Artists

Edward Kelley and Emily Newman are contemporary artists and educators based in Des Moines, Iowa. Both artists maintain individual artistic practices while also being married with two children. Recently they have begun to connect their concepts and materials. Website Sites: It’s In The Waters Wilson’s Orchard & Farm

Philip Rabalais is an electronic musician and filmmaker living in Iowa City, Iowa. Explorations in music and sound opened Rabalais up to a creative world that eventually bloomed out into filmmaking as well. His movies take a poetic approach to reality via open-ended narratives, formal experimentation, and significant collaboration amongst cast and crew. Rabalais received…

Inspired by an educational and entertainment event of nearly 20 years ago, this creative experience – Poetry Palooza! – has been a long time in the making. ​We are hosting Poetry Palooza! a dynamic, interactive, and integrated performing arts experience. This festival celebrates esteemed poets, cultivates students and emerging talent, and demonstrates the positive power of…

Amanda Lovelee civic and environmentally-focused artist who works within government and cross-sector collaborations. She creates bright, joyful, engaging, and complex large-scale publicart projects, partnering with arborists, planners, biologists, water resource managers, and scientists. Her practice is public and my projects sit at the intersection of science, connection, and system change. She uses empathy as a…

Eliot Schilling is a dancer and choreographer from Churdan, Iowa. Her experience includes performing at regional and national dance festivals, as well as collaborating on community arts projects. She is passionate about using movement to bring people together and create meaningful shared experiences. Eliot is excited to contribute her love of movement to this one-of-a-kind…

I am a photographer turned ceramic artist. I fell in love with art in college as a fine arts major studying printmaking.  While in college I worked as a photojournalist and started a 50 year career as a photographer.  I studied photography with Ansel Adams in Yosemite, taught photography at Drake University, and have been published in…

Clay is my preferred medium these days, but I began with drawing and painting as do most art students.  Drawing is still the beginning of most of my work.  I’ve made many paintings, but had a desire to expand into three dimensions.  I took classes in fiber art at the Des Moines Art Center and at Drake University…

Anna Gebhardt is a musician and sound artist living in Des Moines, Iowa. Her work blends elements of modern popular genres, folk, improvisational, and chamber music, as well as field recordings and noise. Integrating these with classical training as a pianist and singer, her music is a gateway to intangible aspects of the human experience,…