade objects enrich daily lives and contribute to the national aesthetic and economy. At Iowa Artisans Gallery, we feel like we have been honoring American Craft since our inception in 1984, but it's wonderful to see the national momentum.

Iowa Artisans Gallery kicks off American Craft Week with an exhibit entitled Jesse Ahrendsen, new works in Glass. In addition, the Gallery will highlight daily featured artists from a selected group of its contemporary craft artists. These artists include ceramists Royce Yoder and Amanda Barr, woodworkers Thom Hall and Pete Pestalozzi, glass artists Hokanson-Dix and Jesse Ahrendsen, fiber artists Kevin Harris and Antrim Street Studio, and jeweler Wiwat Kamolpornwijit. Last year, the Gallery focused on local artists, - you can read more about these artists in previous posts. This year, the focus is farther afield, but Ahrendsen and Hall are local, Barr is from Ames, and Yoder has family in Kalona. And now for the celebration. Check out the wonderful work below that our featured artists bring to you.


Hokanson-Dix Glass are this months' American Craft Magazine honorees, appearing on the front cover as well as in an article in this venerable publication by the American Crafts Council. Bengt Hokansen & Trefny Dix create painterly, lyrical pieces in their studio in Colorado. Iowa Artisans Gallery has carried their work for some time.

more work by Hokansen-Dix Glass, Iowa Artisans Gallery

Jesse Ahrendsen is a younger, emerging local glass artist whom we is featured in a gallery exhibition through October 10, 2011

Pete Pestalozzi's beautiful rocker, on view at Iowa Artisans Gallery. Another of our American Craft Week featured artists, Pete is a Minnesota artist who is one of two featured artists making furniture. The other is Thom Hall, a local woodworker shown below.


Red-topped table by Thom Hall, Iowa Artisans Gallery

Thom Hall's Sofa Table with visually undulating top, Iowa Artisans Gallery

American Craft Week 2011 Featured Artist Royce Yoder lives in Pennsylvania but has long roots in the Iowa City area. This platter is an example of one of his exceptionally well-made functional works using ash glazes. His work is suitable for the table and may be hung on the wall. Iowa Artisans Gallery is pleased to carry his work.


more of Royce Yoder's glazing options, here at Iowa Artisans Gallery.


Amanda Barr, another of Iowa Artisans Gallery's featured American Craft Week artist, is an emerging artist from Ames. She uses her literary background to add images and words to her work. Customers really enjoy it. See her here in her studio.

Iowa Artisans Gallery honoree Wiwat Kamolpornwijit has chosen an unusual material, polymer clay, to sculpt interesting, finely-tuned works of jewelry. Our customers love them. The effect is lightweight, relatively inexpensive and unusual works in jewelry. Some make use of lightweight lava stones, for example, in addition.


more works by Wiwat, Iowa Artisans Gallery

Antrim Street Studio - it's scarf day at Iowa Artisans Gallery. This unorthodox shot illustrates how artist Amy Meltzer applies the principles of resist-dyed shibori to her work. She uses impenetrable shapes of plexiglass or other surfaces to clamp her silk between. The dyes react in different ways. Some colors wick a bit into the clamped area, achieving a shadow-like effect. With other dye colors, the separation is quite clear. Antrim Street Studio is a solar-powered studio in Boston.

By the way, downtown Iowa City businesses that are observing American Craft Week include
Iowa Artisans Gallery & DJ Rinner Goldsmith, the Chait Galleries, AKAR, Beadology, The Senior Center’s Old Post Office Gallery, Modela, Home Ec Workshop, and Glassando. Group events include a Gallery Walk, October 14, at 18 locations in downtown Iowa City.

Connie Roberts shows the Whistle Lady's prowess

2011-08-01T14:49:00.000-05:00

High Stakes Poker Game, USA version

Our current exhibit, Not Just Another Cup of Tea, Whistles by Connie Roberts, is a tour-de-force of ingenuity. Known for her carved wooden whistle sculptures, local artist Connie Roberts shows larger works usually exhibited at venues such as SOFA in Chicago and elsewhere. Show dates are July 23- August 30.

Roberts' work is highly interactive. Some is humorous and cute, much is sassy and clever. Pieces include the Orpheum Theater, complete with multiple "acts," a Masquerade Cruise Ship, a chess set, a functional alligator purse, a grouping of theme-teapots and teacups, plus many more. Part of the exhibit takes place in the front store window, where Roberts' Orpheum Theatre shows a different act almost every day. For more information, please check out Iowa Artisans Gallery's web sales site, where many of these pieces are listed for sale.

Orpheum Theater, opened up, with characters and audience, all whistles

Alligator purse

Garden Tea. Whistles are variations on a garden theme


Masquerade Cruise

Roberts' has been commissioned to create pieces for well-known entertainers and public figures such as Steven Spielberg and Rudy Giuliani. A prolific sketchbook artist, she has recently participated in the Sketchbook Project in Brooklyn, NY. A native of California, she has lived in Iowa City since the 1970s, when she completed her MFA in painting at the University of Iowa.


Beer Stein

Cat Tea in progress

Cat Tea


Beehive Tic Tac Toe and Teapot

Julia Kottal: Recent Abstract Oil Paintings

2011-07-12T12:43:00.000-05:00

Julia Kottal, Probably Arizona, oil on canvas

There's still time to check out our interesting show of abstract oil paintings by Cedar Rapids artist, Julia Kottal. The exhibition in its current form will be on display through July 17; we'll continue to show a pared-down selection of her work at the gallery on a regular basis.

Kottal talks about her work here:
Reaching back into memories of motor travel as a child with my dad, bare-bone backpacking through Europe as a young adult and my more sophisticated recent travels in adulthood further inspire my view of landscape. This collection of work reflects the curiosity that is ignited by this recurring iconic vista that I have traveled… or perhaps it foreshadows an impending dream. Have I seen these "colorscapes" in my youth, or are they dreams of an Utopia that I wish to grasp before I die?

Julia Kottal, West Towards Nebraska, oil on canvas

Here's the more official statement:
Exploration of the visceral pull of landscape is the root of this collection. The experiences of travel, attentive wandering and meditation blend together and inform this artwork. Revisiting the works of Colorfield painters Mark Rothko and Clyfford Still spurs further contemplation. Notable literary works, Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities, a fictional account of Marco Polo’s tales told to emperor Kublai Khan that describe magical, nonexistence cities; and Elizabeth Bishop’s poetry written about her travels to Brazil also illuminate this theme.

Julia Kottal, My Mexico, oil on canvas

Julia Kottal lives in Cedar Rapids with her husband, Roy, dog, Rudy and cats, Lewis and Clark. A graduate of Coe College in Cedar Rapids, she is a full time artist, painting in oil on canvas using a painting knife for application. She also works with encaustics - wax application on supports. In addition, her other job is as the Art Facilitator for Eastern Iowa Arts Academy based in Cedar Rapids.

Julia Kottal, Not New Mexico, oil on canvas

The Juniper Tales, Nancy Romalov

2011-06-21T12:42:00.000-05:00

In one of current exhibitions, Juniper Tales, Works in Wood, artist Nancy Romalov explores the historical and mystical associations of Juniper Tree as she creates works from this ancient wood. As part of the exhibition, we include more detailed notes about the process by which she makes her carved pieces, and the particular stories associated with those pieces. A corner of the gallery is devoted to signage, photos, tools, wood shavings and a copy of Grimm's Fairy Tales.

Romalov, an American Studies professor, came to woodworking later in life and has received accolades for her unusual and creative ideas. “In making furniture, I have always been interested in the narrative of the wood. Where is it from? What place has it had in the cultures in which it thrives? My Women’s Studies background leads me to ask particular kinds of questions about my place in this mostly male world of woodworking. In putting together this show-- in which I pay tribute to the wonders of the juniper tree, and my relationship to it-- I realized that several threads of my variegated history are woven together through the stories of each piece.” The pieces included in this show are the Juniper Tree Hat Rack, Wildhorse Will Music Stand, Fish Forest Sculpture and Hall Table with Stones. Romalov is an Iowa City resident.

Background on The Juniper Tree, in Nancy Romalov's own words:
Of the more than 200 tales collected by the brothers Grimm, perhaps none is more horrific than this one. For good reason it is absent in any fairy tale anthology for children, but it has long inspired artists as well as folklore analysts (for example, Philip Glass’s 1985 opera by the same name.) I have been fascinated with this tale ever since my graduate studies in German when my master’s thesis led me into a study of the famous fairy tales. More recently, I incorporated this tale in a university course I taught on “Feminism and Fairy Tales.” My students were less taken than I in the restorative powers of the juniper tree and understandably got hung up on the cannibalism and gore of the story. There have been many interesting commentaries on this tale, ranging from an examination of the shamanistic elements to the cultural meanings of evil step-mothers.

For me, however, it is crucial to the meaning of this story that the tree is a juniper—so crucial that the story as a whole is named after it. The tree’s German name, “Wacholder” comes from Old High German, loosely translated as meaning the “awake tree’, i.e. the tree that is a guardian on watch, acting as intermediary between the living and the dead, between the humans and the invisible spirit world. It is in the spirit of the “awake tree” that I made “Juniper Hat Rack”, adding a whimsical touch that is not suggested in the tale. In the story, the mother and son find solace under the juniper, a place where they “hang their cares.” My hat tree should also be a place to come home, a tree that offers support for whatever one wants to hang there.

WILDHORSE WILL MUSIC STAND
I have the good fortune of being able to spend part of the year on an island in the middle of a large lake in western Montana, where I lived for many years before moving to Iowa. It was on this island that I began honing my woodworking passion, starting with simple furnishings for our small cabin and growing from there into more challenging projects. As the island has no electricity, I rely entirely on hand tools, working mostly on a shaving horse, using various kinds of spoke shaves and hand planes.

detail of Wildhorse Will, also shown in full at start of blog post

The simplicity of my existence in Montana requires that I use only the wood available to me on the island, and it was there I discovered and subsequently became fascinated with the juniper tree. Juniper is the most widespread member of the cypress family. There are fifteen species in the United States alone, inhabiting every state except Hawaii. It takes many forms, from bonsai-like dwarfs to towering giants of the mountains. The Western Juniper, which I collect from the shores of Wildhorse Island, is also found higher up on the island, often in improbable places, curled up beside huge boulders, claws scrabbled between the cracks. Above 4,000 feet it can grow up to fifty feet in height, with some trees dating as old as 2,000 years. Typically, Juniper is not a furniture maker’s wood, due to its irregularity and wildness.

