17 Mar 2015

Brucemore's Thursday Night Lineup Includes All-Access Pass

By Rick Martin

Visit every floor, peek into closed rooms, and satisfy curiosity through this all-access pass to the Brucemore Mansion during the Nooks and Crannies Tour -March 19, April 2, April 16, and April 30 at 5:30 p.m. Marvel at the Skinner pipe organ room, discover the architectural oddities in the attic, and experience the sight and sound of a "rain storm" in the basement Tahitian Room. Examine the superior craftsmanship and learn about ongoing preservation work. The tour is not recommended for children under ten or individuals who have difficulty walking or climbing stairs. Tickets are $10 per Brucemore member and $12 per person in advance. Tickets purchased the night of are $15, if available. Purchase tickets online at www.brucemore.org or by calling (319) 362-7375.

The Nooks and Crannies Tour is part of Brucemore's Thursday Night Lineup. Every Thursday night Brucemore will feature a different specialty tour focusing on topics for all interests, including arts and culture, Midwestern industry, gardening, landscape design, architecture, preservation, and behind-the-scenes at Brucemore. For more information on the Thursday Night Lineup, visit www.brucemore.org or call (319) 362-7375.

About Brucemore

Experience Brucemore, an unparalleled blend of tradition and culture, located at 2160 Linden Drive SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. At the heart of the historic 26-acre estate stands a nineteenth-century mansion filled with the stories of three Cedar Rapids families.  Concerts, theater, programs, and tours enliven the site and celebrate the heritage of a community.  For more information, call (319) 362-7375 or visit www.brucemore.org.

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09 Mar 2015

Exhibition: Someone's Family: Photography by Pamela A. Houser

By Rick Martin

On View in the Stanley Gallery March 8 - May 24, 2015

FREE ADMISSION

 

Artist Reception

March 15, 2015 from 1:30 to 4:00 p.m.

Artist's Remarks at 2 p.m.

FREE ADMISSION - Donations of Canned Goods are Encouraged

 

Exploring Photography Session

Local Photographers invited to participate in a group discussion with Pamela Houser

March 17, 2015 from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Muscatine Art Center

FREE ADMISSION

 

Artist Pamela Houser has traveled the United States and finds people experiencing homelessness wherever she goes. These individuals are cold, lonely and hungry. They are "Someone's Family", a brother, sister, parent, child, and they need help. Ms. Houser's hope is that her work will help the viewer find a deeper sense of consciousness and empathy concerning the needs of the homeless. She depicts their lives through the use of black and white photography. Candid or photojournalist photos catch them in their struggle trying to find the most basic necessities. Consistent throughout the work is their obvious lack of food and housing. Artists such as Lewis Hine, Walker Evans, Dorothea Lang and Mary Ellen Mark provide inspiration for Ms. Houser as she works to document homelessness and create social awareness.

 

Ms. Houser explains, "On recent travels I have met some wonderful people who agreed to collaborate with my project concerning people experiencing homelessness as a way to help create social awareness. I met a middle-aged lady named Patty whose struggle with mental illness led her to the streets, lost to those who loved and tried to help her. Max was a gentleman sleeping on the streets of New York City. Some kind stranger had left him breakfast on his bed of cardboard; how nice of them. A fellow named Ray was on the corner in Seattle asking for money for shelter and food. He explained that he only needed $5 per day to survive; enough for food and a bed in the shelter. I met many of our nations' veterans struggling and experiencing homelessness right in our Nation's capitol."

Ms. Houser invites local photographers to meet with her on Tuesday, March 17th from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the Muscatine Art Center. Photographers of all experience levels may attend the group discussion and are encouraged to bring examples of their own work.

Visitors to the exhibition, "Someone's Family", are encouraged to drop off canned goods which will be donated to local food pantries. Photographs by Ms. Houser may be purchased with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Muscatine Center for Social Action (MCSA). MCSA staff members are organizing a related exhibit which highlights the experiences of people living in Muscatine as well as the resources available through MCSA. This exhibit will be installed on the second floor of the Stanley Gallery.

Please contact Melanie Alexander, Director, with any questions or concerns at 563-263-8282 or by email at malexander@muscatineiowa.gov.

