MUSCATINE, IOWA (June 18, 2019) — It does not get much better than ice cream on a warm summer afternoon. Now, add live music, studio projects, games for kids, visits with artists, new exhibitions, a thick slice of pie, and the option of a family bike ride. Join your friends and neighbors on Sunday, June 30, at the Annual Ice Cream Social — a Muscatine tradition that dates back to 1979! This free and fun event raises funds for the Friends of the Muscatine Art Center and its mission to support educational programs at the Muscatine Art Center.
Crusin’ kicks off the event with music on the front lawn starting at 1PM. The Muscatine Civic Chorale performs at 1:45PM during Crusin’s intermission. Heartland Harmony performs at 3PM with Pandelirium, the steel-drum group from the University of Iowa, starting at 3:45PM for the last performance of the day.
Throughout the afternoon, visitors can follow pastel artist David Garrison as he makes progress on a new pastel in the Japanese Garden. Garrison is a Burlington, Iowa artist with 50 years of experience. He is internationally recognized and regularly teaches workshops in France and the United States. Plus, between 1:30 and 3PM, visitors can also meet photographer Molly Wood and woodworkers Joe Meirhaeghe and Steve Sinner in their exhibition spaces on the second floor of the historic Musser-McColm home. Wood is one of this year’s Iowa Arts Council Fellows. Sinner and Meirhaeghe are from the Quad Cities area and have worked together to create stunning wood vessels.
In the Stanley Gallery, visitors can wander among the sculptures, maquettes, and studies on paper created by the late David Hayes. The artist’s large outdoor works are now on view in front of the Musser Public Library and Discovery Park.
As always, the kids will be well entertained. Two craft projects will be offered in the studio, a variety of games will be continuously run in the Japanese Garden, and washable paints will be available for decorating the outdoor windows in the courtyard. Musser Public Library will set up the big blue blocks in the Music Room, and the Muscatine County Conservation Board will bring snakes and amphibians. The “Learn to Look” gallery will be open for families to stage their own puppet show, create an exhibition, and explore numerous types of toys.
“We all love the Annual Ice Cream Social and the excitement of welcoming back old friends and introducing new visitors to all there is to do here,” explains Melanie Alexander, Director of the Muscatine Art Center. “While there is a formula for the types of activities presented at the social, each year is different. We work hard to provide new experiences that appeal to many interests and people of different ages.”
Families are encouraged to join the Family Bike Ride organized by the Melon City Bike Club and Harper’s Cycling and Fitness. The bike group will depart from Discovery Park at 1PM and will have the option of a short 3-mile round-trip ride or a longer 10-mile ride. Both rides will stop at the Muscatine Art Center, and participants will receive a coupon for a free ice cream.
Thanks to sponsorship from Kent Corporation, admission to the Ice Cream Social and related events is free. Ice cream, pie, cake, cookies, and other desserts are for sale with all proceeds benefiting the Friends of the Muscatine Art Center.
The Muscatine Art Center is located at 1314 Mulberry Avenue in Muscatine, Iowa. Hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10AM-5PM; Thursday evenings until 7PM; and Saturday and Sunday, 1-5PM. Admission is free. Donations are appreciated. Visit www.muscatineartcenter.org for more information about programs and events and to download a class brochure.