When I work with Juniper, I begin with the weather-beaten gnarly pieces of driftwood I find, shaving the outer grey layers and shaping the wood to my purpose. This shaving not only releases the wonderful cedar-like aroma of juniper, but also exposes the rich red-satin-smooth interior. At times, the shapely wood will dictate what it intends to be, as was the case with “Wildhorse Will” music stand. The stand, while wholly functional, is also a symbol of my connection to Montana and a reminder that when there, one is never very far from the frontier.

Juniper has long been put to other practical uses. The Native People of Montana made tea from the berries to help ingestion, fight colds and ease pains of labor (note the connection to the Grimm’s tale as you read), and even used its shredded bark as padding for diapers. The earliest recorded medicinal use of juniper berries occurs in an Egyptian papyrus from 1500 BC, in a recipe to cure tapeworm infestations. Since then its use has varied from fumigating houses during the Plague, in addition to more generally expelling demons and other unwanted guests, to treating flatulence (for which juniper oil is still used today). The best-known use of the berries is probably as a flavoring for gin and schnapps. As a shameless martini drinker (good gin, straight up, extra dry, twist of lemon), I was delighted to learn that the words for gin and juniper have a common root in the word for a traditional Dutch drink, “Genever.” Apparently, Dutch Gin, as it is called, has made a comeback and is now a popular drink in the hip cocktail bars of New York and London. I suspect that Wildhorse Will would have enjoyed a sip or two.

detail from Juniper Hat Rack

detail from Hall Table

FISH FOREST
One of my favorite summer pastimes is cruising the shores of Flathead Lake in my kayak looking for downed juniper. For several summers I had been eyeing a submerged juniper trunk that was especially striking in that it was covered with burls. A burl is a growth on the tree in which the grain has grown in a deformed manner, a result of the tree undergoing some form of stress. Burls yield a very peculiar highly figured wood, prized by woodworkers for its beauty and rarity. Most burls grow beneath the ground, attached at the roots as a type of malignancy, generally not discovered until the tree dies or falls over. I had despaired of “owning” the trunk, as it seemed securely rooted underwater, and was content to simply admire its beauty and mysteries, for it was not hard to imagine it as the dwelling place of mysterious creatures and secrets. I returned a couple of summers ago to find that it had become dislodged and ripe for the taking, if only I could muster enough muscle to bring it ashore. After devising a way to winch it to land, I set it to dry for a year while I pondered what to make of it. The result is “Fish Forest,” a piece in which I acknowledge the wood’s past life and play with the idea of the power of the juniper spirit, which is evident in the many mythical, cultural and folkloric accounts of the Juniper tree. When working with juniper I can’t help but feel that the wood is indeed animated with a spirit that has no intention of being “dead wood.”

HALL TABLE WITH STONES
Lining the shores of Flathead Lake in western Montana are some of the most unique rocks in the world. Formed by a succession of glacial floods that carved areas now known as Glacier National Park, the Flathead Valley, and the Columbia River Gorge, these Belt Rocks are over a billion years old. They have become a “signature” of my woodworking pieces, and I try to incorporate at least one stone in each piece, even when not visible to the viewer.

It's Festival Time- Gallery Walk starts it all!

2011-05-25T15:11:00.002-05:00

DJ Rinner Goldsmith, work by Bethany Young

The Iowa City Gallery Walk opens the Iowa Arts Festival on Friday, June 3 from 5-8pm. The Walk takes place at 17 venues and is the largest Gallery Walk of the year. Gallery Walks are scheduled for March, June and October and are self-guided, free, family-friendly and open to the public. Maps are available at each location.

Gallery Walk venues include AKAR, Arts Iowa City, Bella Joli, the Chait Galleries, the Englert Theatre, Home Ec Workshop, Iowa Artisans Gallery/D.J.Rinner Goldsmith, The Mansion, MidWestOne Bank, MC Ginsberg, Modela, the Red Avocado, RSVP, the Senior Center’s Old Post Office Gallery, Textiles, United Action for Youth (UAY), and US Bank. Glassando will not be participating this walk but will return in October.

Animal Art Adoptathon, art by Heath Davis

Animal Art Adoptathon, art by Deanne Wortman

Two non-profits will be partnering with Gallery Walk. Friends of the Animal Shelter are hosting an Animal Art Adoptathon at the Englert and Chait Galleries (for details, see below.) In addition, 'We Are The World' youth will display their photography at Hotel Vetro from 5-8pm during Gallery Walk. ‘We Are The World’ is a local non-profit that provides services and opportunities for at risk youth and their families. During our Photography Academy youth are taught basic photography and editing skills and encouraged to capture their lives. It is the hope of ‘We Are The World’ that as participants gain photography and editing skills, they will be empowered to transfer that same editing process to the difficulties of their own lives.

The Friends of the Animal Center Foundation is hosting an Animal Art Adoptathon benefit for the Iowa City Animal Care & Adoption Center at the Englert Theatre as well as Chait Galleries. This juried exhibit includes work by more than 80 local artists of all ages and depict animals, illustrate an Animal Center issue, promote animal welfare, or evoke the emotion of the human-pet bond. All art will be available for "adoption". The Englert Gallery will be open from 5-8pm Friday, June 3, 12-5pm Saturday, June 4 and during special events. Runs through June 30 or until all art finds a forever home. The exhibit is located on the second floor in The Douglas & Linda Paul Gallery of the Englert, 221 E Washington St.

Chait Galleries also features Larger than Life: New Oil Paintings by Tam Bodkin Bryk. Bryk’s oil paintings emphasize the play of light on ordinary and extraordinary surfaces of oversized still life objects. According to Bryk, the new work is “moving away from traditional realism toward photo realism and hyper-realism.” The paintings are infused with bright color and reflective surfaces combined with a strong focus on detail. The Chait Galleries is also partnering with the Englert in hosting Animal Art Adoptathon (see the Englert listing for more details.) Chait Galleries is located at 218 E Washington St.

Chait Galleries, Tam Bodkin Bryk

Iowa Artisans Gallery, Julia Kottal


Iowa Artisans Gallery: Nancy Romalov, Juniper Tales

Iowa Artisans Gallery/D.J. Rinner Goldsmith presents three exhibits. In Julia Kottal: Abstract Paintings the artist explores landscapes as influenced by artists like Rothko and Clyfford Still. “ Reaching back into memories of motor travel as a child with my dad, bare-bone backpacking through Europe as a young adult and my more sophisticated recent travels in adulthood further inspire my view of landscape. This collection of work reflects the curiosity that is ignited by this recurring iconic vista that I have traveled… or perhaps it foreshadows an impending dream.” In Juniper Tales, Works in Wood, artist Nancy Romalov explores the historical and mystical associations of the Juniper Tree as she creates works from this ancient wood. “In making furniture, I have always been interested in the narrative of the wood. Where is it from? What place has it had in the cultures in which it thrives? My Women’s Studies background leads me to ask particular kinds of questions about my place in this mostly male world of woodworking. In putting together this show-- in which I pay tribute to the wonders of the juniper tree, and my relationship to it-- I realized that several threads of my variegated history are woven together through the stories of each piece.” In Fun in the Sun, DJ Rinner Goldsmith features beach-inspired jewelry by Bethany Young, “fresh flowers” by metalsmith Louise Rauh as well as collaborative pieces by both artists. Iowa Artisans Gallery/DJ Rinner Goldsmith is located at 207 E Washington St.

The Old Post Office Gallery (Senior Center) shows two exhibits. In Abstract Paintings, artist Jim Maynard is influenced by classical and contemporary music, plus impressions and observations of the environment surrounding him. Included are works prior to1973, and post-2008 works consisting of digital images developed from original acrylic abstract paintings. Denny Hanson spent 40 years as a high school science educator. A stint working in a friend’s art gallery allowed him to experiment with colored pencils and pastels, which he uses in this show entitled “Drawings.” The Old Post Office Gallery is located at 28 S. Linn St.

Home Ec Workshop features ELEGANCE and ABSURDITY, an Installation by Greta Songe. “In the process of moving back to Iowa, I realized that I had so many of the same thing….ten erasers, twelve pairs of scissors, four pairs of flip-flops. While traveling by train last year, I noticed in the landscape pile after pile of cut trees, discarded containers, tires, boxes, even cars…tires upon tires, logs upon logs, cars upon cars. Years ago, while listening to news of a senseless massacre, the journalist mentioned that all that remained in a spot where it occurred was a pile of shoes. These stack–and-pile drawings stand as examples of plenty, attempts at organization, excess, overload, accumulation, beauty, repetition, and of things left behind. Home Ec Workshop is located at 207 N. Linn St., in the near Northside Neighborhood.

Located at 109 S. Dubuque St., Textiles shows Drawings by Rebecca Clouse. This selection of “candid faces and postures” made over the past 15 years is part of a large group of works titled “Homo Sentiens.” Clouse explains, “I mean people—us, ‘we’—who are aware, or sentient, or conscious, whose consciousness and feeling express as much, or more even, of our mental, intellectual, cultural, ‘rational’, understanding of who and where, in time and space, we are.”


Bela Joli, jewelry by Jennifer Lawler

Bella Joli features Jewelry by Jennifer Lawler. Lawler is a Des Moines metalsmith who was hooked on metals while in high school. Twenty years later, she maintains her own studio, having worked with seminal Iowa jewelers including Chunghi Choo, Ignatius Wateapradja, Chuck Evans and Ann Au. Bella Joli is located at 125 S. Dubuque St.

The Red Avocado shows Photography by Josie Moore, a recent UI grad and Iowa City native, now a freelance photographer specializing in portraits and night photography. “Night is something that conveys mystery and isolation yet also peacefulness. The title of the show ‘Ticket to Anywhere’ mirrors the idea of being lost, and is also a parallel to my graduating from college and entering an unfamiliar world.” Red Avocado is a vegetarian restaurant located at 521 E. Washington.

MidWestOne Bank features Contemporary Quilts by Eight Quilters. This local group, One Square Short Quilt Group draws names in January and completes a miniature
quilt for another group member by the following December. Many of those miniature quilts are on display. MidWestOne Bank is located at 102 S. Clinton St.

RSVP showcases Uncommon Threads of Light: New Works by JoAnn Larpenter Sinclair. This show of mixed media self-portraits includes light boxes created with salvaged windows, yarn, paper, beads, found objects, acrylic paint, windows, and screen printing ink. RSVP is located at 140 North Linn St, next to the Motley Cow.

Art or Science? is on display at MC Ginsberg Jewelers, 110 E. Washington St. The exhibit is a look into how art impacts science and innovations through disparate thinking. View MC Ginsberg’s second floor studio, a showcase for proof-of-concept modeling in addition to custom design.

UAY (United Action for Youth) shows the Iowa Juvenile Home Traveling Art Exhibit.
This group of two-dimensional art work is created by a group of young people residing at the Iowa Juvenile Home. The UAY Youth Center is located at 355 Iowa Avenue.

