The Arts On Display In Oskaloosa
Artists and members of the Mahaska Chamber and Development celebrated the opening of Envision Art Gallery this past week.
November 6th, 2021
Oskaloosa, Iowa – Art in Oskaloosa has been on full display as fall leads into winter.
The professional season at George Daily Auditorium also supports youth performing arts with the area schools and various theater camps.
There is also the year-round sculpture display around the community, and Art on the Square is one of the largest events downtown during the summer months.
At William Penn University, they hosted an Artist Talk with Brian Alves, who had completed a 10-day residency at their media lab.
At the Oskaloosa Art Center, they celebrated the work of Jenny Sammons with her opening reception, “The End of Sorrow.”
Sammons said of her show, that features works created over the past years, “The work is a representation of the joy that can be experienced through hardship, and an outcry for the end of sorry, the end of division, and the beginning of more love on the planet.”
Inside of Penn Central Mall, a new art gallery has opened its door for the season, and if all goes well, further into the future.
The gallery currently features two and three-dimensional art by local and international artists, most of which are on sale.
Julie Ver Steegh is one of the local artists whose work is on display and available for purchase.
Ver Steegh studied art in college and was a certified teacher. After that, she took a job with a local company as a graphics designer. However, she continues to enjoy creating art in her spare time and was excited for the opportunity to share that in a gallery setting.
“I don’t want to just hang it on my walls at home, so it’s nice to have the experience, the opportunity to share this.” Ver Steegh added, “I have people I’ve known for 20 years or more, and they say, Oh, I didn’t know you did this. So it’s a good opportunity to share my work and my skills.”
Vera Babich, who is the spearhead for the project, says the idea for the gallery has been in her head for a while. “So with the support of Penn Central Mall and knowing so many artists here in the community, I thought this would be a great opportunity for people to show their art.”
Babich was quick to thank various entities and people around the community for their support of the project.
The gallery is an extension of the many other art displays around the community but allows people to find and purchase art on a set schedule of hours.
You can visit Envision Art Gallery inside of Penn Central mall Monday through Saturday 11:30 am to 6 pm, and Sunday’s from noon to 5 pm.
You can also find them on Facebook HERE – Page
