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Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Every artist was first an amateur.”

Six University of Northern Iowa art students certainly understand what Emerson meant. But with their recent participation in the prestigious Des Moines Arts Festival, it’s doubtful anyone would call them amateurs.

The students—Andrew Crooks of Wilton, Thaddeus Erdahl of Waterloo, Sarah German of Ankeny, Stephanie Sailer of Denison, Chris Singewald of Waverly and Tyler Speicher of Conrad—were among 23 students selected for the festival’s Emerging Iowa Artist Program. UNI had more students selected this year than any other college.

“For the past three years, students from UNI have been among the best student exhibitors at the Des Moines Arts Festival, representing their school and the state of Iowa with high quality art work. These students and their work are a testimony to the exceptional programs offered through UNI, “ said Mo Dana, executive director, Des Moines Arts Festival.

Crooks and Erdahl made their second consecutive appearance at the festival, which took place June 24-26 in downtown Des Moines.

“It’s always hard to judge your chance of getting into an event like this. There’s always so much competition. It’s great to attend two years in a row,” said Crooks, a May graduate with a B.F.A. in Fine Art Photography.

Emerging Iowa Artists Program

The program, sponsored by the Principal Financial Group, is open to any Iowa student artist, as well as students a year out of college.

“We’re delighted to showcase young talent in Iowa and encourage them to come back,” Dana said. “The festival certainly provides opportunities for them. Last year, the average sale per piece was $2,000. The kids are always so excited. We had one gal last year who sold out of everything.”

To apply, students submitted slides that best represented their work, along with an artist statement. The jury panel that selects the professional artists also selects the student artists, and it judges the students on the same merits. Application fees and booth rental are waived for the Emerging Artists.

“The Emerging Artist Program is set up to allow young artists to experience the ‘art festival’ atmosphere without the financial strain of renting a booth and hoping to break even,” said Singewald, a junior art major and ceramic artist.

Show Preparation

Students not only spent the spring semester preparing for the festival, they had to prepare for UNI’s MA/BFA Exhibition in April. For Tyler Speicher, a ceramic artist, the Des Moines Arts Festival was easier to prepare for than the UNI exhibit.

“At the festival I was largely responsible for how my work was displayed and how I was represented. I got to see who purchased my work and their reactions when they saw it and held it. That’s something that doesn’t generally happen in a formal exhibition at a gallery,” Speicher said.

Crooks recognizes that it takes marketing ‘know how’ as well as great artistry to succeed at festivals.

“As always, you want to have your best work on display. You must present yourself well and be prepared to sell work. It is much like you’re going there not only as an artist but as a businessman,” said Crooks, who clearly did all that—at the end of the day he found out he won Best of Show for Emerging Iowa Artists. “I was very surprised and happy as that was most unexpected in such a talented group of artists.”

While exhibiting their work was their main goal, students met other artists and made money from their art. German, a junior art major, said, “This was the first time my work was exposed to an audience that big. It’s what I’d like to do as a career. It would be great to just make art and travel around to different art festivals to sell my work. Ultimately, it would be nice to create art and make a living at it.”

The other artists’ career plans vary from going to graduate school, becoming art teachers or selling their art at shows and festivals. Regardless of their career paths, they all are working toward greater exposure.

“I would like to be able to make my claim in the art market. It’s also something that is personal to me, being able to meet people who make a connection to my work,” said Erdahl, who has a B.A. in art education and has been substitute teaching in the Waterloo and La Porte City school districts.

Erdahl currently has ceramic sculptures at the Chait Galleries in Iowa City, and along with fellow artist Singewald, is exhibiting at the annual Rock Island Art Exhibition. In November, he will exhibit his work at the Quad City Arts Center Gallery.

Crooks, who will attend the University of New Mexico this fall to pursue an M.F.A. in photography, has had photographic illustrations published in the North American Review and has work that is now part of permanent art collections at the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center and the Donald O. Rod Library. Singewald plans to spend a year after graduation developing his art before applying for graduate school. He hopes to become a professor of art in ceramics.

“Festivals are not necessarily something I’m planning on participating in. But it was great meeting people with different artistic expressions and tastes and seeing how people young and old reacted to my art work,” Singewald said.

History of Des Moines Arts Festival

The non-profit Des Moines Arts Festival, founded in 1998 by the Des Moines Art Center, attracted 75,000 art patrons in its first year. Attendance was more than 230,000 in 2004.

Last year the Art Fair SourceBook ranked the festival 4th in the nation, and Dana was named best festival director in America.

“Being in an art festival that is highly ranked helps boost my confidence as an artist,” said Erdahl. “I know I can compete in the art market. I may be in the student category, but I’m making work that people enjoy, regardless. It also helps expand my contacts. They pick up my business card. They may not buy a piece at the show that day but later on will contact me.”

This year, 150 artists from across the country, as well as England, Argentina and Canada, participated in the festival.

“Our goal was to make this something that brought attention to Iowa and to Des Moines for having a really classy art fair,” said Dana, “People enjoy good art and we’re fortunate the patrons support the artists.”

Maintained by the UNI Alumni Association
Last Modified: January 25, 2006