Modela hosts Garden Party. Local artists create terrariums, planters, prints, pillows and more with an out-of-doors theme. Modela is located at 323 E. Market St.

Arts Iowa City’s Annual Members Show, showcasing recent work by AIC members. Arts Iowa City is located in the lower level of the Wells Fargo Bank Building, 114 S Dubuque St.

US Bank, 204 E Washington St. hosts Arts Iowa City Annual Members’ Show.

The Mansion hosts Sarah Bozaan & Adam Tisdale: Longing. Bozaan and Tisdale show new landscape paintings using photography and drawing media. The Mansion is located at 538 S Gilbert St, at the intersection with Bowery.

AKAR presents Penland Potters: Shawn Ireland, Nick Joerling, Cynthia Bringle. Penland is a well known craft school located in Penland, North Carolina, as well as a hub for high caliber ceramics. AKAR is located at 257 E. Iowa Avenue.

Glassando, will return to Gallery Walk in October. Glassando is located in the Old Capitol Mall.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON GALLERY WALK: The downtown Gallery Walk was started in the early 1990’s as a way of showcasing MC Ginsberg’s exhibit of work to be auctioned at the Domestic Violence Intervention Program’s Fine Art and Fun Fundraiser. At that time, participants numbered five: MC Ginsberg, Iowa State Bank & Trust, Iowa Artisans Gallery/DJ Rinner Goldsmith, Arts Iowa City and the Barn Collections (no longer downtown.) For several years, the DVIP fundraiser continued to be the centerpiece of the March Gallery Walk, but other Walks were added in June, during the Iowa Arts Festival and in October. Gallery Walk is administered by volunteers. Several of the exhibition venues are devoted to businesses other than art but demonstrate the vibrant cultural scene in Iowa City. For more information on Gallery Walk, call Iowa Artisans Gallery (319)351-8686 or Chait Galleries, (319)338-4442.

Screen printing! something new, something old...

2011-05-10T20:11:00.002-05:00

Screen printing has seen a resurgence among younger, DIY artists (that's "Do iT Yourself," a movement made popular by Faith Levine, her book Handmade Nation, and sites like ETSY.) But as a technique, it has been popular since the early 1970s. Check out the Fabric Workshop in Philadelphia if you have any doubt.

First, a primer: screen printing involves stretching a fabric mesh across a wooden screen that's protected for the inevitable water penetration that textile inks and dyes create. The image is often a drawing photocopied onto paper or a transparency, which is then used in conjunction with photosensitive emulsions to make a permanent image. Multiple screens are used to create multiple colors. There are other methods of creating screen images, as well. The screen is then printed systematically, so that it completely covers a surface, or randomly, as a large-scale "rubber stamp" that accentuates design.

Some of the Gallery's recently-added artists are using screen printing in very interesting ways. Check out the work of Philadelphia artists, Girls Can Tell, whose screen printed felt coasters are functional, quirky and affordable at $18 for a set of 4.

"Girls Can Tell" Industrial felt hand-screened coasters

But the Gallery also carries work by other artists who primarily use screen printing to achieve their images and patterns. Bay-area artist Kevin Harris makes dye-printed silk scarves using imagery derived from cut paper and digitally-altered photography.

Kavita Singh, also from California, exploits the hard-edged rectilinear possibilities of screen printing to make silk scarves in vibrant color and mixed patterns.

Astrid Hilger Bennett has long used screen printing to create deeply-textured art cloth used in her art quilts. But she has also created a line of affordable handkerchiefs and Iowa City tea towels.

this handkerchief involved two screens, one with drawings of artists' hands

two examples of screen printed handkerchiefs by Astrid Hilger Bennett

layered screen prints using dyes, Astrid Hilger Bennett. This fabric later became the art quilt below.

Astrid Hilger Bennett's The Beauty of Innuendo, based on 13 Ways of Looking at a Blackbird, a poem by Wallace Stevens. This piece involves layering of dye-printed screens and hand painting

And lastly, the Gallery has also added work by Indiana artist Laurie Wright, whose colorful screen prints are all done on paper using carefully-registered single printed images. Artists who do paper screen printing for the walls are known as "Serigraphers" who make "Serigraphs."

Laurie Wright's Serigraph, Bad Hair Day.

Handy partners- Holly Aiken handbags & Spark Metal jewelry

2011-04-26T15:38:00.000-05:00

Perhaps the most fun we had at the Buyers' Market of American Craft was choosing our order of Holly Aiken handbags in a way that complements work we purchased from her booth-mate, Kathleen Dautel, of Spark Metal Studio. Both artists live in Raleigh, North Carolina. Aiken's studio shop, In Stitches, is where she does her design work and initial cutting out of vinyl fabrics for the handbags. Work by both artists has now arrived.

Spark Metal Studio's Kathleen Dautel is trained as both an architect and a metalsmith. Her modernist jewelry is made from stainless steel and resin. Each design is original, then laser cut and hand finished and hand copied with epoxy resin.

Holly Aiken has always been interested in creating "uncomplicated" bags, "lovingly constructed with precision and care to withstand the daily grind." Her design and color sense is clear and clean. Her bags are primarily made from vinyl and black webbing. Inspired by vintage racing jackets and dime store aisles, she also trained at School of Design at North Carolina State University.

Painter Jenny Braig: wide open spaces

2011-04-13T14:17:00.001-05:00

Horizon Line #2, Jenny Braig

Our current Facebook featured artist is painter Jenny Braig, whose deliciously textured oil paintings depict landscapes from her rural Dubuque, Iowa roots and her current surroundings in Spearfish, South Dakota. The images included here are smaller, intimate paintings, also available for purchase on our website.

Road, Jenny Braig, 10x10"

Braig tells us, "I like putting roads and rivers in my landscapes because they serve the formal purpose of dividing the space and drawing you into a painting. Growing up on the Mississippi River gave me a romantic notion of traveling, kind of a Huckleberry Finn complex. Just seeing that river moving along constant, and changing, gave me a desire to move along too, so I took up traveling. I moved to the Black Hills in South Dakota, and spend a lot of my free time driving or hiking. Following foot paths up canyons, along creeks, to the tops of hills, driving through small towns on the plains, all with the desire to see what is around the next bend, and to keep moving.”

Down Hill, Jenny Braig, 6x7.75" (sold)

Braig adds: “My paintings invite you to step closer. Full of texture and color, they offer a luxurious eye feast. The work is so real and full of life you are there, experiencing the hand and eye of the artist, and the reality of paint.”

Creek, with detail below, Jenny Braig, 6x8"

Fall Aspens, with detail below, Jenny Braig, 6 x 12"


Horizon Line #1, Jenny Braig.

Detail shows edge treatment of the two Horizon Line paintings. The others are painted with black edges and do not need frames.

Take a Piece of Iowa with You

2011-04-06T15:10:00.035-05:00

In so many ways, Iowa City is an enigma. It’s a small town in the middle of the heartland, but it meets an international community. The university, the hospital, our Big Ten football team, the Writer’s Workshop, and more make a city amongst cornfields and soybeans a place that is visited by people from across the globe. So it’s not a surprise that when visitors and residents of Iowa City go back to their hometowns and home countries or travel abroad for exchange programs and trips, they want to bring a bit of Iowa back with them for their friends, relatives, or hosts. It would be difficult to pack an Iowa sunset, the view of fireflies glistening in a field, or the smell of spring when the crops are sprouting to life. Suitcases are small, baggage fees are high, and fireflies can be unwieldy at best.

That’s why it can be fun to see the delight in the eyes of guests when they come into the gallery looking for something that encompasses the place and its people. The feeling of the adventure ahead is almost palpable. While we have artists from all across North America, we certainly have our share of Iowa artists with wares small enough to fit in a suitcase, durable enough to make the trip, and with personality that shines a light on the spirit of this place. Below is just a sampling:

Amanda Barr, a clay artist from Ames, creates quirky and unique porcelain dishes and sauce plates (shown above), small enough to fit into a carry on or purse with the protection of some bubble wrap. In addition to pieces stamped with birds, robots, and letters, Amanda makes heart-shaped plates with an Iowa stamp that would be a handy catch-all for rings on a bedside table or by the kitchen sink, or they can be used as individual sauce dishes.

When traveling for business or when looking for a gift for someone whose tastes are unknown, a clock from Kalona’s Schlabaugh and Sons is always a safe bet. Their small desk clocks are one of our customer favorites. The beautifully-made clocks are created from native and imported hardwoods with exceptional craftsmanship. For the office or the study, classic Schlabaugh clocks fit with any décor.

Paul Maxwell’s wooden wine toppers are durable, highly portable, and would be a welcome gift for any wine lover, male or female. Eighty-year-old Paul is from What Cheer originally and has resided in Iowa City since 1946. Guests who aren’t flying could add a bottle of Iowa wine to complete the package.

Screen-printed handkerchiefs by Iowa City artist, Astrid Hilger Bennett, make for a light and useful gift. At only $5.25 a piece, it’s easy to pick up more than one and stuff them amongst clothes for the trip. The screen-printing on each cotton cloth shows a variety of subjects, and each handkerchief is slightly different, making it wonderfully one-of-a-kind.

Family business JK Creative from Kalona makes trivets and cutting boards, in addition to their larger wood items, that are solid, sturdy, and timeless. They’re a gift welcome for anyone who loves to cook or, really, for anyone with a kitchen.

Iowa City resident, Connie Roberts, is known across the country for her eclectic wooden whistles (shown below). Her small whistles that combine folk art and fine art are carved and painted in the in the shape of bees, crayons, pencils, candy, and more. These whistles delight children of all ages and are often gifted to teachers, who can use the whistles as desk decoration and for getting the attention of students when needed.

For more gift ideas small and large for your next trip, come see us. We’re happy to help and travel vicariously to your far-flung destinations. Our only request: send us a postcard.

This post was written by our newest staff member, Cadry Nelson. We're delighted to share her work with you. Cadry also writes a vegan food blog, Cadry's Kitchen.

Smart Glass - green, fun AND stylish!

2011-04-05T14:24:00.001-05:00

Always a Gallery customer favorite, SMART GLASS recently introduced a line of pendants and earrings using glass from recycled wine bottles.

Kathleen Plate, the talented designer behind Smart Glass Jewelry, has always loved to create beautiful things. Her creative passion was inspired in part by a childhood spent working on projects with her mother who taught her how to solder and work with stained glass. Smart Glass Jewelry was born while Kathleen was in graduate school at Georgia State University, working on a Master’s in American Literature. She is now a very successful artist-business woman who combines her passion for "green" craft with her knowledge of what women like to wear.

