Artists In Iowa

In 1987 photographer Sandra Dyas moved to Iowa City and began documenting the area's vibrant live music scene, with its distinctive combination of folk, blues, roots/Americana, and rock sounds. The sixty photos in Down to the River capture her twenty years of photographing live music venues and shooting portraits of musicians in and around the city, resulting in a collection of images as compassionate and honest as the music itself. Dyas's photographs present both the sweaty intensity of live performances and the more contemplative moments of individual portraits. They are complemented by Chris Offutt's empathetic essay, which also encapsulates the experience of connecting with a new home through its music. A companion CD with eighteen tracks by Iowa's finest singer/songwriters, including Dave Moore, Greg Brown, Bo Ramsey, David Zollo, and Pieta Brown, add up to an unmatched perspective on Iowa music and musicians. CD Tracks 1. Iowa Crawl, Joe Price 2. Poor Back Slider, Greg Brown 3. Parnell, David Zollo 4. #807, Pieta Brown 5. Wheels of Steel, Radoslav Lorkovic 6. Down to the River, Dave Moore 7. Lucy and Andy Drive to Arkansas, Kevin Gordon 8. Chuck Brown, Mike and Amy Finders 9. Nobody But You, Joe Price 10. Earleton, BeJae Fleming 11. Ceremonial Child, High and Lonesome 12. Sidetrack Lounge, Bo Ramsey 13. On the Edge, Pieta Brown 14. One Wrong Turn, Greg Brown 15. Not in Iowa, Kelly Pardekooper 16. Living in a Cornfield, Bo Ramsey 17. '57 Chevy, Tom Jessen's Dimestore Outfit 18. Roll on John, the Pines

The sixteen artists spotlighted here live modern lives while, with strong rural roots and values and through hard work and dedication to excellence in their craft, they perpetuate some of the best traditions from earlier days as well as create contemporary whimsy using old techniques. Iowa Folk Artists is about the folk art you see displayed in homes, churches, and throughout communities and for sale at boutiques and art fairs across the state. But it also presents what you cannot see - a fascinating behind-the-scenes account of the artists' personal lives in the words of the artists themselves.

Accompanying the recent Artists in Iowa: The First Century exhibition is a new major publication, written by Dr. Lea Rosson DeLong, which discusses the seventy works of art by over forty-five Iowa artists in the exhibition. The publication traces the earliest known art by the Meskwaki artist Wachochachi through the art of more recognized artists such as Lee Allen, Grant Wood, Christian Petersen, Christine Glasell and Eve Drewelowe who created New Deal murals, portraits, and captured scenes of urbanization in Iowa. The 258-page full color publication is available for purchase from the University Museums' office during business hours. Cost is $45.00 each; cash, check or credit card accepted."Iowa has a distinctive artistic heritage; we have only to look for it, preserve it, and pass it on to the next generations."-Dr. Lea Rosson DeLong, art historian and exhibition curator

Inspired by 'Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls' and 'Rad Women A to Z,' Iowa State education professor Katy Swalwell worked with over 25 Iowa women artists and RAYGUN to create an illustrated children's book that celebrates the incredible accomplishments through short biographies of a diverse set of women throughout Iowa's history. The book is available at raygunsite.com.