September in Coralville

So much has happened this month, so much work and so many setbacks, but what a transformation!

 

 

20th Anniversary of Iowa Irish Fest

Iowa Irish Fest 2026 (20 Years in Waterloo). A lovely three days in August.

 Ace joins Gaelic Storm on stage!

 

4th of July 2026

 

 

Rhinelander, WI

I was honored to be this year's judge for the 39th Annual Northern National Art Competition, which takes place on the beautiful campus of Nicolet College in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. Out of 600+ entries, my job was to select 100 for a formal exhibition then visit the site to give a lecture and choose some awards. Lucky me! The organizers were impeccable, and the setting was spectacular. 

  

 

 

Four of the award winners, clockwise from UL: Dooney Potter's "Bursts of Ecstasy," Gabriele DiTota's "Shared Ground," Tuan Bui's "Behold, the Man," and Cindy Baird's "Hanging On."

 

Rhinelander, WI, home of the Hodag!

 

A selfie with organizers LeeAnnette Schmidmayr and Jenny Bonardelli. 

 

Standing with award winner Mark Welling in front of his breathtaking time-stacked photograph titled "Cascade."

Red Robe

 May 2026

 

The Katoski Greenbelt

In mid-April, we walked the Katoski Greenbelt just before a big storm. Most of the early blooms are happening.

 UL, clockwise: Virginia Bluebells, Dutchman's Breeches, Bloodroot, and Shooting Star. Not pictured, the Trout Lily.

 

March-ing to Spring

New March Exhibition at the WCA, Twin Passions by Greg Hargreaves. Lots of juicy acrylics on canvas by a former commercial illustrator.

 

A new beard color for 2026:

 

Another new March exhibition at the WCA, Memories of Woodie Long. Woodie was a self-taught artist from Florida whose widow left a large and impressive selection to the Center.