Marion Arts Council

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Purpose:

The goal of the Marion Arts Council is to promote the importance of the arts and develop programs that maximize public awareness of art, artists and culture. They accomplish this through the following activities:

Six visual arts gallery exhibits per year at the Lowe Park Arts & Environment Center gallery. Exhibits are on display for eight weeks and include an artist’s reception and gallery talk.
Minimum of two performing arts events during the year.
Workshops designed for artistic family activities or adult education.
Consulting on art for the City of Marion at the request of the Mayor/City Council and the Cultural and Entertainment District.

If you have any interest in serving your community by promoting the arts or if you have a suggestion for the Arts Council, please call (319) 447-3590 or email; remember to like us on Facebook to get updates on all our events out at Lowe Park.

About the Council:

The Marion Arts Council was established in 1976 and is comprised of seven volunteer members approved and appointed by the Marion City Council, under the jurisdiction of the Marion Parks and Recreation Department. The Arts Council can have as many associate members to help with the responsibilities of recommending and planning art events and cultural activities. The appointed board members serve a three-year term.

Staff Contact:

Seth Staashelm, Parks Director
Ph. 319-447-3590
Email

Members:

Member	Term Expires
Mark Weiser	12/31/26
Cris Sell	12/31/25
Ingrid Branez	12/31/26
Tim Isenberg	12/31/25
Emily Hiner	12/31/27
Bethany Healy	12/31/27
Bex Hurn	12/31/25

If you are interested in serving on the Arts Council, you can find an application on the City's Board & Commission page.

Meetings:

The Arts Council meets on the second Tuesday of the month at the Lowe Park Arts & Environment Center, 4500 N. 10th Street. Meetings begin at 4:30 pm. and are open to the public.

Agendas & Minutes:

Current agendas, packet information and minutes are available through the meeting portal.
To be notified when agendas and minutes are posted, please subscribe through the meeting portal.
Archived information (prior to February 2021) can be found on the City's calendar.

Additional Information:

Community Exhibit and Event Opportunities

The Marion Arts Council curate’s artist exhibitions in the Lowe Gallery and hosts musical events like Coffee House Nights and Picnic in the Park.

Are you an artist who would like an exhibition? Are you a musician or band who would like to participate in the Coffee House Nights or Picnic in the Park?

We would love to hear from you! If you are interested in being a featured artist or have any questions please email the Parks and Recreation Department.

Volunteers Welcome

Do you enjoy the arts? Are you looking for a way to help out in your community? Would you be interested in helping to promote the arts in Marion?

If your answers to the above questions are “yes” you may want to consider volunteering your time to become an associate member of the Marion Arts Council. Currently all seven full-member positions are filled, but additional volunteers are always welcome. Associate membership includes planning and assisting during workshops, hanging and taking down exhibits, hosting artist receptions and music events, distributing marketing materials and attending our monthly meetings.

For more information, call (319) 447-3590 or email.

Policy for Donating Art

We appreciate all inquiries for public art donations; however, we currently do not accept submissions. If you are interested in having your work shown at the center, please see our exhibit page for the application form. Once exhibited, we encourage all of our artists to donate a piece of their choosing, from their collection, at the conclusion of their exhibition period to add to our permanent collection. Our permanent collection is exhibited throughout the center or to supplement smaller exhibits.

Each artist's donated work is approved by following the Marion Arts Council’s and City of Marion’s “Art Acquisition Policy” procedure and approval of the Marion Arts Council.

Approved artwork which are gifts or bequests allow for a tax deduction on the part of the donor. The Marion Arts Council or the City of Marion will not provide formal appraisals on donated objects.