Beginning in the 1930s, at the height of the Great Depression, Iowa State University (ISU) made it a priority to commission and paint portraits. The commemoration of presidents, deans, accomplished faculty and heralded alumni strove to honor the college’s heritage and legacies. This tradition continues today with the active commissioning of portraits by departments and colleges all across ISU and is celebrated through this statewide touring exhibition Faces of Iowa State.

National Inspire Your Heart with Art Day is a day to reflect on how art affects your heart. Art, in all of its forms, has the power to move us, and to inspire our hearts. Of all the different kinds of art created in the world, those that move us to tears or cause us to burst out in laughter remain with us for a lifetime.

Living Proof Exhibit grew out of a friendship between two women who used art as therapy in coping with a diagnosis of breast cancer. The two women curated their first exhibit at Bucktown Center for the Arts in Davenport in 2010. Since that time, Living Proof Exhibit has partnered with the Figge Art Museum, the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, UnityPoint Health-Trinity Cancer Center, and the Peoria Public Library to display works of art by cancer patients and survivors.

A new ornament competition is coming to the Muscatine Art Center as a fundraiser for Friends of the Muscatine Art Center. Crafters, artists, and craftsmen of all ages are encouraged to compete, and cash prizes will be award in two categories – one for adults and one for 18 and under. The Heartfelt and Handmade Ornament Competition will be on view from November 18th through December 14th.