Hello readers and welcome back to the Hometown Heritage Blog!
 
I am excited to tell you that this week is our last event! Tomorrow night, starting at 4:30 P.M. in the Hotel Pattee lobby in Perry, Iowa, is the last Art Tour Odd # Thursday. As this is the last Art Tour, this is also your last chance to see the art on display in the Hotel Pattee, Town Craft Building, and Security Savings Bank. Soon the art in these places will be returning to their original locations and owners. Although you will still be able to see the art that is from the Hotel Pattee, many pieces will be returning to California and Minneapolis. Come and see these works before they are gone! In addition, the pieces in Ames will all also be returning to their original locations as well. If you have not gone to see the landscapes of Gary Ernest Smith, make sure you do soon! Finally, this Art Tour Odd # Thursday will be special, as a Perry Area themed gift basket will be given out to one lucky winner.

Again, this event is tomorrow, Thursday December 29, at 4:30 P.M. in the Hotel Pattee in Perry, Iowa. We hope to see you there, and have a happy New Year readers!

Tomorrow is our next event, Art Tour Odd # Thursday with host Robert Spellman! Robert Spellman is an abstract painter from Des Moines, Iowa. He is represented by Modern Arts Midtown Omaha, Nebraska and by Moberg Chicago. Some of you may remember him as the host of one of our previous events, the Adult Painting Intensive. This time, he will be at the Hotel Pattee in Perry, Iowa on December 15 from 4:30 P.M. to 6:30 P.M, where he will be talking about his art and the art of Gary Ernest Smith. As with other Art Tour Odd # Thursdays, we will be near the fireplace in the Hotel Pattee. It is going to be cold out, so why not come and relax by said fireplace in the cozy Hotel Pattee on Thursday night and enjoy the art of Robert Spellman and Gary Ernest Smith? The event is free and open to the public, and you can come at any point during the evening. Betsy Peterson will also be there with her Art Cart. If you have not had used Betsy's Art Cart, this is your last chance! The cart holds various painting supplies, which allow you to try your hand at painting in a similar style to Gary Ernest Smith. We highly encourage you to come!

Hello readers and welcome back to the Hometown Heritage Blog!
 
Today I want to tell you about tomorrow’s event, Art Tour Odd # Thursday 8! Similar to other Art Tour Odd # Thursdays, this event will take place in the lobby of the Hotel Pattee starting at 4:30 P.M and ending at 6:30 P.M. This time, however, our host will be Jennifer Drinkwater! Jennifer Drinkwater is an Associate Professor at Iowa State University and a Community Arts Coordinator. Some of you may recognize her, as she has been active here in Perry. She is part of the Latino Americans: 500 Years Of History events, which started earlier this year.  Her role in those events is to help create a mural for Perry, based off several Oral History that we helped to collect. During tomorrow’s event, she will be talking about how she creates her art and the art of Gary Ernest Smith. The evening promises to bring a fresh perspective to the artwork on display. The event is free and open to the public, so we hope to see many of you there!

Hello and welcome back to the Hometown Heritage blog!
 
This week I wanted to tell you all about the event we are having tomorrow night, November 17! This time it is Art Tour Odd # Thursday #7. Unlike previous Art Tour Odd # Thursdays, this one will be something a little different!
 
Tomorrow, starting at 4:30 P.M., Dr. Randy McCaulley will be at the Hotel Pattee. His theme for the evening will be “An Evening of Art and Music”. As you may be able to glean from the title, tomorrow night will feature both art and music! Dr. Randy McCaulley will be playing his music at the Hotel, using the piano some of you may have seen in the lobby and singing. I do not know exactly what songs he will be playing, but it could be possible that he might take a request or two, so come with some songs in mind. Aside from playing, he will also be there to talk about music, art, and answer any other question you may have. The night will last until 6:30, and you can come any time you like and join in the fun. Similar to previous Art Tour Odd # Thursdays as well, we will have Betsy Peterson’s art cart available, so that you can try your hand at making a painting similar to those you see on display. So far, a few people have tried it and their paintings have come out great. I hope to see many of you there to enjoy the music and the art!

