Art Adventures
5 Ways to Experience Local Art with FACE of Mahaska County:
FACE (Fine Arts & Cultural Events) of Mahaska County is the area’s nonprofit arts organization.
- Explore the Oskaloosa Sculpture Tour, a rotating public art program of outdoor sculptures. Sculptures are traded out each year, so visit in the spring and later in summer or fall to view both sets! Download the Audiocast App or scan the QR codes on sculptures for info.
- Visit the Oskaloosa Art Gallery. Art is swapped every two months. Gallery is open by appointment; call ahead.
- FACE offers fun art classes for all ages: ”Art Uncorked” for adults and “Creative Juices” for kids ages 6-12. No experience needed! The Sculpture Workshop offers adult classes in welding, plasma cutting, and other sculpture techniques. Additionally, summer camps are offered for youth each summer.
- Catch a concert in the Outer Space, an intimate performance venue at the Art Center.
- Find the downtown murals, and learn about local history through vibrant, colorful public art.
Learn More:
faceofmahaska.com • (641) 676-4694
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More places where art and history play together…
Trolley #4 Mural
113 High Ave W • Oskaloosa, IA
A trolley once again sits in downtown Oskaloosa, but it will no longer take you anywhere! Step into the alley between Hunter’s Gift & Coffee Café and Taso’s Steakhouse to see the Oskaloosa Traction & Light Co. mural painted by local artist Brant Bollman. “I am fascinated by a time gone by when people would hop on the trolley to ride from Beacon to downtown or from downtown to William Penn,” says Bollman. “The trolleys would taxi on High Avenue and wait for their scheduled route times.”
“I like the idea of plucking a moment out of time and setting it in that alley.” - Brant Bollman, Artist
Oskaloosa Herald Murals
123 N Market St • Oskaloosa, IA
On the back (west) side of the former Herald building, local artist Matt Kargol installed three bright yellow murals. “I wanted to make the murals glow in a similar way to how it used to glow late at night as I would return from an away football game and the writers, editors, and press operators would be working to get the sports written and printed for the Saturday morning paper,” says Kargol. “It was always magical to drive by the printing press and the beautiful glow that would emanate through the window into the streets.”
John F. Lacey Mural
102 1st Ave E • Oskaloosa, IA
On the side of the building at the corner of 1st Ave E and S Market, local artist Brant Bollman painted a bold blue mural celebrating a figure of local history: John F. Lacey. “General Lacey is perhaps the most consequential person to ever live in Mahaska County,” says Bollman. “He went on to become a Civil War Hero, an 8-Term Congressman, and the legislative father of the National Park System.”
The Alley
109-115 S Market St • Oskaloosa, IA
Take a stroll or dine outdoors in The Alley between Smokey Row and Lu Roo & Co Boutique/Bridal Dreams. The Alley is lined with tables and chairs, murals by FACE of Mahaska County, and stories of local history.
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