April News, Second Sunday with Meg Prange

Spring is finally here!

While you're out and about enjoying the beautiful weather pop in to say "Hi" and pick up some Easter and spring time gifts for your loved ones. 💕

Second Sunday

April 14th

1p-3p with artist

Meg Prange

Russell, IA

To those who know Meg Prange as an active outdoor lover, her choice of occupation as an artist who creates hand appliquéd fabric pictures seems uncharacteristically sedentary. To her, it is an exciting adventure and a natural expression of who she is.

Click HERE to learn more about Meg!

ATTENTION JEWELRY LOVERS!

We have NEW jewelry artists to check out! Please stop in the store or browse our website for the latest styles. Both artists listed below have been available for only a few weeks and have been very popular so far. We hope you love them, too!

Felix Z

New York, NY

Felix is a self taught Jewelry Designer based in New York. Born in China, raised in Central America, he came to New York when he was 17 years old. His multicultural exposure has given him a unique perspective in his jewelry design. After seeing the saturation of generic and mass produced Jewelries in the market, he decided to create something meaningful, and unique. He travels around the world sourcing unique gemstones, including trips to India, Brazil, and Uruguay.

His collections focus on handcrafted designs with timeless natural gemstones and precious metals, including 925 Silver and 18k gold.

Pursuits-Vanassa Chan

Toronto, Canada

Vanassa Chan, owner/designer behind Pursuits, draws her artistry inspirations from design, architecture and fashion. She has earned her bachelor's degree in interior design at the University of Central England in Birmingham.

Her background in interior architecture is prevalent in her jewelry designs with composition and form that are visually playful and appealing. Many of their pieces are unique in that they can be worn in two or even three different ways.

Her passion and desire to create led to her experimentation with a wide variety of materials and techniques. Since its launch in 2014, Pursuits has released several micro-collections with a focus on minimalist designs. Each piece is created in her studio based in Toronto, Canada.

Find them here

New Artist Alert!

Colleen Jersild-

Despite Distractions

Wilmette, Illinois

Since 1973, artist Colleen Jersild has been delighting craft enthusiasts with her hand felted soft mice sculptures. Each mouse is costumed with a knitted, sewn and/or painted ensemble, complete with miniature accessories. Jersild’s mice range from Halloween, Christmas, famous musicians, artists, poets, and actors to business professionals and a wide variety of unique characters.

Celebrating 35 Years: Featured Artist

In honor of our 35th anniversary, we will be recognizing several of our longest running artists.

As a thank you to our valued patrons, we are extending a 10% discount off of our featured artist's work for the entire month.

April's Featured Artist:

Russell Karkowski

Iowa City, IA

A founding owner of Iowa Artisans Gallery, Russell Karkowski has been living and working in Iowa City, Iowa for decades. In the past, his custom-designed furniture combined classical elements within modern forms. Unique combinations of wood; cherry, walnut, oak and mahogany lent themselves to Russell's simple, beautiful designs. A pillar not only of the gallery but of the Iowa City area, Russell has been continuously generous to many friends, local nonprofits and schools, donating time, labor and woodworking skills.

Many individuals have commented that they did not fully realize how much of their personal environments are attributed to Russell’s woodworking skills; his pieces are in many local homes. Russell has supplied many businesses with affordable yet classy designs. MidWestOne Bank, River Products, the University of Iowa, and The Englert Theater all have benefited from his exceptional skills. He also made an altar for the Dalai Lama’s visit to California!

Following a serious head injury sustained in November 2009, Russell is now disabled. He has recently returned to creating new works on a limited basis, mostly small tables. In doing so, his timetable for production requires longer than it once did. His customer base continues to love his work and the generous, creative spirit that he embodies. Purchasing ready-made pieces is the easiest option. Please call the Gallery for more information on any special order pieces.