Untitled Mural in Des Moines

what i wore:
Thrifted vintage striped dress (buy similar here)
Emma t-strap flats in black c/o B.A.I.T. Footwear (buy here)
Revlon Lip Butter in Wild Watermelon (buy similar here)
double amethyst necklace from Inanimate Objects (buy similar here)
amethyst triangle ring from Moorea Seal (buy here)

I stumbled across this mural in a photo on instagram, and set out to find it with my friend Alex today. It is located near Mars Cafe in the Drake neighborhood (exact location here). This mural was created by Jordan Weber, a local artist whose work is rooted in social activism that is portrayed through the use of recognizable cartoon characters (read a great article about him on Gestalt Creatives here). Not only is his work aesthetically interesting, but it also opens up discussion.

Once again, I am so excited about the emerging public art lately in Des Moines (1, 2). Although, I read here that the mural is only temporary, I'm happy that it exists right now and I got the chance to experience it. I can't believe I didn't even know about it until recently when it was done  in 2011. Isn't that strange? Anyways. I hope to keep up more with public art, and hope to take more photos with everything I can! It's an exciting adventure.

So onto the outfit. I simply adore this vintage striped purple and gray puff sleeved dress. I picked it up thrifting one day and knew right away it would be a perfect light, airy dress for summer. I love the thin stripes and light gray. I've got to say, this lip butter is amazing. I like how it fades evenly and acts like a lip stain. It's perfect.

This day, I taught Alex how to sew a zipper pouch, we went to Drake Diner for dinner, I got the amazing veggie rarebit burger, crinkle-cut fries, and a strawberry milkshake of course. Then, we headed over to the Drake Neighborhood's Farmer's Market where I picked up some delicious cherries. After that we searched for the mural, found it, and spent a while there taking photos. Then we walked to Mars Cafe where I got some iced coffee, and headed to Creative Coldsnow to wrap up our day to look at art supplies where I bought a couple moleskin journals which I will attempt to use daily or at least weekly.

Other sources to check out:
Des Moines Greater Public Art Foundation
Street Art DM Blog
Jordan Weber blog
Gestalt Creatives

Thoughts about this mural? I would love to hear them.

Reunited, With Bees

what i wore:
thrifted blue dress with pleated skirt (buy similar here)
tan faux leather jacket with eyelet detail from Target (buy here)
purple suede heels in Eggplant a Kiss c/o Chromatic Gallerie (buy here)
lipstick in Girl About Town from MAC Cosmetics (buy here)

With a name like that, why wouldn't this be one of my favorite murals in Des Moines? I've been really enjoying all of the colorful murals popping up around downtown Des Moines (like this one) and would love to see this trend continue. I discovered this mural driving one day, and finally had the chance to come back to it and snap some photos.

Reunited, With Bees is a mural by local artist Frank Hansen. I think it's fantastic. With a touch of whimsy and an edge in a naive style, it makes for great public art. Here is a good article written about the artist by Art Beacon.

Before coming to this mural, David and I had just gone to see Jersey Boys with his family at the Civic Center. I don't know much about musicals, so I didn't really know much about this one going it, but I thoroughly enjoyed it! I'm glad that we get the opportunity to see productions such as this one.

The weather has been reminiscent of fall as of lately, and I really enjoy it. I even got the change to wear a faux leather jacket, even though as the day went on, it got a little too hot, but that's ok. I love the this blue jewel toned dress. It's so basic and easy to wear!

What are your favorite murals in your area!? I'd like to see/hear about it/them.

Welcome Back to Walnut Street!

These photos are from the Welcome Back to Walnut Street event in Des Moines, that I attended recently. This event is an effort of the Downtown Community Alliance with help from Mickey Davis, project manager at Des Moines Social Club, to introduce the public to the redevelopment efforts within Walnut street. There were pop-up shops, food trucks, live music, a pop-up gallery that I was happy to be a part of (my display is the third image from the top), and a collaborative art making space featuring local artist Jon Pearson and his work. I was really intrigued by this idea of collaborative art. Basically, the artist put up signs around this slightly enclosed space off to the side of the street the invited the public to participate in art making. There were various panels set up inside the space with a variety of media spread out on a table for public use. It was interesting to see how others interacted with these panels. My boyfriend even contributed to a couple panels, and it was a lot of fun seeing the work transform in front of your eyes from various contributions. I really love the idea of collaboration and this just hit the spot. It is a fantastic idea, and I hope it happens again and more often.

Oh, and of course we had some amazing tacos from the Taco Loco truck.

If you are in or around the Des Moines area, you should try to make it to one of these events! It's amazing how much this city is growing and changing.

Additional Welcome Back to Walnut Street events will be held on Walnut Street from 11:00 AM – 2:00PM on the following dates:
July 19, between Sixth and Seventh streets
Aug. 16, between Seventh and Eighth streets
Sept. 13, between Fifth and Sixth streets

PS China pictures will come soon. There are just so many to go through! Hold tight.