Thinking about our friend, Mark Rehmar

2011-03-24T12:17:00.000-05:00

We recently learned of the untimely passing of one of the country's best wooden box makers and genuine all-around great guy, Mark Rehmar. We can't let this go by without saying a word in his honor.

We always liked telling our customers that Mark's jewelry boxes were the Cadillac of wooden boxes: hand-rubbed finishes, beautiful burl tops with well thought out design features, heirloom-quality. We also told them he made furniture for up to $25,000. They went for the boxes.

On our annual visits to the Buyers' Market of American Craft and the Baltimore ACC (American Craft Council) shows, a chat with Mark always took half an hour, and we enjoyed it. Sometimes we were able to sit at one of his pre-sold very large conference tables. There we learned about how his workshop was located a mile from the spotted owl controversy. How he planned a bike trip to Israel. How he once taught physics in the Midwest, near us. He listened to our own news, was an excellent salesman and schmoozer. He once made a large flat jewelry box for us that was shipped to a customer teaching in Saipan. Mark, we miss you! We honor the wonderful legacy of work and friends you've left behind, and we know our customers do too.

Liz Kinder- a studio visit

2011-03-14T17:50:00.000-05:00

While in Philadelphia, we had a wonderful visit to Gallery potter Liz Kinder's Philadelphia studio. Liz lives in the city along with her husband, an architect and green developer, and young children. We were able to pick out new pieces from the vast array of work she had available; we’ve just received it. We went for color!

Liz Kinder’s career as a potter began quite accidentally while selling her bicycle to Chef Joseph Manzare. He had seen her pieces displayed in her home and promptly ordered pottery serving pieces and a large vase for his restaurant in San Francisco.

Since then, Liz has been inundated with orders for her ultra savvy and very “un-IKEA pottery,” as she puts it. She now lives with husband, Tim, children, her kiln and a Siamese cat in Philadelphia. Where she says she is, “Becoming one of those boring people who talks about IKEA kitchen options, drywall, plumbing, utilities, mortgages, and the benefits of radiant heat.”

Kinder holds a BA in Fine Arts from Amherst College in Amherst, MA and a Masters from the Ceramics and Glass department at the Royal College of Arts in London.


Kinder's Kiln Room

IAG staffers Amy (left) and Johnie (right) had a great time picking a cohesive selection of work.

A NEW Blog format

2011-02-28T13:49:00.000-06:00

Please visit us in the next week to see our new blog format. As we migrated our old blog entries over to our current blogging platform, the images decided not to make the journey with their respective stories. And we are not able to re-edit them in. We apologize or this inconvenience. We love pictures!

Ceramist Steve Aitchison - Today's Featured Artist

2010-10-07T04:01:00.002-05:00

Steve Aitchison, Iowa Artisans Gallery

On Day 7 of American Craft Week, we feature Ames artist Steve Aitchison. Aitchison makes large pit-fired pieces with wonderful surfaces. Simplicity allows these surfaces to become mini-landscapes. His newest series also uses leaf forms as stencils.

Steve speaks for himself: "As an artist I believe we create in response to the seasons of our lives. From Midwestern roots, I spent many years based out of the desert southwest. In that wilderness of heat and light I forged my ideas merging ancient, traditional and modern technologies. My work incorporates a combination of clay bodies, glazes, firings, post firing surfaces and patinas – in a synthesis of materials and technique. My observations and experience make this work unique. "

Cloud Vessels
These vessels are formed on the potter’s wheel using a variety of porcelains. Coated in earthen oxides, then surrounded with organic fuels in an open kiln chamber. As the firing temperature increases to red heat, relationships between fuels, clay body surface treatments and the proximity of one vessel to another take on a life of their own. The cloud-like colorations emerging from the ashes tell the story of the firing. In this process of controlled risk, the idea is to capture the ethereal imagery of the ebb and flow of the fire on a classic vessel form. This process is like painting with fire. Sculptural and contemplative, Cloud Vessels are not intended to hold liquids, only your attention.

Steve Aitchison, pit-fired cloud vessel, at Iowa Artisans Gallery

American Craft Week, day 2: Featured Artist is Connie Roberts!

2010-10-02T02:29:00.004-05:00

Shakespeare in the Globe Theatre, wooden whistle by Connie Roberts

Today is day 2 of American Craft Week, and we're featuring Connie Roberts, the whistle lady, as our artist of the day. Read more about her highly entertaining and unusual work, wood sculptures that are all whistles...

The Roxy Theatre

Connie Roberts creates carved wooden whistles, but this isn't always obvious at first glance. Trained as a figurative painter, Connie Roberts calls herself a "thing- maker." In her work, she bridges the realms of fine art and folk art and tackles many subjects with sharp wit and unrestrained humor. She signs her work “CAW”, for Constance Alyce Westvig, her given name.

Usually, the viewer gets caught up taking in all the images presented by these sculptural pieces: a wedge of chocolate cake with a birthday candle whistle, a dog angel, or perhaps a bag of whistling circus peanuts. Her work seems to follow three different tracks: popular culture where, for example, real- looking candy bars with familiar names are altered slightly to bring new meaning such as Sneakers Bars or Nestegg Crunch.

Ship of Fools

Nursery rhymes and cartoon images, and political commentary are two other themes that influence her ideas. Roberts is prolific in her creative range of ideas, which also find their way into larger, complex sculptures with whistle components. One of these was a piece for Steven Spielberg commissioned by the wife of well-known composer John Williams, commemorating the ten movies on which he and Spielberg collaborated. New York City Mayor Giuliani received a Big Apple sculpture with appropriate whistles inside. Other well-known collectors of Roberts' work include celebrities such as Robin Williams and Carol Burnett.

American Craft Week- featured artist #1 is Edward Wohl...

2010-10-01T09:07:00.005-05:00

We love Ed Wohl's cutting boards. They make a joyful addition to daily routines, and they feel wonderful. Wohl was one of 25 artists making functional work who was profiled in a book on functional craft in America, put out by the American Crafts Council . The following descriptions come from Ed's website.

Edward's work is known for its masterful design, seamless joinery and liquid-smooth finish. "I make things of wood that I'd like to have myself: functional pieces that are quiet, peaceful, and a pleasure to touch and look at. My approach emphasizes select materials, structural integrity and utility. I like to let the wood do the work to coax nature to imitate art."

With his family, Edward has made his home and workplace among the pastoral hills and valleys of southwestern Wisconsin. "I have always wanted to live and work in a quiet, beautiful, open place. With the help and support of my wife and business partner Ann, and a goodly amount of luck, we've found that place. If people see beauty in my furniture, it may be because I find beauty in my everyday surroundings."

A note about bird's-eye maple:
“Hard maple is the obvious choice for my cutting boards both for practical and aesthetic reasons. It's extremely durable, and wears slowly and evenly. Craftsmen consider it highly "workable" – a pleasure to cut, shape and finish with precision. And it's a very stable wood, which means that it resists warping, cracking, swelling and splitting due to the stresses of temperature and humidity. With maple, I can achieve exactly the shapes I want, and be assured they'll stay that way.

Because of its high density and fine, even grain, hard maple resists marring from knife cuts, and absorbs relatively little moisture from food. It also provides a pleasing finish – a smooth, even surface with an attractive luster. This is important to me, as I work to achieve a finish that is virtually liquid in its smoothness. All of my cutting boards are made from bird's-eye maple, which exhibits a pattern of hundreds of small oval figures resembling bird's eyes. Only one in perhaps 500 hard maple trees will exhibit this pattern, and experts are uncertain why it occurs. It may result from a fungus, or particular stresses on the growing tree. Because bird's-eye maple varies tremendously in color and pattern, I create each cutting board from custom-matched sections selected from a single piece of wood. This gives each board its distinctive appearance.”

American Craft Week! October 1-10

2010-09-20T06:19:00.001-05:00

American Craft Week is a new, national event that takes place October 1 – 10, 2010. Communities of individuals, small businesses and organizations across the country are joining together to celebrate the way that handmade objects enrich daily lives and contribute to the national aesthetic and economy.
Downtown Iowa City businesses that are observing American Craft Week include Iowa Artisans Gallery & DJ Rinner Goldsmith, the Chait Galleries, AKAR, Beadology, The Senior Center, MC Ginsberg Jewelers, Home Ec Workshop and Glassando. Group events include a Gallery Walk, October 8, at 20 locations in downtown Iowa City. Individual events are included below.

Of course, Iowa Artisans Gallery has been celebrating American Craft for almost 26 years. We will kick off American Craft Week with an exhibit entitled The Shikibu Paintings, by local gallery artist Michael S. Ryan. Also on display are recent stoneware ceramics by Ames artist Mary Weisgram. DJ Rinner Goldsmith features “Hoop-a-la!” with hoop earrings by Louise Rauh, Bethany Young and Denise Manard. The October 8 Gallery Walk includes a demonstration of paper marbling techniques by Barbara Bernier from 6 – 7pm. In addition, the Gallery will highlight a daily “featured artist” during October 1-10, including educational materials along with art pieces. Iowa Artisans Gallery/DJ Rinner Goldsmith is located at 207 E. Washington St.

The Chait Galleries Downtown celebrates American Craft Week with new artists Craig & Teresa Miller. The Millers bring a taste of Colorado back to their home state of Iowa with their unique, one-of-a-kind twist on furniture. The Millers design, carve, sand, and oil branches of the ancient piῆon trees that are indigenous to the southern Colorado area they call home. The finished furniture pieces lay bare the unique beauty of the craggy trees culminating in functional and innovative art. Chait Galleries is located at 218 E. Washington St.

AKAR's exhibition during American Craft Week features Recent Ceramics by Linda Arbuckle & Clary Illian. AKAR is located at 257 Iowa Ave.

The Iowa City Johnson County Senior Center invites the public of all ages to learn to quilt during America Craft week 2010. The quilters meet in room 211 Wednesday and Friday mornings from 8 AM - Noon. This event accompanies their show of quilts by Patti Zwick. The Senior Center is located at 28 S. Linn St.

MC Ginsberg Jewelers features Bench Art -- a work in progress, an exhibit of work by UI metalsmith graduate students, University of Iowa metalsmiths Margaret Kim, Carrie Metheny Erin Rappleye, Bess Siritanapivat and Allison Tipton. MC Ginsberg is located at 110 E. Washington St.

Glassando focuses on handmade glass jewelry and other items, and features fused glass by Anne Nye. Glassando is located in Old Capitol Town Center.

Beadology hosts a variety of classes open to the public, including Basic Stringing, Basic Wirework, Herringbone Technique, 1920s Netted Bracelet, and Doorknocker Earrings. Karen Kubby welcomes her fellow co-owner and sister to town during that time period. Beadology is located at 220 E. Washington St.

