I have learned so much from my friend, Ms. Mary Rose. She conducts herself with dignity and poise. She leads by example. She is a wife, mother, grandmother, business owner; a Rotarian, a chamber member, an artist and I call her our community “saint”. Mary Rose created, and is the backbone, of the Art on the Prairie event in Perry. Art on the Prairie showcases artists' work in a variety of media. Musicians, poets, student exhibits, storytelling and children's art activities are also a part of Art on the Prairie. Her commitment to excellence is the thread that weaves its way through her life.

I tell everyone that when I grow up I want to be Mary Rose. She is a very unique individual with a very special gift for giving, a gift of patience and understanding. She is a living book of experiences in which I gain knowledge and learn new things. She is my mentor and a dear friend whom I can trust and rely on.

You are a great leader Ms. Mary……I respect you and love you. I will continue to turn to you for guidance and direction and hope I can in turn, support you. Thanks for “being there” for our community, for our friends, for our families…….and for me.

My first sight at 2010's Art on the Prairie was a circle of seated women(plus one male, tucked away in the corner of Towncraft's entryway), spinning thread, weaving, crocheting. Customers surrounded them, children reached out to touch, asked questions. Just beyond, a Des Moines sculptor hung metal and wooden art pieces he's has created from discarded metal and wood pieces. His larger works spilled over into into Soumas Court, adjacent to Towncraft.

Beyond the entryway was a room devoted to children's art; on the second floor, two rooms held individual artist units; in one room a pickin' and singing group made music everyone kept time too; people lingered in doorways to hear one more round.

In the hotel lobby, Superman--a school-aged version--changed clothes in a telephone booth. It was an arresting entry to yet more artists' wares in surrounding rooms. A toddler kept time to another pickin' group as he jogged along the outlines of tiling on the hotel floor.
The three hundred display maps to individual artists ran low several hours after the 10:00 a.m. opening; presses ran again and there was no break in the flow.

I could not believe the organization that fleshed out this first
version of Art on the Prairie. How did organizers anticipate the many details that would make the event flow as if it were a tradition? They even gave preference cards for people's favorite display, asking for the zip codes of contributers rather than names, so organizers had a chance to see how far their first invitation had traveled.

I felt proud and admiring of the dynamic women who made even the first Art on the Prairie a finished product.

If you're ever tempted to book a room at the Hotel Pattee, this would be the time to do it. Your room will seem like an extension of Art on the Prairie.

This was a very fun well designed event. We strolled to see all the art and listened to music. It was an enoyable way to spend the afternoon.