Special Thanks to Arwen Edsall for helping get this organized and creating this report.

Artists in Action Opportunity Report

Meeting with Bobbie Allaire, Program Coordinator (Volunteer)
Ankeny Hill Nature Center

Executive Summary

Artists in Action is exploring a potential educational collaboration with Ankeny Hill Nature Center. Ankeny Hill Nature Center is interested in collaborating with artists to develop educational, hands-on activities that support the mission of Ankeny Hill Nature Center. Artists would ideally lead these activities when available, while also creating facilitator guides so trained Nature Center volunteers can continue offering the activities for drop-in events when artists are unavailable. This represents an opportunity for Artists in Action to expand its educational and community outreach mission while building a long-term partnership with a respected environmental organization.

Mission Alignment

Ankeny Hill Nature Center

Mission: “Provide educational and interpretive opportunities to connect people with nature and to instill a sense of environmental stewardship.” Educational art activities should directly support interpretation of native plants, wildlife, habitats, and ecological processes found in their complex.

Artists in Action

AiA supports artists through workshops, collaborative projects, and community outreach while fostering a vibrant artistic environment. This partnership advances the educational and outreach aspects of AiA’s mission.

Key Information From the Meeting

Artists in Action is interested in exploring opportunities to collaborate with Ankeny Hill Nature Center. As a part of this exploration of collaboration:

• Artists are encouraged to develop original educational activities with the goal to inspire participants of all ages.
• Artists would ideally teach their own activities.
• Volunteer facilitator guides would allow activities to continue when artists are unavailable.
• The long-term vision is a library of reusable artist-developed modules that can be tailored to the theme of the topic, month or season.
• There is a desire for art-based activities that appeal to all ages. Where families can work together.
• Projects that have a take-home component are encouraged.
• The Nature Center has meeting space, AV equipment, existing art supplies, and a budget for additional approved supplies.
• Examples of current activities include a Discovery Hub that rotates themes approximately every six weeks, a Boys and Girls Club contest for artwork, and a photography experience using 11 cameras.
• Activities are tied to refuge topics such as birds, pollinators, geology, wetlands, native plants, and seasonal ecology.

Benefits to Artists in Action

• Supports AiA’s educational mission.
• Creates meaningful teaching opportunities for artists.
• Introduces AiA to new audiences and provides opportunity for potential members.
• Builds an ongoing partnership with Ankeny Hill Nature Center.
• Provides artists opportunities to share their creative process and inspiration.

Volunteer Information

AiA can coordinate volunteers as a group, but Bobbie also encourages individual artists to complete the volunteer form because approval remains active for one year and simplifies future participation.

Important Considerations

• This is not currently an opportunity for a general AiA art exhibition.
• Artwork and activities must support the mission of Ankeny Hill Nature Center.
• Artists may use their own artwork as examples when it supports the educational topic.
• Participant artwork may be temporarily displayed in the Nature Center.
• Participants complete image waivers allowing the Nature Center to use artwork produced as part of the activity.

Recommended Next Steps

• Gauge member interest
• Develop one pilot activity for testing that can be taught to Ankeny Hill Nature Center current volunteers.
• Evaluate the pilot and refine it into a reusable volunteer guide.
• Continue discussions regarding a long-term partnership.

Potential Pilot Project Ideas to Spark Discussion

1.       Nature’s Hidden Patterns

Participants observe patterns in nature, learn how artists use motifs and repetition, and create their own repeating designs inspired by Ankeny wildlife and habitats.

• Printed by Nature

Participants use leaves, grasses, seed heads, sticks, and other natural textures (or replicas where appropriate) to print directly on fabric or paper prints. Individual printed squares could be sewn together into a collaborative community quilt or displayed together as a seasonal installation in the Nature Center.

• Community Wildlife Wall

Participants receive a square template featuring a native Ankeny species (or draw one themselves), color it, and return it to a community display. When the tiles are arranged together they create a large tapestry celebrating the biodiversity of the refuge. The display could remain in the Nature Center for a period of time.

• Habitat Story Stones
  Participants paint smooth stones with native plants, animals, or habitat features found at Ankeny National Wildlife Refuge. The stones are then used to create collaborative stories about how species interact within an ecosystem before participants take them home as a reminder of their experience.

For additional background information, please see the opportunity report by clicking here.

If you are interested in participating in the working group, please sign up below.

Potential Pilot Project Ideas

1.       Nature’s Hidden Patterns

Participants observe patterns in nature, learn how artists use motifs and repetition, and create their own repeating designs inspired by Ankeny wildlife and habitats.

2.       Printed by Nature

Participants use leaves, grasses, seed heads, sticks, and other natural textures (or replicas where appropriate) to print directly on fabric or paper prints. Individual printed squares could be sewn together into a collaborative community quilt or displayed together as a seasonal installation in the Nature Center.

3.       Community Wildlife Pattern Wall

 Please fill out the form below to let us know that you are interested in being a part of this exploratory program!