Works by Maggie Douglas - Gallery in the Round
2026-09-22 09:00 - 12:00, 2026-09-23 13:00 - 16:00, 2026-09-24 13:00 - 16:00 (America/Chicago) | Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Ames – Gallery in the Round, 1015 Hyland Ave, Ames, IA 50014, Ames, IA, 50014, United States
The Gallery in the Round at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Ames will present Works by Maggie Douglas, an abstract, mixed-media artist, on view from August 1 through September 26. A public reception will be held on Fri., September 18 from 5 to 6:30 p.m., featuring an artist talk and discussion open to the public.
Douglas’s work explores the interplay between the natural world and human nature, delving into both their harmony and discord. Through mixed media paintings, she combines textures, colors, and patterns that evoke the natural world with stitching, collage and drawing that represent the human touch. Each piece is a dialogue, blending organic forms and human imposed structures to question where one ends and the other begins.
The natural world, with its rhythms and raw beauty, serves as Douglas’s foundation – roots, branches, landscapes, and the chaos of the elements. Yet, these are juxtaposed with symbols of human intervention: rigid lines, fragmented figures, and abstract patterns that reflect our desires, fears, and need to control.
The process itself mirrors this intersection. By integrating diverse materials – paint, fabric, ink, paper, and found objects – Douglas creates surfaces that feel both deliberate and unpredictable. The layers obscure and reveal, much like the tension between our intrinsic connection to nature and our efforts to separate ourselves from it.
Ultimately, these paintings invite viewers to reflect on their own relationship with the world around them and within them, to consider how we mirror the natural world in our complexity, fragility, and resilience – and how, in our divergence, we often forget we are a part of it.
The exhibition is on view at Gallery in the Round, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Ames, 1015 Hyland Ave., Ames, IA.
Viewing hours are Monday and Tues., 9 a.m. to noon, and Wed. and Thurs., 1 to 4 p.m., or by appointment by calling 515-292-5960.

Terra Cotta Conservation in the Art on Campus Collection
2026-09-22 10:00 - 16:00, 2026-09-23 10:00 - 16:00, 2026-09-24 10:00 - 16:00, 2026-09-25 10:00 - 16:00, 2026-09-28 10:00 - 16:00, 2026-09-29 10:00 - 16:00, 2026-09-30 10:00 - 16:00, 2026-10-01 10:00 - 16:00 and 5 more dates | Christian Peterson Art Museum, 1017 Morrill Hall, 603 Morrill Rd, Ames, IA, 50011, United States
University Museums presents “Terra Cotta Conservation in the Art on Campus Collection,” an intimate exhibition in the Christian Petersen Art Museum showcasing the innovative technology and conservation science used to preserve Danish-American artist Christian Petersen’s iconic terra cotta sculptures across Iowa State University’s campus.
The exhibition, which opens one week prior to classes beginning for the semester, features materials samples, 3D scanning documentation, and behind-the-scenes insights from the ongoing conservation of the “History of Dairying” fountain—a National Register of Historic Places landmark created in 1934 as one of the nation’s earliest Public Works of Art Project (PWAP) installations.
Democratic Material Meets Iowa Weather
Working within Depression-era constraints, Iowa State College President Raymond M. Hughes directed Petersen to work in terra cotta—”perhaps in tile or pottery”— because ISU’s Ceramic Engineering Department could produce it on campus within the tight PWAP budget and timeline. The material was affordable and expressive—Petersen could create detailed public art for Iowa State’s students at a fraction of the cost of bronze or marble, perfectly aligned with the land-grant mission of serving everyone, not elite institutions. The hand-modeling technique allowed him to capture intricate details in works like the “Fountain of the Four Seasons,” 1941 and “Three Athletes,” 1936.
ISU Innovation in Action
The exhibition highlights the partnership between University Museums and ISU’s Manufacturing & Teaching Labs, where Sawyer Krotz conducted comprehensive 3D scans of the “History of Dairying” fountain to create precise digital models for replication. The same technology was used to replicate the terra cotta for the “Fountain of the Four Seasons,” recently re-dedicated after multi-year conservation. Iowa State’s terra cotta sculptures face challenges from freeze-thaw cycles. The same material that once drained Iowa’s agricultural fields (as drain tiles) graces campus buildings and public spaces, requiring specialized preservation approaches developed through ISU’s materials science and engineering expertise.
“Prior to 3D scanning, successive replications of sculptures would be smaller than their originals due to approximately 5% shrinkage when terra cotta is fired,” said Sydney Marshall, Curator at University Museums. “A direct mold of the original would ultimately produce a smaller result because of that shrinkage. With 3D scanning, we can digitally scale up the models by 5% before creating the molds, ensuring the final fired terra cotta matches Petersen’s original dimensions exactly.”
After 3D scanning, the digital models are scaled up and used to create forms that terra cotta specialists use for traditional slip-casting methods. The active “History of Dairying” conservation project—which includes foundation repairs, mural preservation, and tier replication—is currently underway, with fundraising still in progress to complete this (National Register) landmark preservation effort.
Exhibition Details
“Terra Cotta Conservation in the Art on Campus Collection ” offers visitors an insider’s look at how Iowa State preserves and conserves historic objects—from the actual 3D scan data that captured Christian Petersen’s 1934 fountain details to materials samples showing 90 years of Iowa freeze-thaw damage .
This exhibition is curated by University Museums and sponsored by the Department of Mechanical Engineering and The John and Nancy Hayes Chair in Mechanical Engineering.
The exhibition opens January 12 and runs through December 18, 2026
Weekdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Christian Petersen Art Museum’s Neva M. Petersen Gallery
Morrill Hall, Ground Floor Hallway
Free admission
Special Event
March 10, 5:30–6:30 PM
Tech Meets Tradition: Preserving Campus Art with Materials Engineering
Christian Petersen Art Museum, 003 Morrill Hall
In conjunction with the exhibition Terra Cotta Conservation in the Art on Campus Collection, materials engineer Sawyer Krotz will join curator Sydney Marshall for a dynamic exploration of how technology is shaping the future of the conservation of sculpture. Following a guided tour of the exhibition, watch a live demonstration of object scanning and learn how these tools can support the preservation and restoration of public art. Especially great for anyone interested in materials engineering, museum conservation, or historic preservation—no technical background required.
Free and open to the public.