The Muscatine Art Center is located at 1314 Mulberry Avenue in Muscatine, Iowa. Hours are Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Thursday evenings until 7:00 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Admission is free. Donations are appreciated. Visit www.muscatineartcenter.org for more information about programs and events and to download a class brochure.

06 Mar 2015

CAPTURING THE REMAGEN BRIDGE 70 YEARS AGO

By G A H C
"The Miracle of Remagen" - The 9th Armored Division of the US 1st Army Captures the Last Surviving Bridge Across the Rhine on March 7, 1945 & Hastens the End of WWII.

Sunday, March 8th @ 2pm Dr. Wolf Koch

As the Allied armies approached, Hitler ordered the destruction of all the bridges that spanned the Rhine. By March 7, they all had been destroyed, except one - the Ludendorff railroad bridge at the little resort town of Remagen a few miles to the south of Cologne. On that day at about 1PM an American reconnaissance patrol reached the wooded hills overlooking the river at Remagen, and to their surprise, discovered the bridge still intact. Then the race began. By 4 PM the US Army had reached the other side of the river and secured the bridge. Over the next several days, heavy fighting ensued while more than 25,000 troops and heavy equipment crossed the river until the bridge collapsed on March 17, 1945.

US Army estimates indicate that the surprise crossing of the Ludendorff Bridge probably saved more than 5000 American lives that otherwise would have been lost by an assault crossing of the river. In addition, the capture of the bridge enabled the US Army to encircle and trap 300,000 German troops east of the Rhine in a matter of days, thereby causing the war to end much earlier than expected on May 8, 1945.

The presentation is based on eye witness accounts and interviews, histories of the 1st Army and the 9th Armored Division, as well as several books written by historians on both sides of the conflict. It includes original photos and film clips as well as interviews from US Army and German archives.

About our presenter:

Wolf Koch grew up in the Rhine River valley in Oberwinter, now a suburb of Remagen, and immigrated to this country more than five decades ago. He recalls accounts by family members and friends about the fight around the bridge head. He served as an officer in the US Air Force and was stationed for four years at Bitburg Air Force Base, not far from the Remagen site. Dr. Koch, a resident of Sterling, Illinois, is a consultant to the oil and petrochemical industries and has been a professor of chemical engineering. He regularly presents talks on energy related topics at professional society and civic group meetings.

He and his wife Linnea travel extensively; their interest in history has taken them to many historical sites in European countries, covering the period between the Stone Age and medieval times. Locally, they have studied accounts of the Adena and Hopewell civilizations, have traveled to many mound builder sites in Ohio, Iowa and Illinois and completed a booklet on the Hopewell civilization in the Rock River valley for use as a resource in teaching local history. Dr. Koch has given many talks on the Hopewell and was an invited speaker at a combined Annual Meeting of the Iowa and Illinois State Archeological Societies.
02 Mar 2015

Heart to Art Press Release

By EINNOC10@aol.com

Genesis Heart Institute and Bucktown Center for the Arts announce "Heart to Art", a month long awareness campaign to explore the positive impact the arts have on the healthcare experience.

Bucktown Center for the Arts and Genesis Heart Institute invites all artists within a 150 mile radius to submit artwork such as visual art, photography, mixed media, and sculpture depicting heart health, things close to the artist's heart, or artist interpretation of "Heart to Art."

Accepted works will be displayed at Bucktown Center for the Arts from April 25th until May 9th. A special selection of artworks will go on to be displayed at Genesis Heart Institute from May 12th until the 22nd.  Entry fee of $20; students $15. Entry forms can be found at Bucktown Center for the Arts or email mfaheartart@gmail.com.

Additional "Heart to Art" activities include a seminar about Women and Heart Disease by Dr. Rafat Padaria, MD, Yoga, Tai Chi and art classes.

Bucktown Center for the Arts is a collection of unique shops and artist studios where you can learn about, create or purchase works of local art. Bucktown is located at 225 E. 2nd St. in Downtown Davenport. Hours are Wed. - Sat. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. or by appointment.

Media are invited to a sneak peek of the "Heart to Art" exhibit on April 22 at 10:30 a.m.  at Bucktown Center for the Arts, 225 E. 2nd St, Downtown Davenport. Please contact Pat Bereskin at (563) 508-4630 for more information.

