I am a Modern Day Renaissance Woman. The medium really doesn't matter to me. I start with a thought and use whatever I want to bring it into existence.
Digital/Electronic Art, Drawings, Design/Illustration/Graphics, Jewelry, Painting, Photography, Textiles/Fiber Arts, Works on Paper, Animation, Inventor, Crafts, Event Planner, Creative Community Developer.
View all posts by Valerie Van Horne →
Protest art acts as an important tool to form social consciousness, create networks, operate accessibly, and be cost-effective. Social movements produce such works as the signs, banners, posters, and other printed materials used to convey a cause or message. Often, such art is used as part of demonstrations or acts of civil disobedience. These works tend to be ephemeral, characterized by their portability and disposability, and are frequently not authored or owned by any one person. The various peace symbols, and the raised fist are two examples that highlight the democratic ownership of these signs.
Founded in 2007, the After-School Arts Program (ASAP) connects underserved 1st–8th graders in the heart of Des Moines, Iowa, with challenging, enriching arts experiences and provides quality instruction from professional teaching artists who lead studios ranging from ceramics and painting to drumming and dance.
Champagne Harrington is a Des Moines native, a mentor, and a spoken word artist. Known for spoken word performances that are raw, passionate and anthems of self-love. Champagne recently graced the stage of Teresa Zilk’s, “Stories to Tell My Daughter“, a storytelling event at Grandview College where wit, grit, and wisdom ruled the evening.
Rob Stephens is a print maker who creates works using paint, silkscreen, comic book sequences, and monumental woodcut prints. His works employ a heavy gestural line and saturated color, often at odds with the themes and narratives depicted. He was a professor of art teaching painting, printmaking, drawing and art history. He was a visiting artist at Mission Graphica in San Francisco, and assisted in numerous print workshops across the country, including those at Frogman’s Press and Tom Huck’s Evil Prints. His salacious tell-all comic features “Good Kid Rob,” a neurotic alter-ego. His work is shown nationally and is represented by Moberg Gallery.
Follow River City Art and Music on Instagram (@rivercityartandmusicdsm) and Facebook to view daily posts of Rob’s new series, Global Staycation 2020, Plague Edition during Art Week Des Moines 2020.
To read more about Rob Stephens, and to purchase his work, please visit www.goodkidrob.com
Running Friday, June 19th through Friday, June 26th, the 6th Annual Art Week Des Moines is a decentralized and collaborative community platform that includes a host of events—mostly free—involving nearly every art form, such as theater, music, dance, visual art, film and the culinary arts.
With consideration for safety concerns due to COVID-19, this years events are online through a number of platforms as well as in our communities, viewable from a safe, social distance.
RAS20 : GRASS ROOTS : GROWN FROM THE SOIL
In it’s 4th year, Riverview Artist Salon is a grass roots community of full time, part time, emerging and returning Iowa Creatives from all disciplines, as well as businesses, organizations, educators and advocates of Iowa Art and Culture.
River City Art and Music hosts yearly events that provide Creatives with an opportunity to share their words, sounds, passions and works with an audience during a two hour program that includes spoken word, art advocacy, community outreach, creative showcase and pop-up art show. Past events were held at the Des Moines Social Club, The John and Mary Education Center, Mainframe Studios and xBk Live (it’s current location).
MISSION: To elevate the status of creatives living in our cities and state and to provide a center for networking, public engagement, new ideas, personal development and artistic growth.
In these uncertain times, one thing is clear: Every new solution raises new questions.
Please view this webinar hosted by the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs for Iowa artists, musicians, filmmakers, cultural organizations and creative businesses. It will help you navigate the new maze of grants, CARES Act funded programs, and other resources that have emerged amid the coronavirus pandemic.
This webinar also provides an update on state-funded cultural grants, including Iowa Arts Council grants and Historical Resource Development Program grants.
Webinar Panelists:
Chris Kramer
Director, Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs
Susan Kloewer
Administrator, State Historical Society of Iowa
David Schmitz
Administrator, Iowa Arts Council
Ryan West
Deputy Director, Iowa Workforce Development
Dave Caris
CEO, Community Bankers of Iowa
Sally Dix
Executive Director, BRAVO Greater Des Moines
Iowa artists, musicians, filmmakers, cultural organizations and creative businesses, join the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs and Iowa Workforce Development this Wednesday at 11am for a special webinar to help navigate the new maze of grants, CARES Act funded programs, and other resources that have emerged amid the coronavirus pandemic.
There will also be an important update regarding state-funded cultural grants from the Iowa Arts Council, Produce Iowa, and Historical Resource Development Program grants from the State Historical Society of Iowa.
You read this correctly, Buzzed History is back! Join us for a night of thrilling history and delicious drinks.
Enjoy the popular tv show we reference closely but cannot name due to copyrights? So do we! That’s why we’ve brought you drunken tales and stories, told by those brave enough to tell them.
Do you have an exciting tale to share? This month’s theme and back by popular demand, is Well Behaved Women Rarely Make History. Anyone can sign up to speak, so start brainstorming your favorite historical tales.
This month’s Buzzed History’s featured cocktail is the Hanky-Panky. The Hanky-Panky was the brainchild of Ada Coleman known as Coley, who began as a bartender at the Savoy Hotel in 1903. It is a variation on the sweet martini, inasmuch as it calls for gin and sweet vermouth, but Coley’s secret ingredient was Fernet-Branca, a bitter Italian digestivo.
History Camp Iowa is a unique opportunity to spend a day with others from all walks of life who have a passion for history, from authors, teachers, genealogists, and students, to park rangers, museum volunteers, librarians, and individuals from other professions and backgrounds. This year’s camp is Feb 22nd at Drake University.
Hosted by Madison Ray
Admission is Free.
Monthly Theme: Well Behaved Women Rarely Make History
Wednesday Feb 19th, 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm
