Arts Center members dine out for annual meeting

By Travis Fischer, tkfischer@charlescitypress.com

Area art lovers braved the weekend cold to attend the annual Member Appreciation Dinner at the Charles City Arts Center on Saturday, Jan. 18.

With dinner catered by Taste out of Osage, wine provided by Prologue, and acoustic guitar music performed by Paul Weitzel, the Arts Center patrons enjoyed an evening of dinner and conversation with fellow members.

“It’s been really fun,” said Arts Center Director Emily Kiewel. “I haven’t seen this many members together in a really long time, so that’s been great to see.”

The event also served as a commemoration, recognizing the passing of longtime contributors John and Jody Flint.

“They were longtime members and came to all of our events,” said Kiewel. “We will miss them.”

Along with getting wined and dined, Arts Center members received an update on the Arts Center’s activities, reviewing programs over the last year and looking ahead to upcoming events.

Arts Council Board President Dr. Robert Mulcahy reported that the Arts Council has developed a three-year plan for the Arts Center and thanked the various board members and other volunteers who contribute to the Arts Center.

“We are very appreciative of your service,” said Mulcahy.

Also recognized were Meredith Hamm, who for five years now has been teaching art classes to elementary students; Shaune Fields, who has been organizing the Arts Center and leading programs for young children, and Polly Krikorian, who has started programming for seniors.

A report was also given on last year’s Art-a-Fest, which enjoyed an expanded reach, drawing in 3,150 attendees. Planning for this year’s event will begin in February.

Coming up in 2025, the Arts Center will begin a new slate of featured exhibits, starting with the work of Andreas Soemadi in February.

Soemandi’s exhibit will be followed by S&C Design Studio in March and the High School Art Show in April.

Starting in May, the Arts Center will be hosting featured exhibits for six weeks, rather than having a monthly exhibit, which will allow more opportunities for interested viewers to work a visit into their schedule.

May’s featured artist will be Riva Nayaju, followed by Julie Hughes in July, Danelle Clark in September, and work borrowed the Waterloo Center for the Arts in November.

As usual, receptions will be held on the first Friday of the month where people are invited to view the new works on display and interact with the featured artist in person.

“These gatherings are a great way to meet with the artists and gain an appreciation of their works,” said Mulcahy.

Outside of the featured exhibits, the Arts Center will be hosting a Regional Arts Forum on March 25, has scheduled its Global Café fundraiser for April 5, and will hold its usual Holiday Art Market in December.

The Arts Center’s biggest event, Art-a-Fest, will take place on Saturday, Aug. 16.