A native of Iowa City, Amy Dobrian graduated from Dartmouth College in 1987 with a dual major in French and Visual Arts, after which she studied drawing, painting, and printmaking at the Lacoste School of the Arts in Lacoste, France. She received an MA in printmaking in 1990 and an MFA in printmaking and drawing in 1992, both from the University of Iowa.
Monica Correia is Associate Professor and head of the 3D Design Program at the University of Iowa School of Art and Art History. She received her “Cum Laude” Bachelor of Architecture degree from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and her MFA degree in 3D Design from the University of Iowa. Before moving to the US, she taught at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro School of Architecture.
Léonard Kibala was born in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He came to the United States in a diversity lottery that he won in 2019. When asked what his motivation he said, “I am an artist. I must not be silent. Painting portraits is my way to express my artistic talent to the American public. The United States is a country of opportunities. I hope I can realize my artistic dreams here.”
A few years ago, I traveled to northern New Mexico and visited the stunning canyons at Ghost Ranch. Ghost Ranch was Georgia O’Keefe’s home and where she painted many of the stark landscapes for which she is famous. I later learned that some of her first works were of New York cityscapes, when skyscrapers changed both the skyline and the way people lived in the 1920s. Later in life, her paintings depicting aerial views of clouds and sky were inspired by her airplane travels. O’Keefe was also known for her iconic impressions of flowers.
Cheryl Jacobsen is a calligrapher and assemblage artist interested in collaborations, materiality, expressive marks, the work of past scribes, teaching, and especially living in Iowa City where she can pursue all these things on a regular basis.
Last week, my wife, Laurie, and I were working our morning crossword, puzzling through a series of clues in the form of quotations. As it turned out, all the clues were from famous artists: Picasso, Gauguin, Dali, and Chagall. Picasso is featured in our film review this month, so it seems appropriate to dig a little deeper into his wisdom.
Austin Caskie is a painter and new media artist from North Carolina now living and working in Iowa City, Iowa. Austin Caskie earned a BFA in Art and Design at the North Carolina State University College of Design.
Last February, ArtiFactory was wrapping up a study that looked at the feasibility of having a community art center in Johnson County. We were also significantly expanding our programming. Most of us had never heard of Covid, Zoom, or derecho.