Home Ec Workshop offers workshop space and classes, plus quality craft supplies. A three-week class featuring screenprinting plus embroidery starts October 6. Home Ec Workshop is located at 207 N. Linn St.

Kevin Harris- screen printed scarves

2010-06-15T07:41:00.001-05:00

Kevin Harris screenprinted silk scarves, Iowa Artisans Gallery

Just arrived- innovative silk scarves by California artist Kevin Harris. Harris' approach to mark making and design is not typical of most silk scarf work (he also makes linen runners and pillows.) Harris' designs reflect his long-time involvement with photography and printmaking. The scarves themselves are a generous, rectangular size.

Read more, in his own words:

"In my location in Berkeley, CA, I dye, and screen print my designs onto natural fiber, high quality textiles. Water based inks and silk dyes are used to ensure a soft, vibrant, and indelible color area. The sewing is done professionally. The line is defined by natural and elemental imagery. Paper cut-out stencils depict aqueous bodies. Photo screen close-ups parade woven and loose fibers, and winter landscapes lay down in blues and browns."

I have studied ceramics and printmaking at the New York School of Ceramics at Alfred University. Since graduating in 1988, I have been drawing and then printing objects and their environments. Marks made by Earths' natural forces have always been the biggest influences on my art process. The impressions of wood-grain, animal tracks in mud, or even a river cutting through a mountain, often tell stories that I want to illustrate. My products are a collection of mostly natural materials, distilled from a wild, and beautiful landscape. "

See the process of idea to design on his website.

Kevin Harris screenprinted silk scarves, Iowa Artisans Gallery

Check out this pairing: Emily Reason's ceramics with Marcia Wegmanpastels

2010-06-09T07:14:00.001-05:00

Emily Reason's Tulipiere, at Iowa Artisans Gallery

Our current exhibition features ceramics by Emily Reason, on view now through July 19. It's really great work, and we think that combining it with local artist Marcia Wegman's pastels of Johnson County is a hit. To see for yourself, take a peek at these photos.

Emily Reason's serving bowl, Iowa Artisans Gallery

Emily Reason is a North Carolina emerging artist who has already developed an impressive start to her career. With a range of one-person and group exhibitions to her name, she has also authored a ceramics book for beginners for Lark Books, and was a resident with an innovative, collaborative partnership called the Energy Xchange, in rural Burnsville, NC. This program found a use for landfill gas by establishing and powering 4 greenhouses, residential studios for 4 emerging artist potters and 2 glass blowers, a retail craft shop and visitor center. A partnership with a local community college offered business development assistance for interns.

Here's what Emily has to say about her work:

"As a potter, I focus my work on principals of craftsmanship and beauty. I am interested in the function of forms and the decorative surface that they lend themselves to. I approach new ideas as a series of work and an exploration of proportion, color, texture and intended use. My inspiration is drawn from the foods I enjoy cooking and serving, Chinese porcelain of the Sung Dynasty and the people and nature that surround me. Each piece is made with porcelain clay thrown on the potter’s wheel, altered and trimmed, then carved, decorated and glazed on the surface. I use glazes that are intended to compliment areas of texture. The work is fired to 2,345°F in a reduction atmosphere lending rich and varied color as well as rendering the wares strong and durable."

Emily's bio:
Emily Reason has been working with clay for fourteen years. Pottery-making became her full-time career in 2004. Prior to that, Emily received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from West Virginia University with a concentration in Ceramics and an Art History minor. Penland School of Crafts drew her to Western North Carolina. Through Artist Residencies at Odyssey Center for Ceramic Arts in Asheville, and EnergyXchange in Burnsville, Emily gained valuable experiences in her craft, teaching and business skills.

Emily’s work has been exhibited at the Smithsonian Craft Show; Philadelphia Museum Craft Show; the annual conference of the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA); the Society for Contemporary Craft in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Mudfire, in Decatur, Georgia; the Blue Spiral 1 Gallery in Asheville, North Carolina; and the Louisville Visual Arts Association, in Louisville, Kentucky. Her work was featured in an article titled “A Reasoned Approach,” in the November, 2007 issue of Ceramics Monthly, and can been seen on her website. Emily teaches pottery workshops and private lessons. Lark books will publish her instructional book Ceramics for Beginners: Wheel Throwing, in the winter of 2010.

Schlabaugh & Sons, our friendly clockmakers from faraway Kalona

2010-05-25T07:50:00.000-05:00

No, really, it's a 15 minute drive.

Schlabaugh & Sons is a family-owned woodworking business in nearby Kalona, IA. Iowa Artisans Gallery has long sold clocks, bookends and other items made by this innovative company, which sells nationally. Schlabaugh & Sons will have a trunk show during the June 4 Gallery Walk, and we will continue to have many of these works after June 4 as well. Jane Schlabaugh recently sent this entertaining description of the history of their business.
“John & Mark began working for their father, Emil, in the home construction business over 30 years ago. Crafting cutting boards and serving trays from stair-tread scraps left over from their father's custom-built homes, the creative juices started to flow. Though neither brother has had formal training in woodworking, per se, as they began to discover more of the tools used to build cabinets in these custom homes, they each discovered ways to express themselves through the art of woodworking.

Oh, about those scrap stair-treads — John & Mark's father got out of the home construction business and joined his sons in their woodworking company, appropriately named “Schlabaugh & Sons Woodworking.” Emil, now 80, still comes to the shop every day — unless, of course, he's golfing. His solid woodworking knowledge is the rock on which the business was founded. The father-and-sons' combined woodworking experience now totals over 120 years.

Located in Kalona, Iowa (pop. 2500), the shop is home to the largest Amish settlement west of the Mississippi River. Emil was raised by his parents in their Amish home, but soon left the Amish church to become a member of the more progressive Mennonite faith. It is not unusual for his two sons to sand wood for their Amish neighbors, or deliver scrap lumber to them for use in their wood-burning stoves.

Mark Schlabaugh creates work that is more contemporary in design. His most recent works employ a combination of exotic and domestic hardwood veneers. Stores and galleries from Nova Scotia to Hawaii purchase these contemporary pieces. He also attends numerous juried art fairs and enjoys traveling to various parts of the country to display his works.

Inspired by the Arts & Crafts and Greene & Greene genre, John Schlabaugh’s creative passion is designing affordable pieces that he can sell to stores & galleries that are known for top-quality workmanship. His designs have sold in numerous galleries across the United States. Over the years the Arts & Crafts and Greene & Greene inspired pieces have been sold in numerous galleries including the Renwick Gallery, the National Gallery of Art, the Gamble House, Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Art Institute of Chicago, the DeYoung Museum, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Dard Hunter Studios, Grovewood Gallery and various Stickley retail venues across the country.
The Grant Wood Arts Festival in Anamosa, Iowa was the company’s first retail venture. Back then, John and Mark packed their 1963 Ford Falcon station wagon with cutting boards and game boards, then headed out for a go at their first retail show. As they reminisce about that show, Mark wistfully recalls, “Yep, we did that show because that's as far as the old Falcon would go!” After a few shows, it was clear that Mark caught the “show bug”, and wanted to hit the road with the more contemporary work . . . while John discovered that he would be happier designing the Arts & Crafts inspired work and developing more business relationships with the galleries.
One woodworking shop operated by two brothers — each with their own vision for what they wanted to achieve — has worked out very well for them. Twenty-nine years later Mark (age 55) still designs contemporary products and travels the show circuit, while his sibling partner John (age 50) finds himself content to remain in the shop creating the more traditional products. As you can see, they have each found their own niche within this inspiring venture. Following in the footsteps of their father, they each custom-built their own homes — right beside each other. It may come as no surprise to you that Mark’s home is more contemporary in design, while John’s is — you guessed it! — of the more traditional / bungalow style.”

Mary Hark- papermaker- lecture & reception

2010-05-18T01:14:00.002-05:00

Today's the day, tomorrow too! Papermaker and textile artist Mary Hark presents a lecture, Mary Hark - Work In Progress, on Tuesday, May 18, 5pm. Hark will discuss her studio work, as well as the collaborative hand papermaking project she is facilitating in Kumasi, Ghana. The lecture is co-sponsored by the University of Iowa Center for the Book and Iowa Artisans Gallery and will take place in 101 Becker Communication Studies Building on the University of Iowa campus.

An exhibit of her work, Driftless Reveries: Work in Paper and Cloth by Mary Hark, is currently on display through May 30 at Iowa Artisans Gallery, 207 E. Washington St, Iowa City. The artist will also be honored in an artist reception on Wednesday, May 19, at the Gallery.

Background information:
Born and educated in the Midwestern part of the United States, Mary Hark's most recent body of work is a consideration the landscape of South Central Wisconsin and Eastern Minnesota. Produced during a period of transition, Hark reflected on the physical topography as well as the cultural and spiritual tenor of the place in which she has lived most of her life, while she made these new pieces.

The work is constructed primarily from handmade flax and linen papers, with linen cloth and other materials that carry a variety of surface qualities. These constructed paintings allow Hark to explore, among other things, the intrinsic properties of handmade paper. Absorbed color and highly textured surfaces can consider ideas that are dark and earthy, as well as luminous, airy and elegantly fragile. Hark's work considers the poetry in accidental marks, the tenderness of flaw, the transformative potential of attention and labor.
She comments, “I find beauty in the accidental marks left on the materials we handle daily. I build these pieces by continually fixing the mistakes: cutting out, covering up and adding a new bit, until it feels complete and beautiful. With this accumulation of attention and labor, sometimes the worst mistake yields the most beautiful surface.”
Mary Hark received an MA from the University of Iowa, where she worked with Naomi Shedl and Tim Barrett before finishing her graduate work at the School of Art Institute of Chicago in Fiber and Material Studies. In 2006 she was awarded a Fulbright Senior Research Grant to Sub-Saharan Africa. Mary Hark is currently an Assistant Professor in Design Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and is the proprietor of HARK! Handmade Paper Studio which specializes in producing small editions of high quality flax and linen paper for fine press as well unique paperworks that have been shown internationally.

Nancy Briggs, exciting new work...

2010-04-06T09:26:00.002-05:00

Nan Briggs' raku-fired squash forms at Iowa Artisans Gallery

Iowa Artisans Gallery recently received a shipment of work by Des Moines, IA area raku artist, Nancy Briggs. Raku is a method of firing clay and derives from Asian roots. Nan has been doing raku for many years, but her recent work is a slight departure in its combination with additional natural materials, such as wood, during display. We can also see the influence of her recent foray into pastel paintings, which focus on robust fruit forms. This two-dimensional treatment of three-dimensional forms has added a new lyricism and volume to her vocabulary for ceramic form, all of which are created and carved when leather-hard. Then they are fired in the raku style, which she describes on her website.

