Art on the Prairie is just around the corner, so Art on the Prairie promoter Jenny Eklund stopped by the Hotel Pattee Tuesday to give the Perry Kiwanis a run down on what is occurring with this year’s event.
Eklund was welcomed to the meeting by five-year member and current Perry Kiwanis Club President Tricia Steffen.
Eklund told the assembled Kiwanians at their weekly noon luncheon meeting that 2016 will mark the seventh year for Art on the Prairie in the Perry community. The art-poetry-music event brings several thousand visitors to town and showcases our community in a progressive and positive light, she said.
This year’s Art on the Prairie festivities begin Saturday, Nov. 12 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and continue Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Eklund said there will be activities in eight local venues, featuring 65 artists, 30 musicians and 20 poets.
Several artists who are well known in their craft across Iowa and nationwide will be participating, and a variety of types of art and craft will be on display, demonstrated and created during these two days.
Eklund described an artist fascinated with fire flies who will host a series called “The Fire Fly Experience.” There will also be a project involving the Perry Elementary School students, who were each given a camera with 24 exposures and asked to take pictures. Their photos will be made into a piece of art.
There are also many other live projects shown over the two days. At each location, displays of art and several other artists will offer demonstrations that the public can participate in. Musicians will be playing at each of the eight buildings.
Eklund said as a unique way of getting area businesses involved, businesses were listed in the program as a sponsor free of charge if they would allow an artist to locate in their store. For example, Ben’s Five and Dime will be hosting a face painter, and Perry Floral Greenhouse and Gifts will be featuring music and wine tasting along with other events.
Before the weekly guest presentation, the Perry Kiwanis Club held a board meeting. Tricia Steffen will be the club president this year until Oct. 1, 2017, and Vince Sturm is president elect and will become president next season.
Jeremy Winter will be next’year’s vice president and take over as president for the 2018-2019 season.
The holiday season is beginning, and the Perry Kiwanis Club will be passing out pencils at the Safe and Healthy Halloween at the Dallas County Hospital from 5-6:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28. The club also voted to donate $300 to the Shop with a Cop Program.
Planning for the Kiwanis Club annual Christmas party has begin, and the club will contact the Perry schools about the Tree of Need program to participate with this project. The annual Kiwanis Pancake Day has also been scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 25, 2017, at the McCreary Community Building from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
