Exhibitions
With over three hundred works by local and regional artists, the Hearst Center Permanent Collection provides a fascinating perspective on Iowa, the Midwest and the nation.
For more information on exhibitions and the permanent collection, email
Curator/Registrar, Emily Drennan.
To propose exhibition or a gift to the permanent collection, view our Hearst proposal guidelines.
CURRENT
Denis Roussel, Apple Cores, Wet plate collodion tintype, 2012
Denis Rousel, Echo Lake, Cyanotype
Denis Roussel, Apple Cores, Wet plate collodion tintype, 2012
DENIS ROUSSEL: PERMANENCE AND IMPERMANENCE
December 19, 2024-March 9, 2025 in Dahl-Thomas Gallery
Join us for a public reception on Thursday, December 19 from 5:00-6:30 p.m.
Works by chemist and photographer Denis Roussel are featured in this exhibition, which is presented with support and guidance from the late artist’s family and friends. The collection is co-curated by Waterloo Center for the Arts Curator/ Assistant Director, Darrell Taylor, and UNI Associate Professor, Matthew Wilson.
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His journey was one of exploring the remnants of everyday activities around him in his life. He was drawn to look deeper and more closely at the simple and authentic parts of his daily life—his own body, the objects around him, the people around him, and the environment he lived in.”
Matthew Wilson, Exhibition Co-Curator
“Despite his bent to that of scientific inquiry, I think Denis might have been a romantic. He championed once-abandoned photographic practices but used them in novel ways; for example, printing onto cardboard boxes luscious cyanotype portraits of disposable plastic cartons or producing ghostly tintypes of composted vegetable matter. Even his most traditional subjects and processes were in the avant-garde spectrum.”
Darrell Taylor, Exhibition Co-Curator
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Denis Roussel: Permanence and Impermanence and related programs are made possible in part by funding from the Robert and Shirley Berg Fund at the Cedar Falls Community Foundation, the Iowa Arts Council, which exists within the Iowa Economic Development Authority, and legacy funding in memory of Clara A. Trapp.
Sidian Liu, The Conch Girl Project at Fumi's Kitchen (self-portrait wheat-pasted), 2024, ©Sidian Liu
The Conch Girl Project at Fanxy W's Kitchen, 2023, Photo-based socially-engaged project, Brooklyn, New York. ©Sidian Liu
Sidian Liu, The Conch Girl Project at Fumi's Kitchen (self-portrait wheat-pasted), 2024, ©Sidian Liu
SIDIAN LIU: THE CONCH GIRL PROJECT
December 19, 2024-March 9, 2025 on view in Dresser-Robinson Gallery
Join us for a virtual artist talk with Liu at the Hearst on February 4, 2025 at 5:30PM CT. Refreshments by the Bing Ladies, who will recreate some of Liu’s recipes created within The Conch Girl Project.
​Sidian Liu (b. 1997, China) is an image-based artist, translator, yarner, and home builder, currently based in Brooklyn, NY. She utilizes images, performance, installations, and socially-engaged methods to explore possibilities of nesting and loving beyond boundaries. She moved to New York City in 2021 from China. Dealing with her sense of displacement, she started The Conch Girl Project in 2022: she asks strangers to let her use their kitchens in solitude. In return, she cooks them a meal. She asks for the least amount of face-to-face contact during the kitchen visit. After the visit, the resulting photos and the kitchen owners’ responses will later be printed large and wheat-pasted on the green construction boards on New York City streets. The street publication is both a presentation and an open call that invites future collaboration.
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With the support of the 2024 Denis Roussel Fellowship, organized by the Center for Fine Art Photography, Sidian Liu traveled to Fort Collins, CO for a week in September 2024. The resulting photos and recipes are expected to culminate into an exhibition in fall 2025 in Fort Collins.
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Hearst Photo Club 2025 Group Exhibition participants artwork for cover of marketing postcard.
Hearst Photo Club 2025 Group Exhibition participants artwork for cover of marketing postcard.
HEARST PHOTO CLUB: 2025 Group Exhibition
February 1-March 30, 2025
Artist Reception: Sunday, February 9 from 1:30-3:00 p.m.
Visit the classroom level at the Hearst to see the annual exhibition of works by the Hearst Photo Club. Meet the photographers and enjoy refreshments!
Participants: Leila Daryan, Eric Garcia-March, Amber Hartness, Charles Lott, John McCormick, Barbara Myers, Kristin Pehl Kate Petersen, Al Sundt, and Sandra Walker.
Check out the artist bios. *Please note this document will be updated with ongoing bios as we receive them.
UPCOMING
Gary Kelley in his studio.
Gary Kelley in his studio.
DECADES: WORKS BY GARY KELLEY IMAGE IN FOLDER
April 5-August 21, 2025
Public reception: Saturday, June 14 from 2:00-3:30 p.m.
How many of us knew what we wanted to do for a living in elementary school? Illustrator Gary Kelley did. We’ll explore the artist’s works from age 8 to 80. Visit the Hearst galleries to see a hand-picked selection of hand-made art, including some of his favorite monoprints, pastels, sketches, oil paintings… and maybe even a childhood drawing or two.
A screening of "Gary Kelley," a film by David O'Shields will be held Tuesday, June 17 at 7 pm. Both events are free and open to the public at the Hearst Center for the Arts in Cedar Falls.
Gallery View
Gallery View
CEDAR FALLS STUDENT ART EXHIBITION 2025
April 5-May 18, 2025
Join us for a public reception on Sunday, April 6 from 1:00-4:00 p.m.
See what the kids are up to in this annual student art exhibition! The Hearst Center’s tradition of celebrating students and teachers continues this spring with an exhibition of work created in the art rooms of Cedar Falls Community Schools. Pottery, painting, and works on paper abound!
First Fifty Artists
First Fifty Artists
FIRST FIFTY: MADE IN 2025
June 12-August 21, 2025
Drop off date: Thursday, May 22, 2025, doors open at 9:00 a.m.
Public Reception: Thursday, June 12 from 5:30-7:00 p.m.!
New year! New work! Artists are cordially invited to create a work of art in 2025 and participate in the Hearst’s biennial First Fifty exhibition. Plan to line up with your artwork to be one of the fifty artists to be included in this non-competitive gallery exhibition. The artwork must be brought by the artist, be made in 2025, and be readyto-hang. For example, this means that framed work has hanging hardware affixed or that unframed work has clips or some other way to be hung. Video work is stored on portable drive for projecting or ceramics come with a description of your intention for viewing. Works must fit through the door and be non-perishable. Collaborations are welcome. We can’t wait to see you!
To ensure a positive and inclusive environment for all, we ask artists and visitors to refrain from any expressions of hate speech, violence, or behavior that could create a hostile or unsafe space for viewers of all ages. Together, we can celebrate creativity and dialogue while upholding a standard of respect and dignity for everyone.
Read the latest press release on this exhibition!
Online l Hearst Permanent Collection
John Page
View original etchings as part of the Hearst Permeant Collection.
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Gary Kelley l Sleepy Hollow
View the original pastels in the Hearst Permanent Collection as part of the 1990 novel, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow: Original Book Illustrations by Gary Kelley.
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Exhibition James Hearst Interpreting The Farmstead l The Hearst Legacy Site
View original works of art selected from the Hearst Permanent Collection, as part of this grant funded project.