Why Barns?
The Barn Series: Immortalizing an Icon
No other structure symbolizes the American Midwest quite as powerfully as the family barn. For those of us who grew up here, barns were as perennial as the trees. The heart of every homestead, barns were no less than church steeples — sublime, time-worn landmarks that charted our journeys along winding streets and gravel roads.
But today, these structures are being lost. Many were destroyed by the derecho of 2020 and others are threatened by new development and high preservation costs. My barn series is an attempt to celebrate the survivors and pay visual tribute to those that are gone.
exhibitions & accreditations
Select Exhibitions
2024 “Iowa Exhibited”, juried competition, Polk County Heritage Gallery, Des Moines, IA
2024 “Acrylic International Biennial Juried Exhibition”, Kenosha Public Museum, Kenosha, WI
2024 “Thunderdomesticity: The F-Word”, juried group show, No. 7 Gallery, Vermillion, SD
2023 “Packard Group National Exhibition”, juried group show, No. 7 Gallery, Vermillion, SD
2023 “Iowa State Fair”, juried competition, Des Moines, IA
2023 “Barns on the Art Wall”, solo exhibition, Sanford Museum, Cherokee, IA
2022 "Dreamscape: Surrealism From the Collection," my painting "He would never forget he was the elephant in the room" is in the exhibit, Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, Cedar Rapids, IA "
2022 "Two of a Kind", solo exhibit, Cherry Building Gallery, Cedar Rapids, IA
2022 "Juried Group Exhibit", Jones Gallery, Kansas City, MO
2022 "Valentine 2022" online art exhibit via Gallerium Art Exhibitions, International
2020-2021 "Pandemic art activity", produced six commissioned paintings for collectors in Iowa and Idaho
2018 "One trail. Many paths. Work inspired by the Sac & Fox Trail", solo exhibit, Black Earth Gallery, Cedar Rapids, IA
2017 "Of the Earth" exhibit, Polk County Heritage Gallery, Des Moines, IA
Publications
2024 “Studio Visit” publication
2024 “American Artist” publication
2023 "Artstonish" magazine, January 2023
2022 The Book of Arts Publication
2022 "Artstonish" magazine, January 2022
Education
1988 MFA, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
1986 MA, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI
1983 BFA, Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, N
Collections
Cedar Rapids Museum of Art
University of Iowa
Physicians Clinic of Iowa
Various and many private collections