2021 Art on the Prairie Festival
Art on the Prairie is a unique festival celebrating art, music, literature, and the joys of small town living, all wrapped up in a two day event in historic downtown Perry during the second weekend in November.
Relive the 2021 Festival:
In the News:
11th Annual Event to Take Place In-Person at 7 Buildings
Perry, October 25, 2021 – The Art on the Prairie Festival returns as an in-person event this year, set to take place in seven historic downtown Perry buildings on Saturday and Sunday, November 13th and 14th, 10am-5pm and 10am-4pm, respectively. After shifting to an online-only format in 2020, organizers are excited to bring the event back with a similar format as the ten previous events. The annual art festival – which first took place back in 2010 – has become an annual tradition for the community, drawing hundreds of visitors to experience the many activities of the festival, as well as the growing number of opportunities to shop and dine in downtown Perry.
“More than an arts festival” has become a mantra of the organization, as Art on the Prairie has witnessed a rebirth of culture through the arts in this small town set on the prairie. Celebrating art, music, literature, and the joys of small-town living, the festival has grown over the years to now fill seven buildings within three blocks of downtown Perry – Hotel Pattee, Security Bank Building, Perry Public Library, Carnegie Library, Town/Craft Center, Betsy Peterson Designs, and La Poste – to create a weekend full of visual art displays, live music performances, and youth activities.
“We are so excited to see the festival return in-person this year,” Art on the Prairie Board Member Mary Rose Nichols explains, “as we know it means so much to our community – the business owners, shoppers and all the artists that participate in the event. There will be a handful of adjustments this year with public safety in mind, specifically with spacing out of artist booths and activities, but ultimately we are looking forward to bringing back all the key elements that make the event so special!”
The juried arts festival will feature 40 visual artists from across Iowa, displaying a variety of works, including ceramics, painting, jewelry, photography, fiber arts, printmaking, glass, wood, and folk art. The musical talents of 30 musicians will fill the historic venues with live acoustic, unplugged music for the two-day festival. Unlike previous events, no poetry readings will take place this year, but local artist displays and youth activities will again take place at the Perry Public Library.
A festival-feature this year will be three children’s concerts at the Perry Public Library: Saturday at 10:30am and 1:30pm, as well as Sunday at 1pm. International award-winning singer/songwriter, Chad Elliott will perform songs from his Wilderman’s Treetop Tales, a collection of whimsical poems and paintings with accompanying song album. The book is designed with children in mind and contains both heartwarming and giggle-worthy poetry accompanied by Chad’s own illustrations. His interdisciplinary offering of art, music, writing, and storytelling allows the whole family to embrace wild imagination. Enjoy the concert while surrounded by an exhibit of the original 3’x4’ paintings that illustrate each song.
This year’s featured visual artists are Jennifer Drinkwater of Ames and the 2019 People’s Choice Betsy Peterson of Perry. Voted as the show favorite in 2019, Betsy Peterson will be located at her own gallery, Betsy Peterson Designs at 1121 2nd Street, filled with her original creations. Jennifer Drinkwater will be featured in The Cellar of La Poste, 1219 Warford Street, displaying works from her The What’s Good Project which “celebrates the meaningful stories from where we live.” Inspired by the conversations she has with folks around the country, artist Jennifer Drinkwater creates original paintings about what’s good in each of their communities. A portion of each art sale is donated back to these communities.
The event is free to the public and facilitated by a dedicated volunteer team, coordinated with a number of community partners. The Art on the Prairie organization wishes to thank all those that have supported the event in any way over the years – from countless volunteer hours to financial support of all sizes. Special thanks to those that have committed significant financial support to make this year’s festival a success, including Windsor & Patricia Wenz, Raccoon Valley Bank, Barbara Wolling, Alan & Monica Peitz, Hy-Vee, Carol & Derek Van Kirk, Cindi & Shannon Bryan, Hastings Funeral, Perry Greenhouse & Supply, Carol & Dirk Cavanaugh, and Vicki & Jerry Lage.
A full schedule of activities during the 11th Annual Art on the Prairie Festival as well as detailed information regarding artists, musicians, and youth activities are available at www.ArtonthePrairie.org and the Art on the Prairie Facebook page www.Facebook.com/ArtonthePrairie.
“More than an arts festival” has become a mantra of the organization, as Art on the Prairie has witnessed a rebirth of culture through the arts in this small town set on the prairie. Celebrating art, music, literature, and the joys of small-town living, the festival has grown over the years to now fill seven buildings within three blocks of downtown Perry – Hotel Pattee, Security Bank Building, Perry Public Library, Carnegie Library, Town/Craft Center, Betsy Peterson Designs, and La Poste – to create a weekend full of visual art displays, live music performances, and youth activities.
“We are so excited to see the festival return in-person this year,” Art on the Prairie Board Member Mary Rose Nichols explains, “as we know it means so much to our community – the business owners, shoppers and all the artists that participate in the event. There will be a handful of adjustments this year with public safety in mind, specifically with spacing out of artist booths and activities, but ultimately we are looking forward to bringing back all the key elements that make the event so special!”
The juried arts festival will feature 40 visual artists from across Iowa, displaying a variety of works, including ceramics, painting, jewelry, photography, fiber arts, printmaking, glass, wood, and folk art. The musical talents of 30 musicians will fill the historic venues with live acoustic, unplugged music for the two-day festival. Unlike previous events, no poetry readings will take place this year, but local artist displays and youth activities will again take place at the Perry Public Library.
A festival-feature this year will be three children’s concerts at the Perry Public Library: Saturday at 10:30am and 1:30pm, as well as Sunday at 1pm. International award-winning singer/songwriter, Chad Elliott will perform songs from his Wilderman’s Treetop Tales, a collection of whimsical poems and paintings with accompanying song album. The book is designed with children in mind and contains both heartwarming and giggle-worthy poetry accompanied by Chad’s own illustrations. His interdisciplinary offering of art, music, writing, and storytelling allows the whole family to embrace wild imagination. Enjoy the concert while surrounded by an exhibit of the original 3’x4’ paintings that illustrate each song.
This year’s featured visual artists are Jennifer Drinkwater of Ames and the 2019 People’s Choice Betsy Peterson of Perry. Voted as the show favorite in 2019, Betsy Peterson will be located at her own gallery, Betsy Peterson Designs at 1121 2nd Street, filled with her original creations. Jennifer Drinkwater will be featured in The Cellar of La Poste, 1219 Warford Street, displaying works from her The What’s Good Project which “celebrates the meaningful stories from where we live.” Inspired by the conversations she has with folks around the country, artist Jennifer Drinkwater creates original paintings about what’s good in each of their communities. A portion of each art sale is donated back to these communities.
The event is free to the public and facilitated by a dedicated volunteer team, coordinated with a number of community partners. The Art on the Prairie organization wishes to thank all those that have supported the event in any way over the years – from countless volunteer hours to financial support of all sizes. Special thanks to those that have committed significant financial support to make this year’s festival a success, including Windsor & Patricia Wenz, Raccoon Valley Bank, Barbara Wolling, Alan & Monica Peitz, Hy-Vee, Carol & Derek Van Kirk, Cindi & Shannon Bryan, Hastings Funeral, Perry Greenhouse & Supply, Carol & Dirk Cavanaugh, and Vicki & Jerry Lage.
A full schedule of activities during the 11th Annual Art on the Prairie Festival as well as detailed information regarding artists, musicians, and youth activities are available at www.ArtonthePrairie.org and the Art on the Prairie Facebook page www.Facebook.com/ArtonthePrairie.