With Perry’s annual Art on the Prairie festival rising on the November horizon, a well-timed edition of Iowa Public Radio’s “Talk of Iowa” program brought together some notable Perry figures Wednesday to talk about the virtues and value of public art.
Charity Nebbe, host of “Talk of Iowa,” interviewed Iowa State University Art Professor Jennifer Drinkwater, who has been involved in several public art projects in Perry, including the steamroller printmaking event in May.
Joining the discussion at the IPR studios were Jenny Eklund, former Perry City Council member and a leading light in Art on the Prairie’s six-year growth, and Butch Niebuhr, retired Perry city administrator and a leading local advocate for the importance of public art.
Since July 1 Drinkwater has occupied a new position as an Iowa State University Extension and Outreach community art extension specialist. She has seen for herself, she said, how communities can use public art as a “means or strategy to improve community and economic development in their area.”
Readers can listen to the full discussion at the “Talk of Iowa” website.
