WAUKEE – A plan now in motion by the Waukee Area Arts Council will see Des Moines artist Ben Schuh execute a live painting during at the Waukee Arts Festival, Sunday, July 10. The work will then be donated to the council.
Cody Kilgore, Waukee Area Arts Council President, said the council is excited to have Schuh contributing to the festival.
“Schuh has demonstrated his ability to create unique, original works of art,” Kilgore said, pointing to examples such as Schuh’s live mural at the Iowa State Fair in 2015, a live painting at a Des Moines Arts Festival Reveal event at Wells Fargo Arena and his recent large-scale container project now on display on 19th Street and U.S. Interstate 235 near downtown Des Moines.
The size of Schuh’s donated painting has not yet been finalized, Kilgore said, but the artist said it will have a retail value of $4,000 to $5,000 and will feature a local theme . Schuh will also display his original paintings at the Waukee Arts Festival with prices starting at $75, and he will be available to discuss custom commissions, Kilgore said.
The Waukee Arts Festival will run from noon until 8 p.m. in Centennial Park in conjunction with the annual Sundays in Centennial concert series. The event will feature local artists, food and beverage vendors, a Farmers Market and live music. The Maytags will headline the Sundays in Centennial concert, capping the day’s entertainment from 6:30-8 p.m.
Schuh lives and works in Des Moines, where he earned degrees in visual art and graphic design from Grand View University. He considers himself “a portraitist of life” and believes it is critical to build relationships with his clients and to support local businesses.
In addition to the Waukee Arts Festival, Schuh will also be in the Des Moines Arts Festival June 24-26. His booth will be downtown by the sculpture park at the corner of 14th Street and Grand Avenue.
