Iowa Sculpture Festival

The Iowa Sculpture Festival (ISF) was first created as an annual event to celebrate the art form of sculpture, and to develop appreciation for both the art and the artists who create the work. The festival first took place in 2003, and the final event was held in 2017.

The ISF initially established the Centre for Arts & Artists (CAA), as their headquarters for the annual festival. It was also created to be their year-round educational center for students to learn about sculpture and other forms of visual art.

Currently, the ISF Committee continues its work to acquire and site new sculptures. Additionally, they systematically survey existing sited pieces to determine deterioration or damage, and then organize and schedule needed repairs. They also care for these installations by maintaining a record of regular cleaning and waxing.

Fulfilling their educational directive, the ISF is focused on artist residencies in the local schools. That extends to developing learning experiences for children of all ages.

Looking to the future, the ISF expects its focus to one day include the creation of a fully conditioned gallery at the Centre. Having a dedicated space with proper lighting, temperature and humidity would allow the CAA to solicit prestigious traveling exhibitions, display short-term local art exhibits, and showcase the Maytag Art Collection.

The CAA received a generous gift of art from Ellen Maytag Madsen's private collection. The items were donated to the CAA by the Jasper Community Foundation.