Nature-inspired Garden Art Fair returns to Reiman Gardens
The Garden Art Fair is back at Reiman Gardens this year for its 18th season after being canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event, which features nature-inspired art from more than 50 artists, will be held Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“We have a lot of new artists this year,” Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, events coordinator for Reiman, said. “We have some that are returning, but we certainly have a lot of new ones that we’ve never had before. So that’s very exciting.”
She said she was concerned that, although there’s been a groundswell of new artists registering, organizers haven’t heard from some of the loyal artists who have been there in the past.
“I think the pandemic may have had an impact on them not being able to sell their artwork at these kinds of shows for a whole year,” Wessel-Kroeschell said. “The newer artists may have had more time to focus on their artwork so that might be why they are just starting out, but I think it had the opposite effect on some people.”
She said Reiman Gardens seems to be busy now that things are opening back up.
“I feel like there is a huge push to get out, to see things, to see the arts and be out and about,” she said.
Featured artists will display and sell their work in a variety of mediums, such as jewelry, painting, pottery, glass, woodwork, photography, sculpture and fabric arts.
“We’ll have a local glass artist, Art Ciccotti, who has been here several times,” Wessel-Kroeschell said. “People just love his glass art.”
The lineup includes several jewelers, including some new ones this year. Painters, including local artists Louise O’Donnell and Laurie Hoifeldt, are also registered to appear. Several new-to-the-event painters will also be present.
“The Purple Pincushion is a fabric artist who’s been back I think every year that we’ve done this, and she is so very popular. She sometimes has a line outside her booth,” Wessel-Kroeschell said.
Artists’ booths will be set up throughout the interior of Reiman Gardens’ main building as well as along the events plaza outside.
Two vendors will be selling food: Smiles Gyros and Superdogs and Kona Ice.
Admission is free for Reiman Gardens members and Iowa State students. For the general public, it’s the regular cost of admission.
Here are some of the artists who will be at the Garden Art Fair
- Heather Morphew Nelson, Morphew Designs
- Connie Rodgers , Fancy That
- Rayanne Burrack, The Flower Girl
- Jorja Kemp, Creatively Jorja
- Bob Kling
- Yvonne Brune, Creative Department Consortium
- Louise O’Donnell
- Carrol Brandt, Garden Art by Carrol
- Roy and Pam Svenby, Mechanic’s Gems
- Sara Sherman, Ames Public Art Commission
- Elizabeth Loescher, The Looking Glass
- Jim Cronkm River City Pottery
- Art Ciccotti, Ciccotti Art Glass
- Jo Myers-Walker, The Left Bank Studio
- Amy Mueggenberg, Amartistic
- Linda Folden
- Arther Thomas, Thomas Pottery
- Pat Petersen, Conversation Pieces
- Mickey Johnson , Lost Loon Studio
- Bill Rickard
- Anna Gilbert
- Greg Moore, Moore Art
- Joan Moore, Moore Art
- Jennifer Brockpahler, Ames Community Arts Council
- Valerie Williams
- Mika Sorak-Weirback, Thymeglass Studio
- Gary Hoard, Gary Hoard Photography
- Peggy Mothershead, Wild Things & Cornstalk Dreams
- Tom Smith
- Olga Tolmatsky
- Maria Cochran, Ebony & Amber
- Sarah Bierstedt, Purple Pincushion
- Sharon Smith, Designs By Joyful Heart
- Laurie Hoifeldt, Laurie Jane Art
- Lory Chaplin, Lory Chaplin Art
- Rebecca Kobos, Growen Hills Art
- Ryan Halbur, Iowa Creations
- Delaney Lynch, Delaney Lynch Art
- Ruben Ruiz, Deer Creek Ceramics
- Mike Mittermeier, Mittermeier Art & Design
- Mary Howell-Williams, EarthLaughts Photography
- Kriss Hellvig, Liquid Art
- Anna Conway
- Tim Peitz and Lori Field