Fort Madison Area Arts Association (FMAAA)

Happenings

Upcoming Events and Activities:

Vincent Garza

              on the Piano

Vincent is masterful with the keys! Expect an excellent evening out enjoying holiday improvisations and traditionals. Join us for an entertaining evening on Friday, December 30, 2022 from 7pm to 9pm!!
Open mic available during intermission.

BYOB -- some snacks and soft drinks available. No Cover.
Donations accepted.

Artist to Artist

Look for ARTIST to ARTIST night from 6pm to 8pm on the first Wednesday of each month. This is a group for working artists to use for critiques of their work and to network with other area artists about a variety of topics. This monthly meet-up on the first Wednesday of every month is a collaboration between us and the Art Center of Burlington to be able to better serve the region's artists. We alternate hosting the group between the two Art Centers each month to give the group further reach. If you are an artist please consider bringing along a piece of work to talk about / get feedback on, or just come to join in the discussions. We'll have snacks and beverages for you. Hope to see you there!!

past activities:

Artist to Artist

Join fellow artists to discuss topics relevant to your studio practice. Bring along finished work or work in progress for group critique. This is an excellent forum for connecting with fellow artists facing the same challenges as you -- and leave energized! Please note the October meet-up will be held at the Art Center of Burlington. Snacks and refreshments available. See you back at the FMAAA in November!

FINALE -- Cello duo

FINALE is a free performance series. It commences with open mic at 6pm and a 7pm musical concert by cello duo Mary Brockman and Madeline Taylor. Brockman and Taylor have been playing together and exploring cello duet repertoire for the past 4 years playing first desk together in the Nauvoo Community Orchestra. Mary has played in the cello section of the Southeast Iowa Symphony Orchestra for over 25 years. The FINALE program will include early music, some sonata selections, as well as shorter period pieces. We are delighted to have them share their considerable talents with us as we celebrate the conclusion of this exciting exhibition.

Artist to Artist

If you are an artist and you haven't attended Artist to Artist yet... now is the time! Join us to discuss relevant topics to your studio practice. Bring along work or work in progress for group critique. This is an excellent forum to connect with fellow artists facing the same challenges as you and leave energized. Please note this September meet-up will be held at the Fort Madison Art Center. Snacks and refreshments available.

September 18, 2022  10am - 4pm

Art in Central Park

FMAAA's annual art fair hosted in the beautiful Central Park. Many artists and artisans on hand with their wares. Great musical entertainment. FunZone for the kiddos. And great food!    {artists get your booth reserved}

Booth Registration PDF

Past Exhibitions

2022 July Exhibition
Fragility and Impermanence

In July’s exhibition Fragility and Impermanence artist Lori Illner Greene takes us through a fantastical image-scape of fragile sculptures composed to investigate ideas of place and our impermanence. The resulting imagery provides us with a lens to look at her interpretation of the interconnection - an energy force if you will - that binds all matter together, eventually repurposing and reusing the same. This solo exhibition was on display July 8 - 30, 2022

This collection of images in glass and silk, along with a video installation, provided a view through the artist’s lens taking a closer look at the fragile sculptures Illner Greene composed to investigate ideas of place and the eventual breakdown of matter, but which also exemplify the invisible energetic connection of all things. Living or inanimate, this work believes our existence plays out in an interconnected timeline forged in a common elemental make-up. When we are no longer, that matter repurposes itself into new. This work is ultimately about our collective impermanence. And the energetic residue left behind.

 Illner Greene took on the role of Executive Director of the Fort Madison Area Arts Association at the end of May in 2021. While her role spans all areas, she is focusing on program development, expansion of events, cultural activities and classes in accordance with a stated mission of expanding arts and cultural learning in the community.

As an artist, Lori Illner Greene has created work reflective of place and explores ideas of fragility through figurative sculpture, pastels, and encaustic painting. Her work is often informed by ideas of energetic connections associated with particle physics. She utilizes the technique of paper mâché like assemblage, sometimes including bits of material collected from her wanderings, to create sculptures that become the subject of her photographic imagery, drawings, and paintings.


sponsored by IFCO / OCI and Fracture
@fractureme and #focusonmoments

2022 June Exhibition
Retro-Perspective
by Grace Bell

June's Art Center Main Gallery exhibition Retro-Perspective by Grace Bell was an up close and personal view of the who's who of Jazz and Blues performers from the past 40 years. Her unique background as a performer as well as being such an accomplished photographer garnered Grace Bell access to many of the greats. The FMAAA was pleased to be able to share her life's work with our Community as well as play host at the end of the month to a lively gallery talk during Lunch ala Art and the FINALE concert performance with some of the original members of the IEE (Iowa Ear Ensemble) John Lake, Patrick Hazell, Will & Grace Parsons.

