Artists Can Find Their Creative Outlet in the Cedar Valley, Iowa

Courtesy of the Public Art Incubator

The Cedar Valley boasts a thriving arts scene that rivals even the state capital of Des Moines. This vibrant cultural hub, with a population of 170,000, offers diverse artistic experiences, ensuring creativity flourishes in all of its communities. The beauty of being an artist in the Cedar Valley is the abundance of opportunities to hone your craft, coupled with the chance to make an impact within the region’s close-knit creative community. 

Cultivating Cultural Experiences

Chawne Paige, the executive director of the Waterloo Center for the Arts, is a fine artist by trade and has worked at his organization for the past 22 years in various capacities. Throughout his tenure at the museum, he has had an active studio practice, participated in arts exhibitions, and received numerous public art commissions throughout the region. 

“The creative climate in the Cedar Valley is quite vibrant, including writers and musicians across a wide swath of genres. There are artists from so many backgrounds along with your traditional artists and self-taught artists,” Paige says. “Not to mention – the many cultural groups sprinkled across the Cedar Valley representing their own folk art and cultural expressions. There are creatives tucked away in all pockets of our community.” 

Paige loves that the Cedar Valley’s art scene offers multigenerational engagement, from preschoolers to retirees, who create public art and participate in the performing arts. Among his favorite cultural experiences in the area, he is naturally most proud of the Waterloo Center for the Arts. 

“I love exposing the public, visitors and my kids to art, music and cultures from around the world,” Paige says. “Witnessing someone’s first time experiencing different cultures, music and art is inspiring. The everyday world around us is constantly changing and having the openness to take it all in is breathtaking.” 

JMRImages

Giving Students a Voice

For the past 17 years, Dan Perry has been the coordinator for the University of Northern Iowa’s Public Art Incubator (PAI), a program in which artists who are commissioned to create public artworks can find help with fabrication using the incubator’s expertise and facilities. 

“Our students work alongside the artists to give them professional experience while the artists see their vision come to life,” Perry says. “Since 2011, we’ve done about 60 projects across Iowa and the Midwest. We’ve even done projects in New York and the Bahamas. We also restore existing artworks that need repairs to maintain these cultural markers in communities around the state.” 

The program thrives on collaboration. The PAI works with entities, such as cities and local public schools, to create public art and allows students to get real-world experience. 

“They’re learning about working with a deadline, what level of quality is required to achieve an acceptable artwork and the dedication it takes to meet those requirements,” Perry says. “You see them take ownership of these projects, build camaraderie and hold each other accountable to make the work the best it can be.” 

To make a project come together, Perry explains, the process involves suppliers, vendors, parks and recreation departments, engineers and architects. 

“I think that’s one of the best things in terms of our contributions in the region – our students have the opportunity to have their voices heard and their artwork seen,” Perry says. 

Brock Swarbrick

Making Theater History

Chris Hale, managing director of Cedar Falls Community Theatre, moved to the area three years ago against the advice of mentors, who encouraged Hale to look for a role in a city with a more established theater reputation. 

“Thankfully, I’m stubborn,” Hale says. “When I was presented with an opportunity to lead a community theater ready to take its next step as an organization, I knew that I had the chance to support these local artists and play a part in building a strong, committed history of theater-making here in the Cedar Valley.” 

Hale says communities of all sizes and geographic locations are entitled to access the arts. While the arts have always been respected for improving quality of life, Hale is happy to see that the arts in the Cedar Valley are being recognized for the contributions made to the area’s economic vitality. 

“I’m really excited to see our community continue to key into the arts as an integral part of our identity because I am hopeful that it will only make us a more attractive community for folks to grow, live and play,” Hale says. 

To connect with resources and other artists, creatives can get plugged into Limelight, an organization amplifying artistic expression in the Cedar Valley.