Video by Jason Smith […]
Watch: Cory Wong performs at the 2021 Iowa City Jazz Festival
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Watch: ‘Is a naked body hurting you?’ Artist Talya Miller brings body positivity, kindness to her digital works
“Kindness is a huge aspect of my work,” Talya Miller, a visual artist in Iowa City, who works in multiple media including book design, said. But not “that fluffy idea of ‘Iowa nice.’” Miller talked to Little Village about the difference between working with digital and traditional art tools, the connection between the written word […]
A beginner’s guide to breaking
Hi everyone! Local dancer and author Chuy a.k.a. Bboy Original BEATS here. In this article, All The Way Up Studio co-owner Joel Sorenson a.k.a. Bboy Keitsu and I are going to teach you some core foundational elements of breaking (commonly referred to as breakdancing.*) Our goal is to give you the tools to approach your […]
Watch: Behind the scenes of Iowa City’s No Touching Sessions, now in its second season
What began as an idea two friends had in May 2020 for a “pandemic project” has now begun its second season. In the “No Touching Sessions,” Crystal Sherman and Dan Miller use the stage at Gabe’s to create a virtual concert experience, giving local artists a new outlet for their music and viewers an opportunity […]
Watch: J.E.D.I. training brings anti-racist conversations to marginalized youth
“We are either in support of justice movements or we continue to perpetuate an unjust society.” -Jonny Stax Young padawans are invited to participate in J.E.D.I. training this month. Led by ArtForce Iowa and Jonny Stax Creations, the J.E.D.I. (justice, equity, diversity and intersectionality) program seeks to bring anti-racist conversations to marginalized youth in Iowa, […]
‘I will bring a new vision to local government’: Amara Andrews begins her campaign for mayor of Cedar Rapids
Businesswoman and community leader Amara Andrews kicked off her campaign for mayor of Cedar Rapids on Thursday evening with a event that was livestreamed on her campaign’s Facebook page. “I will bring a new vision to local government,” Andrews said during her speech at the event. “I will be an advocate for labor unions. I […]
Watch: Iowa City portrait artist Heith A. Banowetz seeks to capture the soul in old photographs
Soulful eyes, sensitive hands, old-fashioned facial hair, delicate lines and stippling. These and other, more subtle features make up the distinctive style of self-taught Iowa City artist Heith Banowetz, who crafts portraits using “humble” materials like pen, pencil and charcoal. “I feel like sometimes we have this tendency to feel rushed or pressured into speaking. […]
Revolution and Beatitudes of Black Liberation: A video essay by Stacey Walker
Produced by Little Village in partnership with Witching Hour and Englert Wavelength Below is an excerpt from Walker’s essay, published in Little Village’s February 2021 issue. What is Black Liberation? What does it mean to be free? Black people have been fighting for liberation since we arrived on the shores of what would come […]
Watch: Best of the CRANDIC 2020 winners say ‘thank you!’
Normally, we’d be celebrating Best of the CRANDIC by bringing together the small business owners, artists, musicians and local personalities who won with the community who voted for them for one big, huggy, droplet-spready party. Since that can’t happen, we asked our winners to record a few words of thanks. We wish we could be […]
Watch: Mark Vollenweider’s mighty pen
“I’ve spent a lot more time thinking about the world I’d like to live in, than the world that we do live in,” Mark Vollenweider told Little Village. During a studio visit, the Iowa City artist talked about discovering his artistic medium, the impact of COVID-19 and politics on his work and how anger can […]
Iowa City teen Kasey Dawson overcame homelessness and loss to graduate high school. A year later, she’s still fighting for a place to call her own.
In January 2019, Little Village received an email submission from a City High senior named Kasey Dawson titled “My Life Story.” “I never understood what it meant to be depressed,” it began. Over a nearly 2,000-word essay, the 17-year-old reflected on her life, including the events that helped shape her depression: Her father robbing and […]
Watch: The art of an all-day art-a-thon
Searching for new ways to share art during the pandemic, Public Space One decided to reinvent the telethon — raising money like old-fashioned telethons, but also celebrating the work of the artists it collaborates with. PS1 Director John Engelbrecht said that for the 24-hour event, artists were asked to “share inside your studio, or share […]
