Kirkwood plans Stephen J. Atherton Memorial Wildlife Art Show and Wetlands Classic Reception
Wildlife artists from across Iowa and the Midwest will gather in Cedar Rapids to raise funds for wetlands conservation. Local organizers will also honor a late friend of nature and the outdoors in the process.
The Iowa Nature and Wildlife in Art Exhibition and Sale is set for the first weekend of spring, March 21 and 22 at the Kirkwood Center for Continuing Education in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Proceeds from this year’s art show and auction will be used to create a memorial wetland area in honor of Steve Atherton. The long-time Kirkwood Ag Science professor passed away unexpectedly in the spring of 2008. Colleagues and students alike recall Atherton as a dedicated conservationist and natural resources educator.
The art show will include paintings, photographs, wood carvings and various other types of art. In addition to the art sale, a live and silent auction will include donated items such as prints and carvings to guided fishing trips.
The show will also feature a “Conservation Corner” with exhibits on display by the Johnson County Conservation Board, Linn County Conservation, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, and the U.S. Geological Survey. Several seminars are also planned, including live animal displays about bats, butterflies, raptors and rattlesnakes.
The guest speaker for Saturday’s reception is Tim Yager from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Yager’s talk “Landscape Plumbing: Flushing Away Ecosystems,” will address agricultural drainage practices and their impact on ecosystems. The live auction will follow Saturday night’s reception.
The art show hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. The reception and live auction are 5:30 to 9 p.m. Saturday night. Art show admission is $3 for adults and $1 for children. Tickets for the reception and live auction are $25. For more information or to order tickets to the reception, contact Kirkwood Ag Science–Ken Carroll at 319-398-5899, ext. 5130, or Jerry Reisinger, ext. 4319.