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Honing Your Craft: Bridging Traditional Techniques and Contemporary Art EducatioNIn a world that is constantly evolving, "honing your craft" means more than just practicing a technique. It means staying at the forefront of contemporary art trends while mastering the foundational skills that define our discipline. We aim to reframe the way that traditional craft media is taught by centering student creativity, voice and choice.
2026 Conference Coordinator(s):
Liz Bloomburg and Morgan Singleton |
Location INformation
Our sessions are hosted at Hope+ELIM whose historical space is a hub for community service, activism, and support. The site of the former Elim Christian Fellowship (East Village) was a major hub for civil rights, including a 1959 visit from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
*Art Educators of Iowa does not have any religious affiliations and does not endorse any faith practice or lack thereof. Please note that this event is secular in nature. It is held with no religious intent or affiliation.*
*Art Educators of Iowa does not have any religious affiliations and does not endorse any faith practice or lack thereof. Please note that this event is secular in nature. It is held with no religious intent or affiliation.*
KEYNOTE INFORMATION
Ben Millett
Quiltmaking is Ben Millett's creative outlet outside his work at an agriculture company in Des Moines. He employs personal color palettes in quilts to examine nuances of Queer identity, pop culture, and quiltmaking itself. Turning digital concepts into a physical reality with fabric and thread, he creates to play, to communicate ideas, to further the gay agenda and to make what he wants to see. His work was recently on display in “Iowa Artists 2025: Ben Millett,” the Des Moines Art Center’s first exhibition of a quilt artist.
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Jennifer Lee Jennifer Lee is a ceramicist based in Des Moines, Iowa, creating small-batch functional pottery meant to elevate the everyday. She studied at Kent State University, and her work now sits in galleries and shops across 43 states and Canada. Her love of clay started in high school and never let go. After years of making pottery part-time, Jennifer made the leap to full-time studio work in 2015. Her pieces have been selected for numerous juried shows, including The Taylor Gallery at Principal, the Greater Des Moines Exhibit at Polk Heritage Gallery, Worcester Craft Center, Valley Art Center, Mainframe Art Studios, Good Earth Pottery, BayArts Center, and Savannah Clay Community. She won First Place at Mainframe's Dualities exhibit and Second Place at Mainframe's Nostalgia exhibition. |
VeNDOR INFORMATION
Coming Soon
For questions or to join the committee contact [email protected].
Conference Archives
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October 10 & 11, 2025
CEDAR FALLS Hosted by: UNI 2025 Conference Coordinator(s): Sam Goss and Wendy Miller 2025 Conference Committee: KEYNOTE(s): September 27 & 28, 2024
Mason City Hosted by: NIACC 2024 Conference Coordinator(s): Nicole Nelson (IA), Lindsay Hunkins (MN) KEYNOTE(s): Joe Fusaro, Akwi Nji October 13 & 14, 2023
IOWA CITY Hosted by: University of Iowa 2023 Conference Coordinator(s): Jeanna Gerot & Erin Almelien 2023 Conference Committee: Steve Andersen, Megan Dehner, Peggy Fitzgerald, Sandy Kreinbring, Heather Lasansky, Stephanie Mass, Steve McGuire, Buffy Quintero, Allison Rowe KEYNOTE(s): RACHEL BRANHAM, JORGE LUCERO, CHRIS SCHULTE |