What do you think of public collaborative art? Would you contribute?

No Action Too Small

what i wore:
Frost dress from Dame and Maiden (buy here)
black textured tights from Target (buy similar here)
light grey Anne Klein coat from Dillard's (buy similar here)
Francoise booties from Shoemint (buy here)

What's better than a gorgeous brightly colored mural? One that is educational as well! My interest in this mural was peaked by an Instagram photo I saw. After I saw it last night at the art crawl in the East Village, I looked up information about the mural. It turns out that this mural entitled, "No Action Too Small" by Chris Vance was commissioned by the Metro Waste Authority to inspire and educate the public on recycling and protecting the earth. The artists used recycled paint with some of it coming from Metro’s own Metro Hazardous Waste Drop-Off. I think that this is a great and progressive step for the arts in Des Moines. You can read a little more about it here. One great thing about public art is that it has the ability to bring people together, everyone has access to it and can enjoy it.

Anyways, I had a great night last night out with the boyfriend. We honestly don't get out much, but have been trying to make more of an effort. The first Fridays of every month usually contain a lot of events here in Des Moines. First, we stopped by at the art opening of Figmentation, the BFA Thesis show comprised of 5 talented classmates: Megan Ault, Katie Foster, Andrea Piekarcyzk, Garrett Roskam and Stephanie Werning. It was fantastic. Second, we stopped by the opening of III presented/curated by The Eye at the National Heritage Museum Gallery featuring three local artists: Jon Pearson, Cat Rocketship and Dan Welk. It was a mix of sculpture, painting, performance and photography. Lastly, we stopped at the craft crawl in the East Village. We went to Eden to check out The Moon and the Honey (and I bought a Lucy doll, and you can buy one here), Domestica to check out Basemint, and Hill Vintage to check out Ramona Muse. All of it was fantastic.

Tell me about an art event / mural that you love in your local community!

Proximity Press Release

The Anderson Gallery at Drake University will be hosting an exhibition entitled Proximity, featuring new work by four graduating senior Bachelor of Fine Arts students; Meanz Chan, Aron Johnston, Cecily Pincsak, and Hannah Pink. This exhibit, representing the culmination of these students’ educational experiences at Drake University, will run from April 12th through the 28th. The exhibit will showcase art that reflects each of the four individual artists creative process and how these processes, from beginning to end, have been influenced by the close proximity (nearness in space, time, or relationship) in which they have studied and worked during their enrollment in Drake’s art and design program.

The student artists will show a combination of painting, drawing, printmaking, and graphic design work in this senior thesis exhibit, which is free and open to the public. The exhibit opens Friday, April 12th in the Anderson Gallery, located in the Harmon Fine Arts Center, 2505 Carpenter Ave., with an opening reception that evening from 5 to 7pm. Refreshments will be provided.

The Anderson Gallery is open Tuesday through Sunday 12 to 4pm, with extended hours on Thursdays until 8pm, and by appointment.

Each of the four exhibiting artists takes a different approach to their artist process:



Meanz Chan:
Through the use of fantastical elements and the juxtaposition of two-dimensional elements in three-dimensional space, I exaggerate and invent biological fauna and phenomena to create complex and curious situations. My work relies on the various media, textures and intimate detail to create a perplexing feeling.



Aron Johnston:
I explore the relationship between created human environs and the natural environment, with a focus on charismatic mega-fauna and their struggles to exist in a human-dominated world whose technological advances have brought about changes that outpace many of their abilities to adapt. By combining imagery of animals, most of whom are currently endangered, with man-made elements of machinery or electronics I seek to point out the absurdity of our intervention, intentional or otherwise, in a global life system whose complexity and vastness is far greater than our understanding.



Cecily Pincsak:
Informed by my interests in literature and history and anchored by my background in graphic design, my recent work is an investigation of foibles, flaws, and folly. Through the pairing of word and image, I seek to capture the inherent humor and universality of human fallibility.



Hannah Pink:
Drawing has been a passion of mine since childhood, and it has been so rewarding to be able to transfer my love for creatures and critters onto paper," states Hannah Pink, a senior Drawing and Graphic Design double major from Peoria, Illinois. "I create works of art that are compelling and push the viewer into the details, rather than focusing on the bigger concept. I want my artwork to help people grow a deeper appreciation for the wildlife that surrounds our everyday lives.

* This is our official press release for the show! If you are in the Des Moines area, I hope you make it to the opening, and if not I hope you stop by to see the show at some point while it's up. A big thank you to Cecily for designing the postcards and to Aron for writing the press release and getting it out there. Be sure to click through to each artist's website to see more of their work!

** I updated my website last night/this morning with a whole new lot of photos of my design work, be sure to look through! I'm pretty proud of what I've accomplished in the past couple of days. Click here to view my website.