Nan Briggs' raku-fired bottles, Iowa Artisans Gallery

"Using the raku pottery technique, Nancy is able to give her pottery and sculpture a mysterious, ancient quality. The pottery is quickly heated to melt the glaze, then is removed from the kiln while red hot and placed in beds of sawdust to smoke the wares. This smoking gives the clay its black color and the glazes their rich metallic look. Due to the process, raku pottery is therefore fragile and porous."

Nancy Briggs has been on the faculty of the Des Moines Art Center since 1986 and currently teaches ceramics to adults and children. Her work has been shown in regional and national juried exhibitions. For a demonstration of her techniques, visit her website.

Nan Briggs' raku-fired small round vase, Iowa Artisans Gallery

March 5, 2010 Gallery Walk exhibits

2010-03-01T09:21:00.002-06:00

We're trying our best to make winter disappear! The March Gallery Walk takes place Friday March 5, 5-8pm, at 16 venues in downtown Iowa City. Gallery Walks are scheduled for March, June and October and are self-guided, free, family-friendly and open to the public. Of special interest this time is the Senior Center/Old Post Office Gallery’s opening of an upstairs gallery, which brings doubles their exhibition spaces. Gallery Walk venues include AKAR, Bella Joli, the Chait Galleries, the Englert Theatre, Glassando, Iowa Artisans Gallery/D.J.Rinner Goldsmith, MidWestOne Bank, MC Ginsberg, Revival, the Senior Center’s Old Post Office Gallery, Textiles, United Action for Youth (UAY), and US Bank. Other Gallery Walk participants in the Near Northside are Modela, Home Ec Workshop and RSVP. Arts Iowa City will rejoin the Walk in June, following the renovation of its current new space.

At Iowa Artisans Gallery, we're featuring Rubber Stamp Drawings by Michael Roberts. “Drawing has always been the workhorse of my art,” comments Roberts, who draws and carves all the rubber stamps used in this exhibition. A local artist, Roberts is known for his medieval-style paintings. This show is intended for mature audiences. DJ Rinner Goldsmith presents Beadwork by Bethany Young. Iowa Artisans Gallery/DJ Rinner Goldsmith is located at 207 E Washington St.

The Old Post Office Gallery (Senior Center) now encompasses two exhibit spaces. Lainey Beck: New Works will be shown in the top floor gallery. Susan Kennicott: Acrylic Paintings will be shown in the large meeting room. Lainey Beck comments, “My work is inspired by landscape, weather, biology, maps and charts. In these pieces, objects float and the energy of natural forces is depicted, as the interrelationships are questioned. Figures in these realms have been described as subtle, playful and mysterious.” Susan Kennicott has this to say about her own work,“when visiting my acrylic paintings you will see bright colorful flowers (which lean more on the abstract side) and detailed realism. The contrasts in the two styles are my Yin-yang…two opposing energies which cause everything to happen. Working most often on 2 or more paintings at a time, I need the release of exploding color to balance the tightness of painting hair after hair on a portrait or animal.” The Old Post Office Gallery is located at 28 S. Linn St.

Chait Galleries presents John Coyne, David Luck & friends: Manifestations in 3 Dimensions. Luck combines elements from the past present and future to create his metal wall sculptures. Executing hammer-forming techniques, these pieces read like a large metal tablet of hieroglyphics, which are both tactile and contemporary. Coyne’s cast metal sculptures possess imagery that conveys a story. Influenced with his travels to the Western Himalayas and Nicaragua, Eastern Religions, and Greek Mythology, Coyne’s symbolic pieces are layered with inner meaning. Other artists in the exhibit include Adam Wohlwend, Rodney Hanson, Michael Sinclair, Michael Ebeling, and Casey Westbrook. Chait Galleries is located at 218 E Washington St.

AKAR presents Recent Ceramics: Shoko Teruyama, as well as work by featured artist Kurt Anderson. A North Carolina artist, Teruyama brings her signature sgraffito style to AKAR to open a new year of exhibits. Her work, composed of animal drawings and calculated negative space, is accompanied by Anderson’s functional ware, which is saturated by images pulled at random from a jar of his sketches and then collaged together on each pot’s surface. AKAR is located at 257 E. Iowa Avenue.

Located at 109 S. Dubuque St., Textiles shows Meg Prange: My Art & Life, Hand-appliqued fabric pictures. “My vibrant, whimsical, imaginative, hand-appliqued wall hangings are sold at art festivals, gallery shows, gift shops and to public and private institutions. My greeting cards can be found locally at Iowa Artisans Gallery in Iowa City.”

UAY (United Action for Youth) features Clothing as Protection: Multi-media group show. This multimedia show will present altered clothing pieces as well as assemblage, photographs, and paintings that explore the way in which clothing acts as a metaphorical shield, protecting the body from other people’s perceptions, assumptions and stereotypes. Several of the artists present work that imagines the role clothing could play in a world where physical protection was necessary for survival. The UAY Youth Center is located at 355 Iowa Avenue.

Revival shows Photographs by Dawn Frary. Frary is a freelance photographer from Iowa City and the owner of the Dewey St. Photo Co. She exhibits at the University of Iowa Museum of Natural History and her work will be featured in an upcoming book about the history of the museum. Revival is located at 117 E. College St.

MODELA, 323 E. Market St (tucked in the back of the store named Decorum) features Mark Stevenson: Collages. Mark Stevenson has used metal, spray paint, and household items throughout his career as an artist but recently he went back to his favorite childhood tool—a pair of scissors. Using vintage snapshots and a pair of scissors he has created a moving tribute to fond remembrances.

The Craft of Metal: Inae Choi, Bess Siritanapivat,, Douglas Ginsberg & Harold van Beek is the featured exhibit at MC Ginsberg, 110 E. Washington St. M.C. This exhibition presents the combined talents of young fresh metalsmith artists, Inae Choi and Bess Siritanapivat and master goldsmiths, Douglas Ginsberg and Harold van Beek. “The Craft of Metal” is an exercise in old world jewelry design and modern techniques, mixing traditional jewelry and metal working craftsmanship with mutant materials and twenty first century technologies. This show introduces unique works of art through a variety of eyes, MFA’s in metals, master jewelers, machinist, poets, historians and fashion experts.

RSVP hosts UI Center for the Book: New Work, with pieces by students and faculty in papermaking, bookbinding, calligraphy and printing. RSVP is located at 140 North Linn St, near Devotay.

Home Ec Workshop features a mixed-media window installation with handmade pom-poms by Kelly Moore & Amber Morris. Home Ec Workshop is located at 207 N. Linn St., in the near Northside Neighborhood.

MidWestOne Bank focuses on art education. The 2010 Kids' Art Exhibit (ends March 31) showcases works by area school children. The Iowa City Community School District Artist Educator Exhibit is also on display and ends April 23. MidWestOne Bank is located at 102 S. Clinton St.

Glassando, features Stained Glass with found objects by Retta Hentschel. Retta incorporates found glass objects such as bowls and glass lids into her stained glass for a unique, modern look with striking color combinations. Glassando is located in the Old Capitol Mall.

Bella Joli features the mixed-media work of Kristina Dvorak in Alternate Ending. Bella Joli is located at 125 S. Dubuque St.

Joan Liffring-Zug Bourret: The Life of May is on display at the Englert Civic Theatre. The exhibit is located on the second floor in The Douglas & Linda Paul Gallery of the Englert Theatre, 221 E Washington St.

The photography exhibit, Richard Sjolund: Images from town & campus is on display at US Bank, 204 E Washington St.

Quilting Arts features Astrid Hilger Bennett

2010-02-22T06:33:00.001-06:00

Quilting Arts Magazine's February-March issue highlights gallery artist Astrid Hilger Bennett in a 6-page featured artist profile. Glorious photos, too! This is probably the quilt world's premier art quilt magazine. Also included is a piece on what to do with leftover dye (make pillows!) which was based on a personal blog post she did earlier. Astrid's art quilts and doodle pillows are available at the Gallery. Read more about Astrid on her gallery artist page

Memory in Winter: Landscape, artquilt by Astrid Hilger Bennett, Iowa Artisans Gallery

She writes: To me, successful art works in any medium are a balance of complex forms. I juxtapose active forms with quiet, inward ones, motion with stillness. In music, the silence between notes is just as important as the notes themselves.

I'm happiest with a brush in my hand, and art quilts allow me a large-scale, exuberant canvas. Although visually abstract, my work constantly mines the daily life experiences of family, society and the natural world, with a hefty dose of music to guide the hand. Painterly quilts are abstract, expressionistic arrangements of color. I tend to abstract natural imagery into lyrical compositions.

Summer Light, artquilt by Astrid Hilger Bennett, handpainted, mononprinted fabrics all made by the artist, at Iowa Artisans Gallery

Astrid Hilger Bennett's doodle pillow group featuring handpainted fabrics, Iowa Artisans Gallery

we love russell! a fundraiser

2010-02-09T05:51:00.002-06:00

Our community of gallery and area artists are chomping on the bit to help Russell Karkowski and his wife Barbara Schelar, so we've arranged a we love russell fundraising exhibition at Iowa Artisans Gallery (which Russell helped found 25 years ago). Russell fell off of a roof last November. More details can be found below. The show is on view now through March 2 and includes donated works by quite a few artists who are named below. This is not an auction; items are for sale at the exhibited price and almost all of the proceeds go to Russell and Barbara's future needs. We have also posted all items for sale on the Gallery's online sales site. There are a number of items that have already sold and are no longer posted. Price ranges start at $6.75 for an origami card, all the way up to several hundred dollars. Also, check out the musical fundraiser at The Mill, February 20, featuring music by The Recliners, Acoustic Mayhem, and Will Jennings & Sam Thompson. Hours for that are 6:30 - 10:30pm.

Here's a little more about Russell's situation: a self-employed woodworker, Russell was injured in a fall in November, 2009 and is currently being treated at the Craig Hospital in Denver, with his wife Barbara at his side. Russell helped start Iowa Artisans Gallery twenty-five years ago and continued as one of five owners. A pillar not only of the gallery but of the Iowa City area in general, Russell has been continuously generous to friends, local non-profits and schools, donating time, labor and woodworking skills. Woodworkers, his collaborative workshop, was one of several Stevens Drive businesses flooded during the 2008 floods. His community of friends and supporters is nationwide.

Many individuals have commented that they did not fully realize how much in their personal environments was attributed to Russell’s woodworking skills; his pieces are in many local homes. He also supplied businesses with affordable yet classy designs- MidWestOne, River Products, the University of Iowa, and the Englert all have benefited from his skills. He also made an altar for the Dalai Lama’s visit to California.

