Art & Art History
Clinton Downtown Mural
MFA student Ali Hval designed and painted a mural in downtown Clinton, Iowa, assisted by fellow MFA student Marina Ross.
Artist Ali Hval was selected by the Office of Outreach & Engagement to design and install a mural for an exterior wall located in downtown Clinton. She recruited fellow artist and MFA student Marina Ross to provide assistance. The project was made possible by a collaboration between two university outreach and engagement programs, Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities (IISC) and Arts Share.
"Building Our Brand" Downtown Murals - Brick Furniture Design & Installation
MFA student Ali Hval designed murals with "prairie style" themes for two downtown Mason City locations as part of the community's "Building Our Brand" campaign. Ali also painted the mural designed for the Brick Furniture building.
Mason City Community Mobile App Graphic Design
Students in the School of Art & Art History Graphic Design course designed a community-based mobile app for the City of Mason City.
Iowa City Public Art
Students in Professor Anita Jung’s studio course collaborated with the City of Iowa City to develop a public art piece for installment in Iowa City. During the course of the class, students broke into groups and prepared proposals for the public art piece, which city staff chose from. Their proposals were informed by meetings with City staff and a guided tour of the possible sites for installment.
Winneshiek County Public Art
Students from the School of Art & Art history developed two public art pieces. The first project emblematizes the Decorah eagles in a sculpture that celebrates the natural assets of Winneshiek County. The second playfully acknowledges the mythical gnome-like “nisse” of Norwegian culture through several small ceramic doors and windows that will be displayed in local parks for the mischievous “nisse” to use.
Interactive Art on Trout Run Trail
MFA students in the School of Art and Art History created 10 small statues of nisse, gnome-like figures from Scandinavian folklore, for the 2015 Nordic Fest Celebration.
Following the success of the "Gnomes on the Trail" event during the 2013 Nordic Fest celebration, the Winneshiek County Conservation Board aimed to create new gnome statues along the trail for trail users to interact with.
Czech Village/New Bo Window Wonderland Arts Display
In collaboration with Arts Share, graduate students in the School of Art & Art History worked with local businesses in the Czech Village/New Bohemia Main Street District to design window displays for the holiday season.
Muscatine Public Art Project
The IISC and Arts Share developed a low-cost public art project for a student in the MFA program. The project used recycled materials to create a sculpture that pays homage to an important member of the Mississippi River Valley's ecosystem, the bald eagle.
Washington Free Public Library Mural Painting
Through a partnership with Arts Share, Erin Rappleye, a University of Iowa Masters of Fine Arts graduate student, designed a 2-story mural for the Washington Public Library as part of an effort to provide public art in the alleyway and enhance downtown Washington. There was a ribbon cutting for the mural in fall 2015.