Reviews: Artstop (September 7-8, 2007)

Artstop is a new event in Des Moines this year. It is happening on Friday, September 7 from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. and on Saturday, September 8 from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Locations ranging from the East Village to Valley Junction are united by a free bus route. Look for the Artstop flag at participating galleries, studies, and eating establishments and at special bus stops.

I started my journey through the event at the Shops at Roosevelt (42nd Street north of I-235) on Friday night. Gelaterie Stam has no art other than its Italian-style ice cream. If you stop here, be sure to allow yourself time to savor the flavors and texture. Padma Gallery offers contemporary art as well as antiques from Asia. It has the skull of an Asian elephant from Sumatra, but I was more enchanted by the artisan work of teapots and batik. Modern chair and sculpture designs seemed more forced than inspired. The Hentschel Art Gallery is featuring paintings by Mary Kline-Misol through September 29. The scenes in Chicken Act were inspired by a game that used to be at Riverview Park where a chicken would play a piano, for the cost of a coin. Kline-Misol’s botanical paintings are done with subtlety and a touch of gentle humor. This perspective carries over to her chicken series. Elements, Ltd. carries well-crafted jewelry and other wearable art. It was started in 1995 and is owned by three women who are themselves metal smiths and who represent other artists from across the country. Metals used include gold, silver, platinum, and even steel. Rings incorporate gems into their designs, by color and by shape, rather than merely serving as settings for the stones.

The Artstop buses are intended to be at each stop every 30 minutes or so. There are four buses and the one-way loop takes about an hour to complete. When walking to the Shops at Roosevelt, I saw the Artstop bus pull out about 5:36 p.m. I finished talking with people by 6:20 and pulled out Terry McMillan’s 1989 book, Disappearing Acts, to read. The bus showed up 32 minutes later. I was irritated because it meant I had less time to explore galleries, but I was glad finally to have time to read the well-written novel. I heard other people comment about delayed buses, but there also was understanding that the buses started running during the rush hour. It took 16 minutes to travel from the Shops to Valley Junction, and that included a stop at The Art Store, which is holding its grand opening this weekend at its new location (801 73rd Street). A significant number of people were driving from site to site.

The consensus in Valley Junction was that crowds were about the size for opening nights rather than for Gallery Night. At the Olson-Larsen Galleries, Blair Benz’s charcoals appeared a bit too symmetrical, a problem caused by seeing too much other art too quickly. (That is always a danger in group art events. It also can be a blessing, giving additional meaning to a piece seen later in a show or tour.) The artist’s statement indicated that the sketches were reminiscent of 19th Century prints of natural objects and that is a good description. Dan Mason’s oils on linen were striking due to their texture. The paintings incorporated basic shapes and rich colors that were heightened by their titles. Harbor City II gives the impression of a city built on a cliff and Harbor City III suggests reeds and a shoreline city. At 2AU I was pulled into a conversation about politics and journalism and did not have time to pay much attention to the paintings, jewelry, and sculpture. This gallery tends to carry the work of artists who go a step or two beyond the reality presented by nature.

From Valley Junction I was driven to The Heritage Art Gallery in the old post office, now the Polk County Administrative building, at Walnut and Second Avenue. I had no idea this gallery existed, despite passing it on a regular basis. Currently on display is work by Lucia Hwang and Joyce Lee, both of whom were in attendance on Friday night. The opening show for their work is Friday September 14 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Attend it. The artists love to talk about their art, which is quite good installation art and acrylic paintings.

I am way over my word limit and still wanting to talk about the art I saw and the artists I met. I reached only a few of the numerous locations on the Artstop on my Friday tour. This is why I keep arguing that we need to have regular bus routes that serve businesses and residents at all hours of the day and into the night. A special event with bus service just once a year is unfair, due to its insufficiency, both to people living in Des Moines and to the artists and businesses we want to support.

Guest Writer: M.R. Field is editor of Leading Voices: Iowa.

Sandy Renshaw is Sandy Renshaw is a self-employed communications consultant. You will also find her blogging at Purple Wren.
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