Artists donating works include printmakers, painters and photographers Alan Weinstein, Claudia McGehee, Carl Homstad, Sarah Lindberg, Mark Tade, Marcia Wegman, Larry Welo, Lennis Moore, Amy Dobrian, Valerie Miller, Suzanne Aunan, Michael A. S. Ryan, Randy Richmond and Barbara Bernier. Additional contributors include metalsmith Louise Rauh; fiber artists Jan Friedman, Patti Zwick, Astrid Bennett and Earlene Giglierano; ceramists Kate Huffman, Marilyn Davis and Ray Mullen; and wood sculptor Connie Roberts. This is not an auction; items are available for sale as priced and will also be featured on the gallery’s online sales site for the community of supporters living elsewhere in the country. Proceeds will go to the Karkowski-Schelar family to aid with current and future needs.

ORNAMENT CENTRAL!

2009-12-01T14:00:00.000-06:00

It's that time of year again: Iowa Artisans Gallery is Ornament Central. Our ornaments fall into many categories- handblown glass balls in a myriad of colors, patterns and prices. Wooden puzzle ornaments by Russell Greenslade or whistle ornaments by Connie Roberts, like the kitty angel shown below. Stained glass by Chris Daly. Pewter tree spirits by Basic Spirit, where proceeds benefit tree planting; these also make good gift tie-ons. Large painted wood ornaments by Sticks.

Connie Roberts kitty whistle ornament

Some of our customers buy ornaments for their own trees. Some for once-a-year acknowledgments of the holidays for each child in the family. Some for their sisters, where all have a yearly ornament exchange. And some for those holiday gift exchange parties or gifts for teachers. Stop by and see for yourself!

Chris Daly's stained glass ornaments

one of several displays of blown glass ornaments

Russell Greenslade's wooden puzzle ornaments

Not ornaments per se, but Connie Roberts' holiday skier whistles are a hoot! or a toot!

Liz Kinder pots- we love 'em!

2009-11-10T11:26:00.001-06:00

Liz Kinder is a just a lot of fun, and her ceramics reflect it. Her spunky post college years landed her in London at the Royal College of Art for her MFA, then in Philadelphia. Her years of play have led to a life infused with pottery and children, a combination that only seems to be enhancing the liveliness of her work. She has been a studio potter since 2001. The Gallery has a good selection of her work, from various-sized bowls, to vases in two sizes, plus several plates. Please call or email us for more information on items in stock, or visit our web sales site.

Time for Tea!

2009-10-20T05:37:00.000-05:00

Fall is in the air. What better time to grab a hot drink in a cherished mug? Our staff has favorites for different times of the day, and most mugs will do well in the microwave. Mugs make great gifts as well.

This is from our first post written by Astrid Bennett. It's still very relevant: "I’m not one much for spas, but every day I drink out of handmade cups and mugs. I have a wonderful collection. Each mug reminds me of its maker, —a thumb impression here, a brushstroke there. But most of all, I love the tactile quality of the clay, the sensation of warmth transferring to my hands, caressing weariness, slowing me down. This indeed is my spa experience. The accumulation of these small steps has a significant effect on reducing stress levels."

Enjoy your mugs and the pleasure your guests have in choosing one for their own tea with you.

: More assorted tea or coffee mugs, these by Sequoia Miller. We also carry teabag holders and teapots, lazy susans and trays.

Downtown Iowa City's best kept secret...

2009-10-15T09:45:00.000-05:00

Did you know there are more than 4000 parking spaces available in downtown Iowa City? Make a purchase with us or other downtown retailers and receive one hour free parking if you park in any of the convenient parking ramps. We'll give you a bus pass if you used public transportation. Or try our online store from the comfort of your own easy chair.

BEST OF!

2009-09-28T05:51:00.000-05:00

Thanks to all of you who voted us Best Art Gallery and Best Place to Buy Gifts in the Iowa City Press Citizen's online poll of Best Places in the Iowa City area!

Jose Sierra, ceramics

2009-09-08T08:03:00.001-05:00

We'd like to highlight the unusual and really well-made ceramics of Venezuelan-born Ceramist Jose Sierra. Iowa Artisans Gallery currently has a nice selection of work on display. Sierra's wheel-thrown porcelain incorporates architectural design, technical drawing and pre-colombian influences; iron engobes are used to graphically detail each piece. He says that his work is fired at cone 10, using reduction or oxidation firing techniques.

As explained on his website, "José Cristóbal Sierra, or Cheo, was born in Mérida, Venezuela in 1975. While Cheo is a mostly self-taught artist, he formally studied art at the artisans school through the University of the Andes in Mérida, Venezuela from 1993-1996 where he learned the basic skills of mixing clay, glazes, as well as throwing pots on the wheel. In 1996, Cheo began working professionally as an artist in Mérida, Venezuela doing mostly sculpture. In 2000, Cheo moved to Iowa with his wife Jamie where he dedicated himself to both sculpture and pottery. Cheo and Jamie currently live in Tucson, Arizona, where he is working full-time as an artist.

Sidewalk Sales & other goodies!

2009-07-16T04:01:00.000-05:00

Who can resist? Downtown Iowa City Sidewalk Sales take place July 16, 17 & 18, and Iowa Artisans Gallery is cleaning house! Look for up to 40% off on many items in all media. Bring a canned good or two for the Crisis Center's "Thanksgiving in July" and be eligible for one of three gift certificate baskets containing certificates by 22 downtown businesses!

While you're at it, if you're downtown on Saturday, check out Iowa City's first ever "Iowa City Book Festival," taking place on Gibson Square, outside the University of Iowa's Main Library South entrance. This festival complements the recent designation by UNESCO of Iowa City as being a "City of Literature," one of only a few in the world.

Art Goes LIVE! at the Iowa Arts Festival

2009-07-13T04:30:00.000-05:00

[caption id="attachment_40" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="a view of the global activities booths for children"][/caption]

The Iowa Arts Festival was vibrant and jam-packed this year. Shown are two artists who did demonstrations of their work. In the first photo, Unversity of Iowa Center for the Book student Heather Wetzel demonstrates "Wet Plate Colloidon" (think "Civil War era Tintypes"). The later photos show Decorah artist Carl Homstad demonstrating printing a one color wood block print.

[caption id="attachment_42" align="aligncenter" width="216" caption=" Heather Wetzel"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_45" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Carl Homstad"][/caption]

Summer means colorful, recycled handbags...

2009-07-09T15:25:00.000-05:00

Renee's popular Hardwear handbags make our customers smile. Colorful and fun, these bags are made from recycled vinyl, with rubber tubing handles and wooden bottoms. Her other bags are made from recycled inner tubes. Check out GG2G's recycled billboard bags, lightweight, cleverly designed bags for many purposes. And our Erda deerskin bags are ergonomically designed by a couple of sisters from Maine. Stop by to check out the fun.

: Hardwear bags by Renee: these are recycled vinyl

[caption id="attachment_30" align="alignnone" width="225" caption="GG2G billboard bags"][/caption]

Fiber Art Takes Center Stage

2009-07-02T15:18:00.001-05:00

Mirroring a national trend which shows growing interest in fiber art, we are hosting a show of work by four Iowa and Illinois artists: Bonnie Peterson, Kathy Weaver, Tricia Coulson & Astrid Hilger Bennett, all of whom make pieces for the walls. These are not your standard pieced quilts, though; they take the form of wall paintings. This show is on view through July 16.

Fiber is a highly sculptural medium, and fiber installations, ones that occupy an entire indoor or outdoor space, are increasingly created in university fiber art programs. On more of a hobbyists' level, sewing and knitting have seen a huge increase since the 9-11 World Trade Center Bombings. One in twelve Americans quilts. And screen printing is popular among the under-30 crowd.

Locally, Home Ec Workshop sells yarns and fabrics, holds knitters breakfasts, has a sewing area for rent, and teaches many classes for kids and adults alike. Iowa Fiber Arts is a kids' fiber art program especially active in summer months on its rural location with sheep whose wool is used for felting.

Illinois artist Bonnie Peterson creates fiber art and paper maps that chronicle her interests in the wilderness. Her pieces are like crazy quilts incorporating silks onto which photographic images have been transferred. Stitching is primitive. Peterson tells stories about her family, social issues, history and the back country areas she’s visited.

[caption id="attachment_8" align="alignnone" width="432" caption="Keweenaw, Heat transfers and embroidery on satin, silk, velvet and brocade, stitched. 50 x 48""][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_9" align="alignnone" width="432" caption="Detail, Keweenaw"][/caption]

Bonnie Peterson received Illinois Arts Council grants in 2008, 2003, 2000 and 1995, a grant from the Illinois Committee of the National Museum of Women in the Arts, and other prizes. She was an Artist-In-Residence at Yosemite, Rocky Mountain, Isle Royale, and Crater Lake National Parks. Her work is in the collection of the Museum of Arts and Design, NYC, the National Park Service and private collections. Peterson has an extensive exhibition record, including Paradise Lost? Artists on Climate Change, a collaboration between artists and scientists, spearheaded by the University of Wisconsin. She also participated in Collaborative Vision: The Poetic Dialogue Project. She attended the University of Illinois-Urbana and received an MBA from DePaul University.

Kathy Weaver’s unusual art quilts tell humorous stories, and Iowa Artisans Gallery is showing her Robo Sapien series. “My work addresses aspects of the intersection between technology and art. By using the labor-intensive quilt medium, nostalgic materials, and the robot persona, the pieces have layers of meaning about time, personal and political conflict and memory. The robot represents scientific and technological improvement resulting in change to the status quo. The robot’s setting is that of a tilted stage or shadow box and in this environment the robot is a translator of events, an alter ego, a doppelganger. The robot can be an observer, a soothsayer, a malcontent or a destructor.” Weaver's recent solo exhibitions include After the Soup, at Women Made Gallery, Chicago, Illinois, and at McHenry County College (IL), Kishwaukee College (IL), Goshen College (IN), and Beloit College (WI).

[caption id="attachment_11" align="alignnone" width="468" caption="Robo Sapien Agent 3, Kathy Weaver"][/caption]

Tricia Coulson's small "artifacts" involve a time-consuming process of dyeing, stitching and embellishing fabric, a way of working which she says is out of character with today's "production-oriented values." Coulson's hand stitched doll clothes and embroidered tea towels led to her current studio work. A resident of LeClaire, Iowa, she has exhibited locally and nationally.

Iowa City artist Astrid Hilger Bennett creates painterly art quilts using only her own handpainted and monoprinted fabrics. She has participated in Quilt National 2007, the 9th Quilt Nihon Exhibition (Japan) and many other regional and national exhibits. Her work has been featured on the cover of the Fiberarts Design Book VI.

