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
Red House Artists
Inside Red House Studios
Red House Artists
RED HOUSE ARTISTS: WORKS BY NOAH DOELY, TAYLOR HANSEN, MONICA SANGUINO, AND ANGELA WASESKUK
September 19-November 27, 2024
Public Reception: Thursday, September 26 from 5:00–6:30 p.m.
Red House Studios, Hearst’s artist residency program, has provided local artists with creative space for five years. Located next to the main Hearst Center building, its residents range from university professors to local artists. In partnership with the UNI Art Department and the Cedar Falls Art & Culture Board, one UNI alumnus annually receives subsidized studio rent, speaks at the art department’s SMART Session series, and exhibits their work at UNI’s Kamerick Gallery. This new exhibition at the Hearst showcases the collective work of current and recent residents, exploring their vision and practice.
Gallery View
Osie L. Johnson, Death of a Romantic, Airbrush and ink, 1996, Gift of the artist, 2000.01.10
Gallery View
PERMANENT COLLECTION FEATURING OSIE L. JOHNSON
September 26-November 27, 2024
Public Reception:Thursday, September 26 from 5:00–6:30 p.m.
An Illustrator and Graphic Designer, former UNI Assistant Professor of Art Osie L. Johnson employs his own brand of Pop Art inspiration to regale viewers in a satirical yet personal presentation of his perspective living in 1990s Iowa. Drawn from the Hearst Permanent Collection, the UNI Permanent Art Collection, and private collectors, some of these paintings and prints will be shown together again for the first time in 20 years.
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In addition to creating the multimedia works you'll see in the gallery, he was a frequent contributor of illustration to the North American Review. Check out his multiple works.
Gallery View
Gallery View
NORTH AMERICAN REVIEW
September 26-November 27, 2024
Public Reception: Thursday, September 26 from 5:00–6:30 p.m.
2024 marks the 60-year anniversary of the NAR coming to Iowa, the magazine is featuring all Iowan visual artists in their fall issue. Visit the Hearst to get a look at the original artworks in the gallery.
IN PLEIN AIR
On view through October
Public Reception: Friday, October 18 from 1:00-4:00 p.m.
Featuring: Nancy Barsic, Jan Bernhard, Janet Drake, Rowena Hardinger, Daryl Kress, Tim Kuhlman, Ann Renée Lighter, Brad Mattocks, RB McCullough, Judy Muniz, Ann Olsson, Paula Schrad, and Evie Waack. On view in the lower level of the Hearst Center.
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This talented group of artists steps beyond the walls of traditional studios to embrace the challenge of plein air painting—creating art outdoors, directly in the elements. Working amidst ever-changing light, shifting landscapes, and the sounds and movements of nature, these artists must work swiftly and adapt to the conditions around them. Plein air painting demands a blend of careful planning and quick decision-making, as painters bring only what they can carry and are constantly adjusting to their surroundings.
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The magic of plein air art lies in its spontaneity and the emotional depth brought to each piece. While a camera can capture a scene instantly, a plein air painter infuses their work with personal expression, translating the beauty of the moment through brushstrokes and unique artistic styles.
The local artists showcased in this exhibition often paint together as a group, exploring different locations across the Cedar Valley, or venture out solo to capture the essence of our region’s creeks, lakes, fields, and pastures. Each piece offers a vibrant interpretation of our familiar landscapes. --Cory Hurless, Cultural Programs Supervisor.
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The artists in this exhibition also belong to the Thursday Painter group, gathering weekly at the Hearst to create and support each other. Please consider purchasing local art! If you're interested in purchasing any of the works on display, please visit the front desk, and we'll be happy to connect you with the artist.
UPCOMING
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
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
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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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 10:00 a.m.
Public Reception: Thursday, June 12 from 5:30-7:00 p.m.!
Get ready! We’ll be looking for art made in 2025 for this year’s First Fifty exhibition! When our doors open at 9:00 am. on Thursday, May 22, 2025, the first fifty artists to arrive with a ready-to-hang work of art will be included in the exhibition. The work you submit must be your own and must be original. Additional details and info coming soon!
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.