Two Fishermen and their Art   | May 2022

Big Country by Steve Larimer

Their exhibit featured pieces made individually along with some mixed media collaborative work. Ericson utilizes wood to create finely crafted panels with geometric designs, juxtaposing blocks of color and texture as he designs out the surfaces.

Sea Horse Grotto
by Steve Larimer

Larimer works in a variety of media but focused on painted surfaces for this exhibit. He paints in acrylics/airbrush, watercolors, and ceramics among other media. Larimer creates porcelain tiles reflective of the beautiful patterning found on the sides of trout. 

The Grand Slam
by Mike Ericson

Their collaborative works feature these tiles incorporated with wood designs to form interesting and unique displays.

April 2022

The Annual High School Art Competition is held every year in April. This year's exhibit featured works from Fort Madison Community HS, Holy Trinity HS, Cardinal HS, Central Lee HS, and Keokuk HS. This best of show winner had stiff competition from among the many excellent entries. The exhibit was generously sponsored by Lee County Bank.

March 2022

Lozano has been observing the Chicago downtown area for over 10 years - quiet, patient, with a relentless curiosity. He creates images with an eye on the oddities of life, and a sense of surprise at discovering a hidden world in plain sight. From the urban backdrop of Chicago, he has tried to capture moments that peel away the protective layers that people put in place, revealing an inner dignity and melancholy beauty behind otherwise ordinary scenes. A religious icon painted on a street food truck aims a benevolent gaze on unknowing passersby. A beatific glow surrounds an otherwise anonymous group of workers commuting to the office. Sam’s work attempts to remind us of what may have been lost and forgotten - that there is ethereal beauty everywhere we look. We can find it in the middle of pain, loneliness, and in spontaneous outbursts of joy. Beauty is found in quiet moments of solitude, even in the middle of one of the world’s busiest cities. Sam Lozano is a Fort Madison native now living in the Chicago area.

February 2022

The exhibit runs during February 2022 tracing Guzman’s artistic journey from abstract and mixed media artist, to Art Instructor at Burlington’s Notre Dame and now coming back to her alma mater, Holy Trinity. Her most recent expedition has cast her into the fantastical world of illustration as a children’s book illustrator.

January 2022

FMAAA is delighted every year to welcome Budding Artists from the region's elementary and middle schools to the Main Gallery.

December 2021

FMAAA annually in December welcomes all member artists to submit a selection of their work for exhibition in the Main Gallery. The submissions never disappoint! The winners of a friendly "competition" among the artists are announced during the opening Member's Reception. Categories are: 2D, 3D, Photography, and overall Best in Show.  Hummingbird in Glass - image courtesy of glass artist Craig Wills. This exhibition sponsored courtesy of Bartlett Instruments.

November
RiverCall   ∙  Jim Topic

Jim Topic, of Nauvoo Glassworks in Nauvoo, Illinois, shared his vision of the Mississippi River in this unique and exciting installation. Topic's work encompassed four stages of the river: the Source, At the River, In the River, and Under the River. This exhibit sponsored by Axalta.

October
SimpleBeauty ∙  John Evans

John Evans of Richland, Iowa was influenced by Impressionist and Post-Impressionist painters. He uses pastels because they provide a wonderful link between drawing and painting, providing an integrity to the strokes while allowing for a lively range of colors. His works are primarily in pastel and colored pencil. Evans is a founding member of the Iowa Pastel Society and remains a Signature Member. Exhibition sponsored by DuPont.

September
Huff Stuff  ∙   Rick Huff

Fort Madison native, Rick Huff, creates sculptural assemblage from found and repurposed historical objects. His work is a seamless blend of the old and new, creating a Steampunk-like visual vibe. This exhibition sponsored by Potowonok Circle of King's Daughters.

July
Final Frontier ∙ James Walker Henry

James Walker Henry of Burlington, Iowa is influenced by Surrealism in his oil paintings that convey both storytelling and social commentary. The highly relatable visuals span a remarkable career with Henry's work appearing in collections around the world. This month's exhibition sponsored by Climax Molybdenum.

June ∙  Photography

This year's group photography exhibition included work by four area photographers. Largely self-taught, each individual developed their own particular style and interpretation of subject. This exhibit sponsored by Connection Bank.

Fort Madison Area Arts Association  |  825 Avenue G  Fort Madison, Iowa  52627  |  319 ∙ 372 ∙ 3996
All image rights retained to Fort Madison Area Arts Association or the artist unless otherwise noted.