02 Mar 2015

Brucemore Mansion Tours Resume in March

By Tara Richards

Brucemore announces the reopening of the 21-room mansion for guided tours on March 3, 2015. Explore over a century of Cedar Rapids history through the lives of the three families who called Brucemore home?the Sinclairs, the Douglases, and the Halls. They were business and community leaders during a century of evolution in the Midwest. An investigation of the mansion's Queen Anne architecture, 1925 Grant Wood Porch, 1929 Skinner pipe organ, and 1930s Grizzly Bar and Tahitian Room reflect the history of remarkable people. The changes they made to their estate, the impact they had on their community, and the stories they left behind shape our understanding of modern Cedar Rapids, eastern Iowa, and the American Midwest.

Mansion tours are offered March through December, Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 3:00 p.m. Tours begin on the hour and last approximately 50 minutes. Admission is free to Brucemore members, $7.00 for adults, and $3.00 for youth between the ages of 6 and 18. Purchase tickets fifteen minutes before the top of the hour in the Brucemore Store located in the Visitor Center. Groups of 15 or more are encouraged to schedule a private tour a minimum of two weeks in advance. Visit www.brucemore.org or call (319) 362-7375 for more information or to schedule a group tour.

Experience Brucemore, an unparalleled blend of tradition and culture, located at 2160 Linden Drive SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. At the heart of the historic 26-acre estate stands a nineteenth-century mansion filled with the stories of three Cedar Rapids families.  Concerts, theater, programs, and tours enliven the site and celebrate the heritage of a community.  For more information, call (319) 362-7375 or visit www.brucemore.org.

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27 Feb 2015

Loebsack Announces 2015 Congressional High School Art Competition

By Joe Hand

Original works by local high school students due April 3rd

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack announced today that high school students in the Iowa's Second Congressional District may now submit their original artwork to be considered for the 2015 Congressional Art Competition. The annual competition is hosted by the United States House of Representatives to recognize talented young artists from across the nation. The winning student from each district is invited to Washington, D.C. to attend a reception held in their honor and will have his or her artwork displayed in the U.S. Capitol for one year. The deadline for entries to be received is April 3rd.

"The vast amount of talent that Iowa's students display year after year continues to amaze me. The creativity of our talented young artists demonstrates that the arts are thriving in Iowa," said Loebsack. "For a young artist, having your artwork displayed in the U.S. Capitol is quite a remarkable accomplishment. I look forward to seeing this year's entries and meeting the winning student."

Once again, to make the contest as easy as possible and open to as many students as possible, this year's winner will be chosen by the public through an online vote. Details on how to submit art work are available by clicking here to visit Loebsack's website. All entries must be received no later than Friday, April, 3rd at 11:59pm. The artist of the winning piece will receive two round trip tickets to Washington, D.C. to attend the reception and unveiling of their artwork in the Capitol (all other expenses must be covered by the winner). For additional details about the competition, students or teachers should contact Jared Mullendore at 563-323-5988 or by email at Jared.Mullendore@mail.house.gov.

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27 Feb 2015

Fun-A-Day Dubuque

By Dubuque Area Arts Collective
The premise is simple: pick a creative project, do it every day in March, then show your work the following month in a big group art show!

Project working time: All month of March
Group Art Show: April 24 / 6 to 9pm
DAAC art gallery, 902 Main Street, Dubuque.

The Dubuque Area Arts Collective invites you to participate in Fun-A-Day Dubuque 2015, an artistic way to fight the winter doldrums. Fun-A-Day Dubuque is open to all ages, and participation is free. All types of creative expression are encouraged, and experience as an artist is not necessary.

Use all, most or some days in March to be creative and have fun! Previous years' efforts have included cartoons, audio recordings, knitting, and photography and visual art projects, all created daily (or mostly daly) throughout the month. 

How to participate? Its simple. Email funadaydubuque@gmail.com and tell us what your project will be. If possible, send us images of works-in-progress, so we can share it though our Facebook page and blog. We will send you instructions on how to show your finished project in the art show.