Family Portrait

2009-03-02T12:39:00.000-06:00

Here's the official line: Iowa Artisans Gallery artists are featured in an offbeat “Family Portrait” exhibition at the Gallery, February 26 – March 22. Interpretations of the concept of family are broad and the exhibit includes self-portraits. Artists include Beppie Weiss, Valerie Miller, Marcia Wegman, Nan Briggs, Anna Marie Pavlik, Larry Welo, Jaroslava Sobiskova, Michael S. Ryan, Mike Roberts, Connie Roberts, Jere & Kate Huffman, Suzanne Aunan, John Humphrey, Louise Rauh, and Carl Homstad. The artists will be honored during the March 6 Gallery Walk. (shown above: Sobiskova's self-portrait in handmade felt.)

Here's the less official version: With the somber mood in the country right now, we wanted to do something that's fun for both our Iowa City fans and our talented gallery artists. "Family Portrait" is intended to celebrate the people connections in their lives. We're a world that's intertwined. Now more than ever, collaboration will help to see us through. Below, you can read about what the artists were thinking when they chose work for this show.

Connie Roberts' Mousecake

Marcia Wegman, Iowa City, Iowa

"National and state parks have been a memorable part of my life. I wanted to share this love with my daughter and granddaughter so have arranged our last three meetings in California, where they live, to include time hiking in some of California’s beautiful national parks. We attended the wedding of a friend of mine in Yosemite National Park and found staying in one of the tent cabins a great adventure. The next year we explored Joshua Tree National Park where we discovered our mutual love of clambering over and among the beautiful rock formations. Last year we spent several days at Death Valley National Park.

Joshua Tree Rock Climbers, pastel

The variety of geology, hiking terrain, wild flowers and history was appealing to the three of us. In March we will meet special friends of mine from Phoenix and Santa Fe at Borego Springs which is in the middle of California’s largest state park. One of the friends is very familiar with this area so will guide us on many interesting trails and take us to see some unique rock art and archeological sites. We will be celebrating my granddaughter’s eighth birthday. I hope new paintings will result from this greatly anticipated adventure."

Death Valley Photographer, pastel

Anna Marie Pavlik, Austin, Texas
Capsized, Buffalo National River

"This narrative self-portrait etching was the result of my Residency at Buffalo National River located in northern Arkansas. I visited this National Park which borders the Buffalo River in the early spring of 2007. I took my 17 foot Quetico lake canoe and managed to capsize due to low water conditions, failure to read the river, and the erroneous belief in the transfer of lake ability to a wild undamned river. My “Personal Floatation Device” ensured that I did not drown and after bailing water and retrieving possessions from the bottom of the river, the canoe and I floated to the same location as the paddle, so it was a baptism of sorts.

Capsized, Buffalo National River, etching

This piece is a map as well as a portrait. The river’s source, a rugged area frequented only by whitewater kayakers after a rain, is the head’s tiara. The central area is utilized by fisherman and those seeking recreation. It contains blue holes, waterfalls, and creatively-interpreted rock formations. The waters course is completed at the White River as a full meandering river, shown at the image’s bottom. I have included zones defined by “B U F F A L O” on the side and “R I V E R”. Animals and plants are listed which can be found across the portrait. The necklace is the silhouette of the river and corresponds to the towns and landings noted at the base."

Beppie Weiss, Iowa City, Iowa
Leland

"This is a portrait of my son. I love this age as it captures the emerging adult and allows a glimpse of the child that was. So much happens in those 16 years, so I have included his interests, pets, whatever in the portrait with him."

Suzanne Aunan, Iowa City, Iowa
Holstein Helper

This piece is a self-portrait during childhood. She explains, “my childhood memories are tied to our dairy farm in Orange County, NY. The branches of the apple tree in our backyard were just out of reach for the Holsteins. One cow in particular would see me sitting there on the fence, and somehow we worked out this helpful situation. I do remember being very afraid of the cow getting too close to me, since they were such huge animals. In the back field, my Dad is driving the old gray Ford tractor after we had retrieved a newborn calf from the far end of the pasture. The mother cow followed very closely behind us as I stayed in the cart with the baby. She was angry that we picked up her new calf, and protective, and I thought she was going to bite me. I was 8 yrs. old. This is an "autobiographical painting." Also in this painting: our dog "Tippy", my lost turtle, cows standing in the pond, my pink Schwinn bicycle with the cool headlamp (from "Joe Fix-It's" in Goshen, where we all got our trikes and Schwinns), a lost cow tag, Ellendale Farm mailbox with my Dad's name, the white fence I painted (my first painting job) along Rt. 207 between Goshen and Campbell Hall, orange tiger lilies, plenty of cow-pies, the train that ran through the back part of the farm, rhubarb which grew under the apple tree, a nest of baby snakes I ran through barefoot, and elephants which I imagined I saw in the clouds.”

Kate Huffman, What Cheer Potters, What Cheer, Iowa

"It is not often that an artist gets invited to create something unique for a show with a specific theme and has everything waiting to be utilized. I made a cast of my face a year ago. Then in November I filled out a friend's sculpture clay order to help them out, so the clay was in the studio. Our slab roller had been buried for 10 years and finally found a new location where it was ready to be used. This is when the invitation from the gallery came. My only hesitation was never having done anything like this before.

Once I got started rolling the slabs, pressing a part of the slab into my face-mold and seeing my face in a slab of clay, the next step was what to do now? Each time I got this far in the process I grew still and invited a muse to come work with me. It felt like each sculpture emerging was familiar, an old friend, someone I knew. The thought of past lives continued to come into my head and made the experience magical and fun. I felt a freedom, permission to experiment, play and enjoy the process. My master was always saying, “if the work is too comfortable, you aren't working were you should be working.” With each year of working as an artist, my understanding becomes a little clearer and more fun. "

Mike Ryan, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

"Redcoat is a portrait of my wife, Judy and is meant to be quiet and understated. Printmaker is a portrait of my son, Michael. I wanted it to be a bit unformed as I think his life is still a bit unformed (he needs a another 50 or so years). The title Printmaker is meant to be a tribute to his love of art and his determination that this should be his life. "

Valerie Miller, Waukon, Iowa

Valerie shows Vera and Donna, two of her bovine friends.

Nan Briggs, Des Moines, Iowa

“Finding Her Voice" is a raku stoneware with slip & stains.

Larry Welo's Self-Portrait, etching

Printmaker Larry Welo at the Butler Institute of American Art

2009-02-18T06:55:00.000-06:00

There’s still time to visit longtime Gallery artist Larry Welo’s one-person show at The Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio. This show closes on March 1, and Larry’s work is continually available at our gallery as well.

Larry Welo in his studio

Etching is a process with a long pedigree, a way of creating a master template from which a limited edition of original prints are hand printed. I stress this because the word “print” is so overused and under-clarified these days. Etchings are created by covering a metal plate with a temporary sealant such as asphaltum, then using a tool to scratch lines in that sealant. When the artist is finished, the plate is submerged in an acid bath. The lines expose the metallic plate to the acid, which eats away a channel for ink to be deposited in during the printing process. There are other variations of this technique, such as the use of texture and soft ground, or drypoint, when drawings are made directly into the plate. Not as durable, the drypoint needle raises a metallic burr and creates fuzzy, velvety tones. (Our artist Larry Welo often uses drypoint when “drawing” in outdoor landscape settings.) This process of covering the plate, inscribing lines and letting the acid do its work is repeated until the image is satisfactory.

Oasis, etching

An original print involves a time-consuming process of applying inks, hand-wiping them to an acceptable level, and printing them one at a time in a large etching press. Each print requires new ink application and wiping. The artist decides how large his limited edition should be, say 100 prints. The small numbers found at the bottom of the print refer to the print number within that edition. When the edition is sold out, the print is no longer available. Many of Larry’s baseball and cat series prints sell out.
It’s easy to tell an original etching because the edge of the printing plate creates an embossment on the paper.

Life Drawing, etching

Larry Welo attended Luther College and is a native of Bob Dylan’s home town, Hibbing, MN. His artist statement includes the following: “When my career began in 1974, I learned by doing. Northeastern Iowa is a visually stimulating place, and, living there, I drew the things around me. The places that I drew became the subjects of my etchings. It became more than drawing places, however. My survival was determined by what I made. Evolving from looking at places came seeing. Seeing meant that from daily observation and translation through drawing, I developed the skill of looking at the world in terms of two-dimensional design. Ideas are of great importance, and, as an artist, being able to communicate those ideas is of the greatest importance. This is something that I have attempted throughout my career. Looking is something that I was born with. Seeing, and communicating what is seen, is something that has been learned."

"My mother emigrated from Norway to the United States after the occupation of World War II. Leaving the rest of her family behind, she eventually found employment in northern Minnesota. There, she met and married my father, the son of Norwegian immigrants."

"I was born in 1951 and grew up in Hibbing, Minnesota on the iron range. I studied art and biology while a student at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. Determined to work professionally as an artist, I decided to focus on etching, and, after graduating from Luther in 1974 began my art career. Art fairs and galleries interested me as venues for my work. After beginning my career in Decorah, I relocated to Minneapolis. While living in Iowa, I met my future wife, Patricia, and we were married in 1978."

"Minneapolis was our home for eighteen years. It was an exciting time in an exciting city. We were dedicated to raising our three children and pursuing our careers. In 1994 we relocated to southern Wisconsin, attracted by a smaller community and an environment that was similar to the one we had grown up with. My career has shifted away from participating in very many art fairs, and, at the present time, I am represented by and dedicated to working with several fine art galleries."

the mug & the spa

2009-02-09T13:59:00.000-06:00

Our technologically complex society leaves us efficient but also busier and time-poor. We take on more events, activities, phone calls. We live in a fast-paced media world that’s visually intense. Our tactile senses are starving. No wonder spas are thriving.

Which leads me to the humble ceramic mug. I’m not one much for spas, but every day I drink out of handmade cups and mugs. I have a wonderful collection. Each mug reminds me of its maker, —a thumb impression here, a brushstroke there. But most of all, I love the tactile quality of the clay, the sensation of warmth transferring to my hands, caressing weariness, slowing me down. This indeed is my spa experience. The accumulation of these small steps has a significant effect on reducing my stress levels.

Far from being superfluous, surrounding one’s self with beauty remains important as a way of centering in tumultuous times. Your form of beauty may not be the ceramic mug but something entirely different. In any case, in this upcoming year we at Iowa Artisans Gallery wish you the opportunity to experience tactile moments of clarity.

Our logo, a teabowl, reflects this sensibility.

[caption id="attachment_60" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Iowa Artisans Gallery logo"][/caption]