Experimentation and chance are at the heart of Homegrown Stories, a 13-year online collaborative media project founded by local photographer and video artist Sandy Dyas and filmmaker LeAnn Erickson.
Arts & Entertainment
Posted inArts & Entertainment
The Beyond Fashion Festival returns this weekend to turn downtown IC spaces into runways and boutiques
Building off of their very first fest in 2025, the Wright House of Fashion returns to the streets of downtown Iowa City this weekend for the second Beyond Fashion Festival. The festivities kick off with an alleyway fashion show behind Studio 13 on Friday at 6 p.m. The streetwear fashion show will see a mix […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Five questions with FilmScene’s Ben Delgado on the new Aquí y Allá Latin American Film Festival
My favorite interaction regarding FilmScene’s upcoming Aquí y Allá Latin American Film Festival is on an Instagram post promoting the snacks available during the fest. The post sports a cross-section of Latin American snacks found in a tienda near you; Ricolino Duvalín’s, Gansito cakes, Chupa Chups and more.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Review: Three generations of women lead with heart and humor in ‘The Fiancé’ at Riverside Theatre
On the opening night — and the world premiere — of The Fiancé at Riverside Theatre in Iowa City, among the first things I noted was how the playwright, Emily Bohannon, describes her body of work…
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Josie Nabhan-Warren, a junior at Iowa City West High, is the new Iowa Student Poet Ambassador
Josie Nabhan-Warren of Iowa City West High School has been named the 2026-2027 Iowa Student Poet Ambassador, the highest honor a young writer can receive in Iowa.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Review: With its most eclectic show yet, ‘edify’ marks a high note for 237 Fashion Month
Cedar Rapids’ 237 Collective wrapped up edify, the third fashion show of 237 Fashion Month last Saturday at Groundswell Cafe with one of the most high-quality shows I’ve seen them put on so far. From beachy vibes to social activism, there was something for everyone.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Writer Chris Offutt on working more than 50 jobs in his life, and why he loves Iowa
Chris Offutt lives on a hill outside Iowa City. His driveway looks like it will be impossible to shovel during the winter, but it is otherwise a nice home, calm, the kind of place you would imagine a writer would live. There’s a 10-foot cactus that a student gave him. It fills the entire living room window. There are turtle shells on a shelf, and a huge hornet nest hanging in his office. At his dining room table sat a notebook and a draft of his next project.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Milwaukee’s Maximiano will share a new album with Iowa City featuring nature sounds, blunt lyrics and a song called ‘Puppers’
Milwaukee-based musician Maximiano is preparing for their Iowa debut on April 18, bringing a deeply personal and close-listening performance to the stage at The Black Angel.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Carrying on the Mission Creek spirit, Day Party is a bite-sized feast of Iowa City arts, all south of Burlington Street
Day Party is a brand-spanking-new arts festival launching April 25 on the south side of downtown Iowa City. Spring in town has long been associated with Mission Creek, which in 2025 celebrated its 12th (and final) year as a multi-day festival. The first thing that strikes one about Day Party is that it packs an […]
Posted inAlbum Reviews
Album Review: Hambone and the Maple Babies — ‘Hootenanny’
Have you heard of “word painting”? It’s the musical technique in which instrumental choices illustrate the lyrical ones — and vice versa — in a positive feedback loop. Synergy at its finest. Skilled word-painters create something unique, something a purist musician or lyricist couldn’t create when exclusively focusing on one or the other. Iowa City’s […]
Posted inBook Reviews
Book Review: ‘Dreams are for the Dead’ by S. Elias W Sharp
“‘You ever smoke meth?’ he asked, casual like he was offering a cigarette.” So begins a passage in S. Elias W Sharp’s unforgettable debut memoir, Dreams are for the Dead. A former roommate poses the question to Sharp in the empty apartment they used to share. The furnishings are now all gone. The encounter continues, […]
Posted inBook Reviews
Fully Booked at ICPL: New DC Comics absolutely worth your time
DC Comics’ Absolute titles are reimagined and radical new takes on their most popular heroes, and have genuinely got me excited about reading comics again. The set-up is fascinating: The characters of the Absolute universe are at a disadvantage, because this world bends towards darkness and evil. Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman were the first […]
