Posted August 05, 2026in Iowa Artist
The whir of chainsaw causes wood pieces and sawdust to scatter in all directions. After the dust settles, a tree stump is turned into a long-lasting piece of art. For Gary Keenan, chainsaw carver, the noise, heat, wood and dust, along with precise cuts, create a sculpture of beauty and
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Posted July 01, 2026in Iowa Artist
Every family member brings unique strengths, talents and quirks to the table. For one family of artists, creating together has become a shared passion while still leaving room for each person to explore individual artistic pursuits. Kunzler Studios is a family endeavor led by parents Diane and Mike Kunzler and
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Posted June 03, 2026in Iowa Artist
A piece of artwork is versatile and not always displayed on a wall. For Mike Marcovis, his artwork is finely crafted, as well as functional. His artwork supports another artistic venture: creating music. Marcovis is a luthier — a craftsman who makes handmade guitars. He cuts, sands and fashions wood
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Posted May 06, 2026in Iowa Artist
Prints of cats drenched in colorful backgrounds, a cat squeezed into a box and another kitty slurping milk are displayed at Melanie Jacobs’ art studio. Jacobs’ studio, Cat Loaf Studio, is named after the way cats look when they are scrunched together with their tails tucked in, resembling a loaf
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Posted April 01, 2026in Iowa Artist
When Jim Zeller began sorting through old negatives from the mid-1980s, he held them up to the light. He thought about the negatives, which had been replaced by digital pictures. “These negatives will end up in the dumpster,” he recalls. “People might be interested in old photos. These photos would
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Posted March 04, 2026in Iowa Artist
Among hundreds of art techniques, a 1,000-year-old art practice of silk screening is still relevant in today’s art world as one artist couple shows by embracing the traditional methods. Local artists Jonathan and Allison Metzger create traditional prints using a variety of methods in their studio, Midnight Oil Studio and
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Posted February 04, 2026in Iowa Artist
Participating in a company meeting can be boring. The prospect of sitting through yet another PowerPoint presentation elicits yawns among restless employees. Yet, when Nathan Wright is at the meeting, folks perk up. They are looking at Wright, drawing live illustrations of the concepts they have just talked about. Even
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Posted December 31, 2025in Iowa Artist
A stunning, vibrant nativity scene displayed at the Polk City United Methodist Church in 2023 may have resembled a typical decoration at Christmas time. Yet, upon inspection, each colorful square was a piece of trash, including an empty pistachio bag, a mouthwash ad and a cereal box. All of these
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Posted December 03, 2025in Iowa Artist
When initially viewing Megan Hammer’s framed art, it appears like a delicately painted fabric canvas. Yet, upon further inspection, the artwork is actually made of layers of felted wool fiber. There’s no paint. Rather, it is the wool’s pop of color weaved in it. Hammer is a fiber artist located
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Posted November 05, 2025in Iowa Artist
Bright sun reflecting on an egret. A herd of camels trekking across the sand dunes. An elusive bird of paradise flitting in the wild. These are a few of the photos that Ty Smedes has captured in his career as a nature photographer. Smedes’ favorite photo took a mere three
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