[DUBUQUE, IA] Dubuque's newest art space, eronel ART + MUSIC VENUE, will host an opening reception for artist Michael Garside's solo exhibition on Friday, February 2 from 7-10 p.m. in the lower level of the Cooper Wagon Works building, 285 Main Street in downtown Dubuque. The exhibit features abstract acrylic works and explorations in color and circular cellular construction. "I'm attracted to circles, they represent the universal, like the circle of life. When you break things down to their most basic form they become cells," Garside says about his work. "There is a perceived randomness about circles, there are no right angles, circles suggest a certain chaos and fragility, yet, they purposefully fit together."

Garside is a Dubuque native who has lived in New York City and in the Pacific Northwest. His recent exhibitions include the Pepper Sprout restaurant and Carnegie Stout's Art @ Your Library series. His upcoming exhibit boasts exceptional color. "I was diagnosed with color blindness as a small child so painting for me is about experimenting with color and contrast and feeling free to explore that," Garside says "A lot of times painting is just about experimenting and enjoying the end result."

eronel ART + MUSIC VENUE brings a new artful presence to downtown Dubuque's Historic Old Main Street District by hosting music, performance art, and offering a new home for exhibiting artists in Dubuque's cultural district. The new venue opens on February 1 with a musical performance by Miles Nielsen and the Rusted Hearts.

Michael Garside's paintings will be on exhibition through March 2, 2013 with evening gallery hours Wednesday through Saturday, 7p.m. - 11 pm and by appointment. Learn more about Garside's work by visiting theartfeed.com.

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The public is invited to join the Muscatine Art Center in welcoming Carol Ehlers, art history speaker, as she presents a 45 minute lecture on the art of Pablo Picasso. The lecture will take place Thursday, October 18 at 5:30 pm in the Muscatine Art Center's Music Room. Admission is free.

Pablo Picasso was a Spanish artist who spent most of his adult life in France. He is widely known for co-founding the Cubist movement, the invention of constructed sculpture, and the co-invention of collage. He is commonly regarded as one of the artists responsible for significant developments in paintings, sculpture, printmaking and ceramics in the early 20th century.

Pablo Picasso was born October 25, 1881 in Málaga, Spain, the first child to a middle-class family. At age 16, Picasso set off for the first time on his own in Madrid, but he disliked formal instruction and quit attending classes soon after enrolling at the Royal Academy of San Fernando. While in Madrid, Picasso especially admired the works of great masters such as        El Greco whose paintings had a great influence on him. Elements of El Greco's paintings, such as elongated limbs, stunning colors and mystical qualities are echoed in Picasso's later work.

Picasso's work is often categorized into periods. The most commonly accepted periods in his work are the Blue Period (1901-1904), the Rose Period (1904-1906), the African-influenced Period (1908-1909), Analytic Cubism (1909-1912), and Synthetic Cubism (1912-1919). In 1937 during a later period considered by many to be a return to classical ideals, Picasso painted Guernica, which would become one of his most notable works.

Picasso's final works were a mixture of styles and mediums and were more colorful and expressive than his earlier works. It was only after Picasso's death that the critical art community came to see that Picasso was ahead of his time stylistically. Picasso was exceptionally prolific throughout his long lifetime, producing an estimated 50,000 works of art, including paintings, sculptures, ceramics, drawings, prints, and tapestries and rugs. He died April 8, 1973 in Mougins, France at the age of 92.

In 1992 the Muscatine Art Center's collections were significantly enriched by a gift of twenty-seven works of art by Toulouse-Lautrec, Matisse, Degas, Boudin, Chagall, Renoir, and other European artists. The collection was a gift from the estate of Mary Musser Gilmore in honor of her parents, Richard Drew Musser and Sarah Walker Musser. The paintings are on permanent display in the Laura Musser Mansion.

Mark Riley filed nomination papers today with the Secretary of State's office to be placed on the ballot as an Independent in District 90.  Mr. Riley was the Republican nominee for the State Senate in District 43 in 2010 facing State Senator Joe Seng.

Mark Riley is a locomotive engineer for Canadian Pacific railroad and a member of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen local 266.  Mr. Riley is a retired Marine Infantry SNCO and is a member of the American Legion post 26 and the Davenport VFW.  He is also a member of the Davenport Family Y.

Mark Riley is married to Elizabeth Riley who is the business manager for the Adler Theater.  They have 3 children, Ethan, Robert and William.  William is a special needs child who graduated Central High school this year and will continue to reside with his parents.

Mr. Riley is running as an Independent whose campaign theme is "for the common good".  He believes that the political system has been broken by special interest money which has led to the extreme polarization of both parties.  This polarization has affected the ability of State and Federal legislatures to function as the Founding Fathers intended.  In his State Senate race in 2010 Mr. Riley was threatened by the Iowa Corn Growers association to support Ethanol or $5000 would be given to his opponent.  Riley continues to oppose Ethanol as  theft from working class families and "stupid" policy even before our current drought,  He feels that Ethanol is an example of how special interest has corrupted our politicians and political system to be unable to respond to "the common good'  of the citizens it is supposed to represent.

The candidate also believes that too much emphasis and resources have been given to rural and small town Iowa and will support initiatives that require the State to spend monies collected in user taxes such as the fuel tax to be spent primarily in the areas in which it was collected.  The candidate feels that Iowa has expanded its Highway system to much and should take federal monies to begin establishing light rail connections to all Iowa's major urban areas.

The candidate supports creating reduced tax zones for Manufacturing Companies in Iowa's large cities so that there is no financial incentive to build or develop in rural Iowa, but rather in Iowa's Cities were infrastructure is already in place.

Mark Riley will advocate for policies that increase the Median Income of Iowa Families that have steadily declined since the 1970's.   The results of High Unemployment and falling wages for families have made our large Cities unable to meet basic needs and staff public servants.

Mark Riley will also run on a position to De-criminalize Marijuana and follows the philopshy of prison reformer Chuck Colson with regard to the over incarceration of our citizens for non-violent crimes.