Southwest Iowa Art Tour has Harlan stop featuring Seven Artists

 AREA — The Eleventh Annual Southwest Iowa Art Tour is scheduled for September 21 and 21 with sneak peaks available at limited locations on Friday, September 20.
 This year, Market Street Gifts, located at 608 Market St. on the north side of the square in downtown Harlan, is one of the 20 stops in Southwest Iowa to see work from local artists in painting, sculpture, fabric art, photography, pottery, wood carving, jewelry and mixed media.
 Bringing these artists to Harlan is made possible through the work of Harlan Location Coordinator Kristine Olson-Harmon and the Shelby County Hotel Motel Tax Funds. Southwest Iowa Art Tour Coordinator, Becca Castle Laughlin, shared about this year’s tour, “Over the past 11 years, the Southwest Iowa Art Tour has grown in both artist participation and visitor attendance, each year cultivating a significant multi-faceted impact for the communities and artists involved.  It has been very rewarding to work with the artists and Gathering Places and get to see a behind-the-scenes look at the rich variety of talent that we have right here in our own backyard, and the immense support that our sponsors put behind the event.”
 Across the 20 Gathering Places in Southwest Iowa, more than 80 artists will be available selling their work.  Those 20 Gathering Places have been placed on a map that art enthusiasts can set out on a trip to visit as many as they have time for.  There is an interactive map available on www.swiarttour.com. The seven artists that will be onsite at the Harlan location include Hope Chipman (Acorns & Hope), Katie DuVal Mihelich (Katie DuVal Jewelry), Alexa Hoffmann (The Paisley Paintbrush), Kari Lewis (Kari Lewis Art), Haley McAndrews (Red Stone Art Studio), Denice Peters, and Kimberly Piro.
 More about the artists
 HOPE CHIPMAN| Fiber/Reed Art, Weaving
Hope Chipman, of Harlan, Iowa has a passion for creating a little bit of everything and she knows that from little things, big things grow. Like a giant oak tree grows from a single acorn, a passion can grow with time, persistence, and nurturing. She gravitates toward functional art, specifically baskets. Hope loves using different materials, colors, and patterns to create unique pieces that can be both enjoyed and used in everyday life.
 Hope shared about her artwork, “I am excited to showcase some new basket weaving techniques and designs this year! You will find my signature rope baskets, along with some new items.”
KATIE DUVAL MIHELICH | Metals/Jewelry
Born and raised in rural Iowa, Katie DuVal Mihelich holds an MFA in Integrated Visual Arts with an emphasis in jewelry and metalsmithing from Iowa State University. She is a certified Gemological Institute of America Applied Jewelry Professional. Her work has been featured in Midwest Metalsmiths, New York Jewelry Week in New York City, and exhibited in national juried shows. In 2022, She was the winner of March Bridal Madness for her custom engagement ring design. Katie is currently an instructor of metals at Iowa State University.
As a form of storytelling, Katie creates wearable art and personal objects with jewelry and metalsmithing fabrication techniques. Using precious and semi-precious metals and stones, these physical objects are infused with the spirit of the intangible and give life to the inexpressible. By being vulnerable and transparent with the stories she shares, Katie creates opportunities for human connection and understanding.
 ALEXA HOFFMANN | Multimedia
Alexa Hoffmann is an artist as well as an art educator, living in Dexter, Iowa. She loves experimenting with new mediums and styles, which has led to a variety of subject matter. You can find everything from works based, to trees and birds in her work. Visual and physical texture is something that is reoccurring in her work.
 Alexa shared about her artwork, “I find joy in new ideas and ways of creating art. I tend to jump from medium to medium with acrylic and mixed media being the one that I mainly focus my efforts in.  I do enjoy abstract work, as well as more recognizable subject matter. This gives me a broader range of people interested in my work.”
 DENICE PETERS | Pastels
Denice Peters is a well-recognized Contemporary Realism artist. This native of NW Iowa has painted with pastels for over 30 years. Her work centers around dramatic light and mood. She’s achieved a level of talent that’s garnering her national recognition in magazines, competitions and winning National and International awards. She has also recently had a 2-page article on her work in the major art magazine ‘American Art Collector’. Denice has also attained the honor of being a juried member of the prestigious International Guild of Realism and Signature Status level in the Pastel Society of America, MidAmerican Pastel Society and Iowa Pastel Society, in which she was also a former President. She continues to hold a studio in her home in Denison.
 Denice said, “My goal is to create realistic pastel paintings using strong light and shadow with a bit of nostalgia and a sense of peace. I’m attracted by the effect that light has on objects. It’s this spark of brightness shining against the darkness that inspires my work. Regardless of the subject, every painting is about this dramatic glow that I hope evokes an emotional response. I paint without any tools other than my fingers and pastel sticks. I paint using my own ‘set ups’ in my studio and from photos. Self-taught, I paint in my self-honed style that I call ‘Blended Reality’. I want to help others see the beauty and peace that is all around us. Life is too short to do otherwise.”
 KARI LEWIS | Watercolor, Acrylic
Kari Lewis considers herself to be an art teacher and an artist. Living in Omaha, Nebraska, Kari has taught high school art for 27 years, and has the support of her family in her art. She enjoys watching her students learn and improve in their skills and well as seeing them evolve and become confident in their art.
 Kari shared about her artwork, “Most of my work portrays images of animals using bright expressive colors. I enjoy using the freedom of watercolor or watered-down acrylics to create images that have life and personality. I love to create and paint the wonder and creativity that is in nature. Each animal has its own personality, and I don’t know that I can ever get bored with trying to capture and portray that for others to appreciate and enjoy.”
 HALEY MCANDREWS | Author, Illustrator, Watercolor
An award-winning artist living in central Iowa, Haley McAndrews was born in South Carolina. In 2009, McAndrews graduated from St. Cloud State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Art: Photography. She paints traditionally with watercolors and acrylics; however, her first artistic love has always been drawing. In addition to visual arts, McAndrews is also a writer. She has written and illustrated two children’s picture books; with her third scheduled for release Summer 2024. Also set for publication is her first book of illustrated poetry, Toaster Haiku.
 Haley said,  “While my degree is in photography, and much of my expertise is with digital manipulation, my first love has always been drawing cartoons and comics. When I took my first painting class in college, my professor told me, ‘I don’t particularly like your work, but children need real art too.’ I took it as a compliment then and believe it has influenced a lot of my artwork (particularly my watercolors). Most recently I have been working in mixed media, collaging a variety of materials into a single piece of art. This process has been a lot of fun and has taken my art in a new direction. I’ve also really enjoyed illustrating not only my own children’s books, but other authors’ books as well.”
 KIMBERLY PIRO | Multimedia
Kimberly is an art educator for the Harlan Community Schools and a former graphic designer. She has been in education for 12 years, concentrating on Elementary art. Kimberly makes her own whenever she feels those creative thoughts need an outlet for escape. She lives in Harlan with her husband and daughter and participates in local art whenever possible.
 Kimberly shared about her artwork, “Most of my artwork begins as an experiment to push the boundaries of the mediums typical use until I develop something new and worthy of additional exploration. I’m inspired by my art students, art history, and my everyday experiences. I’m an art educator and teach all different mediums, so I don’t stick with one for an extended amount of time because my interests are in all art forms.”