Hello and welcome back to the Hometown Heritage blog!
 
Today I want to tell you all about the events that we have going on this week. First, this week we have Art Tour Odd # Thursday # 6! The theme for this Odd # Thursday is Second Language. The host will be Jon Wolseth, who is part of Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. He will not only be available to talk to and answer your questions, but he will also be giving tours in Spanish! It is promising to be a fun and educational night.
 
The next event that we have this week is on Friday, November 4. Hometown Heritage and the Perry Historic Preservation Commission are pleased to announce the unveiling of a new relief for the Wall of Witnesses! The new relief will depict Charles Joy, and the artist making the relief is Rick Stewart, an artist from Newton. Charles Joy was a local attorney, Dallas County Attorney, and Perry Ambassador. He was very active in the community, backing the creation of new banks, churches, and even helping to establish the original hog processing plant in Perry. Those who knew him said that he “never met a stranger”, as he would strike up a conversation with anyone by saying “Hi, I’m Charlie Joy from Perry, Iowa”. He was a loving husband, father to three and grandfather to six. The Perry Historic Preservation Commission chose to honor Charles after receiving numerous nominations earlier this year. This event will include a short program, where we encourage people to come and share their memories of Charles, as well as the unveiling of the relief itself. This will start at 6:00 P.M. at the Town Craft Gallery in Perry, at 1124 Willis Avenue. There will be light refreshments available, and the event is free and open to the public. As a bit of a bonus for reading this post, I am giving you a sneak peek at what the relief may look like! The picture that you see on the left is one of the artist’s sketches of the relief, showing a courthouse like building a signifying Charles Joy’s work in the legal world.
 
We encourage all of you to come to both of these events!

Hello and welcome back to the Hometown Heritage blog!
 
Today I want to take the time to tell you about the two exciting events that we will be hosting this week! The first takes places tomorrow, and the other is on Saturday, October 29.
 
Tomorrow’s event is Art Tour Odd # Thursday #5. The host for this week’s Odd # Thursday is Perry’s own Betsy Peterson! For those who do not know, Betsy is a local Perry artist who has her studio, Betsy Peterson Designs, at 1121 Second Street, Perry, Iowa. The event starts at 4:30 P.M. at the Hotel Pattee tomorrow, behind the fireplace near the Canning painting. She will be giving a short talk about her art and how it relates to the Gary Ernest Smith paintings on display and then she will be giving tours to those who are interested. The tours will be different from other tours, as they will be given from Betsy’s perspective!
 
Saturday’s event is one of a kind that should provide a unique experience to everyone who attends. This Saturday is the Painting Intensive for Adults. Although this may sound intimidating, the class is for anyone from beginners to advanced! The instructor for this class will be Robert Spellman, a professional painter from Des Moines, Iowa. The class will take place from 9 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. on Saturday, October 29 at Betsy’s studio. Again, the address for Betsy’s studio is at 1121 Second Street, Perry, Iowa. The class will cost $35 per person. To attend, we ask that everyone call or email Betsy, using either betsypetersondesigns@gmail.com or 515-657-1837. You may be thinking, “Why should I attend this class?” Well, the class will help celebrate the artwork of Gary Ernest Smith through the observation of his work. You will be talking about his stories and techniques, and creating a painting of your own using your personality and imagination. This piece will be completely yours; not everyone will be painting the same thing! All supplies will be provided, so you need not worry about bringing your own. We also ask that everyone bring a sack lunch, a fridge and a microwave will be available. Finally, if you want to attend please wear casual clothing you will be comfortable painting in! It looks to be like a very entertaining class, so if you are interested in attending, please remember to pre-register!

Hello Readers and welcome back to the Hometown Heritage Blog!
 
Today I want to take the time and tell you about the Art Tour Odd # Thursday #4 event that we are holding tomorrow. This time, Adrienne Gennett from Brunnier Art Museum in Ames will be here in Perry! This is a great chance to meet one of the driving forces behind the Gary Ernest Smith Exhibition. In fact, she was instrumental in the hanging of many of the pictures in the Town Craft building and the Security Savings Bank. If you ever had any questions about hanging art, putting on an exhibit, or something similar, this is the perfect chance to ask them! The afternoon will start at the Hotel Pattee, at the table behind the fireplace near the Canning painting at 4:30 P.M. There will be time to talk with Adrienne, and afterwards she will lead some tours of the Exhibition. These tours will be different from previous tours, as she will be lending her on perspective on all the art. The afternoon will then conclude at 6:30 P.M. I hope to see all of you there!