America 250: Prairie, Plows, and the People's College - University Museums
2026-09-22 12:00 - 16:00, 2026-09-23 12:00 - 16:00, 2026-09-24 12:00 - 16:00, 2026-09-25 12:00 - 16:00, 2026-09-28 12:00 - 16:00, 2026-09-29 12:00 - 16:00, 2026-09-30 12:00 - 16:00, 2026-10-01 12:00 - 16:00 and 4 more dates | Farm House Museum, 601 Farm House Lane, Ames, IA, 50011, United States
America 250: Prairie, Plows, and the People’s College
February – October 2026
America 250: Prairie, Plows, and the People’s College honors key people, moments, objects, and experiences centered within Farm House through more than 250 primary source objects. The exhibition presents six themes—Early Iowa State Agricultural College and Model Farm, Early Iowa, Immigration, National Imagery, Native Stories, and Innovation and the Victorian Home—through decorative arts, textiles, furniture, agricultural implements, and documents that trace the land-grant university’s heritage and the nation’s evolution.
Visitors will see George Washington Carver featured in the 1896 Bomb yearbook as the first Black man to enroll, graduate, and teach at Iowa State; a hand-painted Norwegian Rosemaling trunk from 1852 personalized with the name “Anna”; Mary Beaumont Welch’s 1884 cookbook from the first Department of Domestic Economy in the nation; the VEISHA bicycle from the 1890s; and early student yearbooks revealing timeless aspects of college life.
Reflective questions appear throughout the exhibition, inviting visitors to consider how historical narratives continue to shape contemporary society. Topics range from the Morrill Act of 1862 and land-grant universities to immigration patterns in Iowa, Indigenous history, and Victorian-era technological innovation.
On July 4, 2026, the United States will commemorate the 250th anniversary of its founding. Farm House Museum, built in 1860 as Iowa State’s first building, has been central to the development of campus, Iowa State heritage, education, innovation, and national policy.

Advocacy Workshop Series - Ames Public Library
2026-09-28 18:30 - 20:00 | Ames Public Library, 515 Douglas Ave, Ames, IA, 50010, United States
Check the Ames Public Library website for more details.

Maker Nights - Reiman Gardens
2026-10-07 18:00 - 20:00 | Reiman Gardens, 1407 University Blvd, Ames, IA, 50010, United States
Bring your friends and get creative with Maker Nights at Reiman Gardens!
Various Wednesday evenings, 6 – 8 p.m.
All projects are inspired by nature and are simple but elegant. Select from topics typically offered on first Wednesdays in the spring and fall:

2025 Workshops
December 3: Air Plant Globes

Select from various materials such as sand, perlite, soil, pebbles, and other decorative objects to form a base for an air plant that will sit within an open glass globe. Globes can then be suspended from the ceiling or other plant hangers in your home. Each participant will make 2 globes.

2026 Workshops

January 7: Seed Art
February 4: Botanical Doodling
SPECIAL: February 12: PALentine’s Day Maker Night: Fired Ink Wall Art
March 4: Pulp Painting
April 1: Pressed Flower Birds
July 1: MINI Maker Night: Canvas Paintings
July 8: MINI Maker Night: Micro Collages
September 2: Spore Printing
October 7: Pressed Flower Landscapes
November 4: Tiny Terrariums
December 2: Mini Macrame Wall Hanging

Prices

$30
General Public

$18
Members Must Present Membership Card at Check-In

$15
ISU Students Valid with Student ID

Visit https://reimangardens.com/events to find out more and to register.
