At the beginning of September, the non-profit art organization Public Space One had a reception for their second exhibition, Amplified Rainbow II. It was divided among three rooms, none of them seeming to have a set theme, but rather different explosions of creativity.
This exhibit was organized in partnership with the art club Systems Unlimited Inc., an organization that works to eliminate barriers for adults with disabilities so they can be, according to their website, “visible and equal contributors to Iowa’s creative communities and beyond.”
Amplified Rainbow II will be open for viewing at the PS1 Close House on Monday, Friday, and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m, and Tuesday and Thursday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. until September 7.
The cozy atmosphere of the venue seemed to bring the expanse of artworks to life. Upon walking in, a visitor can immediately tell that the boldness and the personalities of the artists will be unforgettable.
One of the rooms contained baskets of pins with the participants’ artworks on them for visitors to take as souvenirs.
A welcome packet introduced some of the artists and their works. One individual who stood out in the packet was Doris Siemer, because underneath her name was a question: “Do you have any thoughts to inspire someone who would like to make art but didn’t think they can for whatever reason?”
Her response: “Just try it out, what do you have to lose?”
Artist Jen Dundon had an embroidery piece hung up made of felt flowers alongside painted ones. It was stitched with the words “Through the years, my love for you has grown.”
Canvasses spanned the walls, displaying various art mediums including paint, colored pencils, pen, and pencil. The bold pigmentation of hot pinks, ultramarine blues, and cherry reds featured in several of the works uplifted the tone of the exhibit.
One of the most eye-catching pieces was a roughly six-foot tall curtain made entirely of beads. No string followed a certain color scheme, and the strings near the top of the window were shorter to frame the space almost perfectly.
John Engelbrecht, the executive director of PS1, emphasized the yard pieces of the exhibit, boldly-colored character cutouts spaced out all around the grassy sides of the building.
“I like the idea of a painting that goes beyond the walls,” Engelbrecht said. “Often, when you see artworks, you don’t get to see a lot of the time spent in the studio where artists make decisions about what they’re doing, and I feel like this show and this approach, you get to see that upfront.