My daughters love fusion! The instructors are amazing and my girls look forward to coming every…read moreweek!

From the owner: Fusion Dance & Performing Artsread more

This is a great gallery with a variety of mediums to capture your creative interests. From clay…read morepottery and glass blown art to paintings and stonework, there is something for everyone. I also found prices to be reasonable and affordable. The owner, Mark, is a delight, and the artists are quite personable. I had the pleasure of meeting a few of them and even walking away with a beautiful piece from one of them, Chris Sell. There is a parking lot right outside the door and a ramp to support accessibility. They make good use of the space they have, displaying pieces at every turn without making you feel like you are going to bump into something. I recommend checking it out if you haven't yet.

From the owner: 22+ Regional artists displaying all medias of art from oils, acrylic and metals to glass, stone and…read morewood. Owner Deb has a working studio. Classes are taught from age 4 to advanced. We do all styles of art parties/events for kids to teen classes to adults. We help with family therapy and team-building for businesses. We also do limited restorations. On Saturdays 2-5PM, we have an Artist Forum open to all artist, all mediums, all levels. A free for all chat session for motivation and sharing of spirit and ideas. No program, no fee, just camaraderie and fun for anyone.

Diane and the staff at Vandorens are wonderful. Their knowledge of appropriate framing for nearly…read moreanything is vast; from artifacts and textiles to a simple reproduction. The assistance they provide in choosing frame and matting is invaluable. The time and care they put into each piece they handle is impeccable. I took three, 100 year old, family heirloom, handmade, baby dresses to Vandorens for framing. The dresses are quite fragile. They invisibly, hand sewed each dress to acid free matte board, being careful to distribute the weight of the dress so not to put any stress on the fibers. The glass is a special UV filtering glass. Besides being preserved, the dresses are lovely and often a conversation piece. If you want professional framing that is nothing short of perfection, you must go to Vandorens.

Unique museums are a thing of mine. I seek them out. I first heard about this gallery several years…read moreago, while living out of state. Since we recently relocated to Iowa, I thought it would be a great opportunity to visit. The Salt & Pepper Shaker Gallery didn't disappoint. Where else can you see 12,000 pairs of shakers on display this side of the Mississippi? Holy moly. Hands down, awesome. When we arrived there were a couple of sweet ladies sitting around a table behind the main counter. We were quickly greeted by Ellen who also led us on a wonderful tour of the gallery. Shakers included everything from plastic to bone china. Mrs. Rasmussen, the original owner of the collection, collected it all - beginning in the 1950s. Bobbers, nodders, huggers, kissers, and hangers--I never knew so many different kind of S & P's existed. Everything is categorized by circus/clowns, dogs, cats, squirrels, owls, frogs, skunks, Christmas, advertising, political, Disney, Looney Tunes, Fiesta, silver, Noah's Ark, Around the World, Iowa, food, etc. I really liked the particular line of Parkraft shakers from all 50 states (yes, they have the entire collection). Shakers from other countries, and the shakers collected from the Iowa State Fair over the years were also at the top of my list. We could have spent a lot more time at the gallery looking at each individual case, but Ellen does a great job of giving a general overview of what's in each display. They even have a small risqué collection that the keep behind a cabinet so that children can't see them. :-P Shakers are housed very nicely behind glass cases. Nothing is overcrowded and the lighting in the gallery is ample for viewing all of the pieces. Gallery is located just off the main street in Traer. Hours are 1-5pm Tuesday-Saturday. Large groups should call ahead of time. It a nice sized gallery so expect to spend at least 1 hour here (for the guided tour alone). Plenty of free parking. The building the gallery houses is lovingly maintained. Ellen is wonderful. You can't beat the $5 price of admission. If possible, consider gifting even more. The gallery depends on the admissions from visitor's to pay their utility bills. Highly recommend the Salt and Pepper Shaker Gallery in Traer! ***note: if you like seeing 'collections' like this, The American Toby Jug Museum in Evanston, Illinois is a must-see as well. ***

I absolutely loved this place. Of course I had low expectations, but we encountered Greg the…read morevolunteer who was a great conversationalist and made sure to point out some unique specimens and also we spoke about views of the world. It was an absolute pleasure. I would normally budget 30 minutes or so, but we stayed an hour!

A warm, hidden gem of a place filled with treasures at great prices! Large selection of gemstones…read moreand semi-precious stones in rough, tumbled, shaped, cabachon, and statuette forms. Handcrafted jewelry, art pieces, and decor. Co-owner shared her knowledge about their services offered and items stocked in this metaphysical shop. Small, family-owned business - 4th generation is working her way up! Visit for self-growth, gifts, discoveries.

Amazing place, Great people, and pretty good prices for the area!!…read more The only metaphysical place around here for a really long time was Mohair Pear but this place is SOOOOO MUCH BETTER!!! Studded with Love has lots of amazing inventory and great prices! I've come back almost every week to see their new stuff!

Been there a few times. Got an old Midge Barbie doll with a wig. They have paintings, furniture,…read moreshoes, odds & ends. Enjoy looking around upstairs at the haphazard array of items.

Working with Camille went very smoothly at the Waterloo Center for the Arts. We reserved the…read moreRotary Room for my daughter's graduation luncheon, and it was set-up as promised. I had table flower centerpieces delivered and they were kind enough to receive and put them on the tables. We did struggle to find the location of the room. as it did lack the signage that was anticipated. Overall, it was the perfect location for our gathering.

I got the opportunity to play on the River Loop the other night, as a part of Waterloo Center for…read morethe Arts! Wow what a beautiful place to see live music! It was hot but have no fear, there were beers, food, people rolling up on boats and people enjoying the sights and sounds of the city! The event was beautifully run and I enjoyed talking to Kent from the center for the arts about some of the other things they are doing there this summer including showing films and hosting more concerts! I didn't get the opportunity to go inside and check out the art museum so this is more a review of the River loop but man if's its half as cool on the inside as it was on the outside it will be 5 stars for sure!