Peter Irniq To Bring Inuit Art To Ames

In an earlier post, we highlighted the life and work of Inuit artist Peter Irniq in advance of a visit to Ames.

The Ames Public Art Commission has voted to bring him back to Ames in the fall of 2011 in order to build Inuit art and share Inuit culture with the people of the city.

Peter's visit and subsequent work is tentatively set for late September/early October 2011, which would coincide with the annual Ames Octagon Arts Festival.

Join Us At The Reiman Gardens Art Fair!

The Reiman Gardens Art Fair, an event celebrating "art in the garden and the garden in art" is set for Sunday, July 11 from 9 until 4 at the Gardens.

The Ames Public Art Commission will have a booth at the fair. We'll have information on how to order "Restless By Nature" prints--plus PAC members will be on hand to talk about the various Commmission projects that you read about on this blog.

Here's a list of artists at the event as well. Come see us!

"Restless By Nature" Through The Seasons

If you haven't gotten a chance to enjoy "Restless By Nature" by Patrick Dougherty in Ada Hayden Park, please sure to put a visit on your calendar.

In fact, schedule several visits.

One of the wondrous features of this work of art is that it changes through the seasons.

Take a look at this series of photos, which captures the beauty of "Restless By Nature" through the years.

World-Renowned Artist To Visit Ames

A world-renowned artist who was commissioned for work at the Vancouver Winter Olympics this year is coming to Ames.

Peter Irniq will visit Ames from May 5-7. Irniq creates inuksuit, stone landmarks used by the Inuit, Inupiat, Kalaallit, Yupik, and other peoples of the Arctic region of North America. Inuksuit may have been used for navigation, as a point of reference, a marker for hunting grounds, or as a food cache.

Irniq, who is an Inuit cultural activist, will be exploring the possibility of constructing inuksuit in Ames. His visit will include a tour of the parks of the city.

Irniq explains inuksuit in the video featured above.

The Ames Art Experience

Art lovers will enjoy a discussion group that will meet at the Ames Public Library later this month.

The "Ames Art Experience" invites residence to view pieces of art then discuss them. On Thursday, April 22, the group will discuss the work of Bill Barrett at 7 pm at the Founder's Suite at the Ames Public Library, which is located at 515 Douglas Avenue.

Participants are encouraged to view his outdoor sculptures located at ISU’s Gerdin Building and in the Elizabeth and Byron Anderson Sculpture Garden as well as his expressive canvases and sculptural maquettes in the Christian Petersen Art Museum atISU’s Morrill Hall before the discussion.

The presentation is free and is sponsored by Ames C.art and the Ames Public Library.

Ames C.art Mural Program

At its April meeting, the Ames Public Art Commission voted unanimously to endorse the efforts of the group called "Ames C.art" in their effort to create the first community-created mural in Ames.

A design team from Ames C.art will map out the mural's outline on the north wall of the T-Galaxy building in Campustown, and community volunteers will join in the actual painting.

Since the project will take place on private property, the Commission can't provide financial support, but encourages the public to volunteer for this exciting project. Complete details can be found here.

Welcome New Members!

Each April, the Ames Public Art Commission welcomes new members.

This year, the Commission is pleased to be joined by Christopher Betts, Greg Fuqua, and Bill LaGrange.

The Commission is a very active committee and the new members will be choosing soon to serve on one or more subcommittees such as fund-raising, public relations, or overseeing ongoing projects such as Art Around The Corner and Neighborhood Sculpture.