Kristen Greteman, one of the 20 artists who documented Iowa’s state parks, photographs the Pine Creek Grist Mill at Wildcat Den State Park in 2019. Photo: Iowa DNR
More than 100 years ago, Backbone State Park in Delaware County became Iowa’s first state park. Since then, the park system has grown to 72 parks and forests across the state. An exhibition to celebrate last year’s centennial, named “20 Artists, 20 Parks,” was created in 2019 and is now on display at the Sioux City Art Center through May 9—the final stop in its 2020-21 statewide tour.
The project, which began in 2019, matched 20 faculty and graduate student artists from three of Iowa State University’s colleges—Design; Agriculture and Life Sciences; and Liberal Arts and Sciences—with 20 state parks to create personalized artwork. The parks were selected based on their ecological, geological and cultural experiences.
A number of organizations had a hand in “20 Artists, 20 Parks,” including the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Iowa State University College of Design and the Iowa Arts Council.
The Sioux City Art Center is open with regular hours. Social distancing and face coverings are required. Find a list of artists and more information about “20 Artists, 20 Parks” here.