PROJECT IDEAS
to do each day:
1. Take a photo of your cat 
2. Write a haiku poem 
3. Draw a portrait each day
4. Send a postcard
5. Knit a bit each day
More Ideas

24 Feb 2015

James Cameron's Deepsea Challenge 3D opening at the Putnam

By Putnam Museum
DEEPSEA CHALLENGE 3D follows the dramatic story of James Cameron's odyssey as he undertakes an expedition to the deepest part of the ocean. This is a journey of historic proportion and risk. The film will mesmerize viewers of all ages with the thrill of true discovery and the allure of the unknown, of new life forms, and of vistas never before captured on camera - all right here on planet Earth.
Join us on February 26, 2015 in welcoming Dr. Chris Symons, a science coordinator for the DEEPSEA CHALLENGE project, which saw explorer James Cameron make a record-breaking solo dive to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. Doors will open at 6pm for this special experience with Dr. Chris Symons available for autographs before the film. DEEPSEA CHALLENGE 3D will begin at 6:30pm with a Q&A session after the film with Dr. Symons.

View the official trailer for DEEPSEA CHALLENGE 3D here!

DEEPSEA CHALLENGE 3D Sponsored Locally by Wells Fargo.  Seating limited - Call to reserve your tickets today!
17 Feb 2015

David Zahn The Mystery of Expression

By Atom Studio + Gallery

Atom Studio + Gallery is pleased to announce the exhibition of work by Quad City's David Zahn. Zahn's poetic sculptures and drawing weave together narratives left to be discovered by the viewer. The construction of both mediums release the images in a timeless form fused with the play of light across the forms. "This work embodies the skill of a patient artist that pushes his material to the edge and we, the audience are the recipients of a visual journey," says Pat Bereskin director of the gallery. Moline High School's drawing and painting teacher Zahn has work that is nationally known and collected publicly and privately.

The Chicago area native has always had a strong interest in art. Influenced by his high school mentor and teacher he decided to major in Art. His further studies at the American Academy of Art and Art Institute in Chicago, with a focus on figurative sculpture and bronze casting, grounded him in the strong base of skill that still serves him today. At the age of 25 he received his degree in art and education at Northeaster Illinois University.

This exhibition will be on display beginning the evening of February 27th from 6 to 9 at the gallery in Bucktown Center for the Arts, located at 225 E. 2nd St. in Davenport. The public is invited. Zahn's work will be featured through March 21st, in addition to the original artwork by the studio/gallery stable of local artesian.

On March 4th , at 6 p.m. at Bucktown Center for the Arts, David Zahn will be giving a program on his process and talk about his work. The program is free to the public. Please contact the galleryatomstudiogallery@gmail.com to reserve your seat or to receive class information for students of all ages and abilities.  Classes are available for current sessions and upcoming summer camps and seminars

13 Feb 2015

Male Giraffe Calf Born at Niabi Zoo

By Marc Heinzman

Coal Valley, IL - February 13, 2015 - Niabi Zoo announced today the birth of a male giraffe calf on Tuesday, February 10, at 3:28am. This is the sixth giraffe born at Niabi Zoo since 2007.

The baby giraffe, which has not yet been named, was born to Mimi, Niabi Zoo's 11 year old female. This is Mimi's fourth baby. The father is Kenya, an 8 year old male. The baby weighed 107 pounds at birth and stands about five and a half feet tall.

"Mimi and her new calf are doing very well," said Zoo Director Marc Heinzman. "We're all very excited to have a healthy and thriving giraffe calf born here at Niabi Zoo. He's certainly a welcome addition to our giraffe herd." Niabi Zoo staff had been monitoring Mimi's pregnancy closely, including regular checks throughout the night for the last several weeks and 24 hour video monitoring through a system of surveillance cameras.

The new calf is expected to be publicly viewable once the Zoo opens for the 2015 season on March 23. At that time, a contest will also be launched in order to select a name for the male giraffe.

The giraffe, Giraffa camelopardalis, is the world's tallest mammal. Average height for an adult giraffe is 14-19 feet and the average weight is 1,800 - 3,000 pounds.

They are herbivores, using their 18 inch tongues to help pull leaves from the branches of tall trees. Although their necks are unusually long, they have only seven neck vertebrae, just like humans. After a gestation of approximately 14 months, giraffes give birth standing up. The calf drops five to six feet to the ground. This fall helps the calf take its first breath. Calves can stand usually within a few hours and run with their mothers within ten hours. Nearly six feet tall a birth, calves normally weigh 100 - 150 pounds and can grow as much as one inch per day.

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