Hello and Welcome back to the Hometown Heritage Blog!
 
September is almost upon us and with it a new group of events for the Gary Ernest Smith Exhibition! I thought I would take this time to let you all know what and when September’s events are, if you have not seen them already!
 
The first event this month is tomorrow, September 1. This is the first in a series of events we are calling “Art Tour Odd Numbered Thursdays” (or Art Tour Odd # Thursdays, ATO#T for short). This time, the tour will be introductory tours. Similar to the Opening Reception, this Art Tour Odd # Thursday will feature simple tours given every half hour of the art that we have on display. It starts at 4:30 P.M. at the Hotel Pattee, and goes until 6:30 P.M.
 
The next event we have this month is Creative Mornings, another series of events that will continue throughout the Exhibition. This Creative morning will happen on September 6, from 10:00 to 11:30 A.M. at the Hotel Pattee. This event features both art and coffee, and will be hosted by Betsy Peterson and Carolyn Guay. The next event after this is another Art Tour Odd # Thursday on September 15, from 4:30 to 6:30 P.M. at the Hotel Pattee. This tour will be different from the first, as it will be a tour led by Bill Clark, the Hometown Heritage Board President and local businessman. It will feature looking at the art from a businessman perspective.
 
The fourth event in September is the big event that should get everyone excited. On September 22, Gary Ernest Smith himself will be here! Starting at 7:30 at the Hotel Pattee he will be leading an Art Walk! This is a great time to learn about the art on display directly from the artist himself. Prior to the Art Walk, Pam Jenkins Phd, a Research Professor of Sociology (Emerita), at the University of New Orleans and a Permanent Trustee of Hometown Heritage will be giving a presentation entitled “Growing Up in a Small Town and the Art of Gary Ernest Smith” at 6:30 P.M. at the Hotel Pattee. We encourage you to come to both and experience a great night of Art and learning! The next day, September 23, Gary Ernest Smith will be in Ames at the Brunnier Art Museum for a reception there. For anyone who wants to go that night, we will have a bus available to take people there and back at 5:30 P.M. from the Hotel Pattee. The cost is $20 per person and seats are first come first serve.
 
Finally, we will hold another Art Tour Odd # Thursday on September 29, from 4:30 to 6:30 P.M. at the Hotel Pattee. This tour will be led by host Rachel Schwaller, Associate Professor of Art & Design at Grandview University in Des Moines, Iowa. We encourage you all to come to as many of these events as you can, as each tour will be different. Do not forget either that the more events you come to (and get the back page of our printed schedule signed) the greater your chance of winning the Perry Area Gift Basket at the end of the Exhibition! I hope to see you all at these events in the future!

Hello Readers and welcome back to the Hometown Heritage blog!
 
Today I would like to tell you about some updates to the Gary Ernest Smith Exhibition that is coming in August. We have lined up a few guest speakers for the Art Tour Odd Thursdays. For those who do not know, the Art Tour Odd Thursdays are odd Thursdays during the Exhibition and are tours of the Exhibit lead by various hosts, aside from the one. The first odd Thursday is a general tour day, with tours happening every half hour. Bill Clark, Hometown Heritage Board President and Perry businessman, however, leads the next odd Thursday. Betsy Peterson, local Perry artist, leads the third tour, and Adrienne Gennett, ISU Curator of Collections and Education, leads the fourth tour.
 
We have many other exciting events planned during the exhibit. For instance, there will be classes for home schooled and elementary students that will allow them to discover the stories and techniques of Gary Ernest Smith’s Artwork. If you want to know more about the exhibit, as well as get updates about events and other programing during the event, you can find more here. Also, stay tuned to the blog for updates as they happen! You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter, as well as sign up for our newsletter to get information sent directly to your email.
 
See you next week readers!