This is a great little art museum! Even though the gallery is on the smaller side, they host all sorts of events from the Final Thursday Reading series to child's classes to adult workshops. It's a wonderful resource for the community.
History: James Hearst was a poet and professor at the local university, the University of Northern Iowa. He donated his house to the community, and the James and Meryl Hearst Center for the Arts was born. His poems are classic to the Midwest and Iowa, focusing on nature and farming.
Exhibits: The art exhibits change out frequently, and often feature a guest exhibit, as well as some from their own cache. Gary Kelley is a local favorite. He is an illustrator for children's books. If you are familiar with his work, it's not hard to pick out his pieces.
Price: None! The art museum is free and open to the public, as is their events. Of course the workshops and classes have a small fee for supplies.
Garden: They have lovely gardens in the back during the spring/summer/fall months. You can even host a small wedding there! The garden also contains art sculptures that you can walk around and view. The iconic art sculpture out front represents a cyclone.
Shop: There is also a small shop inside where you can buy items and art from local artists.
This art museum is a gem to the community. Be sure to check it out! read more