Pop-up museum welcomes Main Street directors; Local artists display their work
Angel Crouse, hair colorist at Indigo Lotus Salon, works on her next hat while hanging out at the pop-up art gallery at 817 Central Ave. on Wednesday. Main Street Fort Dodge held the gallery to show visiting Main Street directors how to utilize empty space.
When Cary Clark’s parents used to take her to auctions throughout the Fort Dodge area, they wanted her hands to stay down.
One way that was accomplished was for her to draw. “I used to draw while my parents were at auctions,” said Clark, a local artist, and Realtor. “They wanted to keep my hands down so I wasn’t bidding.” Drawing eventually led Clark to other creations. On Wednesday, her art was on display at a pop-up gallery at 817 Central Ave. A pop-up gallery is a temporary display. "Denny Wyatt allowed the space to be used," said Meg Beshey, local artist and organizer of the event. Beshey said the pop-up gallery was used to show Main Street directors from around the state how an empty space can be utilized.
Cary Clark, of Fort Dodge, looks over some of her artwork at a pop-up art gallery at 817 Central Ave. on Wednesday.
Clark has been creating for about 40 years now. She likes to take something of little or no value and turn it into something beautiful.
“My parents were antique dealers my whole life and I used to go hunting with them,” Clark said. “I would sort through the boxes.”
Oftentimes, buyers at auctions will buy an entire box just for one item.
Clark would end up making the most of what was left of the other stuff.
One of her pieces on display combines items like an old wooden tennis racket, part of a game board, and other pieces to form a fish.
Noah "Ox" Baas, of Algona, shows his work during a pop-up art gallery on Wednesday. Baas is in the process of finishing a comic book series.
“I like to find old bits of wood,” Clark said. “Things like old spindles and broken chairs.”
Clark’s first job was working in the display department at the Fort Dodge Sears store.
There, she worked with displays and merchandise. She also operated a forklift in the warehouse.
“It was an eye-opening job for a 16-year-old girl,” Clark said. “That was a fun place for me. It was a place of growth for me.”
As an artist, Clark said she’s not afraid to try anything.
These two drawings were created by Noah "Ox" Baas. Baas, of Algona, displayed some of his work at the pop-up museum at 817 Central Ave. on Wednesday.
“I think that’s how most artists feel,” she said.
Angel Crouse, of Fort Dodge, agreed. Her focus is on fiber art.
Ear warmers and hats made by Crouse were on display at the pop-up gallery.
Crouse is a hair colorist at Indigo Lotus Salon, 125 S. Third St.
At night, she crochets.
This piece by Cary Clark combines several different items to form a fish.
“I like to stay busy,” Crouse said as she was making her next hat.
She learned at a young age to crochet.
“I learned to crochet and knit from my grandmother,” Crouse said. “I grew up poor, so if I wanted a hat I had to make it.”
Her friend, Noah “Ox” Baas, of Algona, was there showing his paintings.
“Ox is like my big brother,” Crouse said. “He’s on episode 10 of a 13 (comic) book series.”
A toy tractor and a broken pencil are just some of the pieces used by Cary Clark to create this representation of the state of Iowa.
Baas said he started following his passion about 10 years ago.
“I got out of the workforce and started chasing my own dreams,” Baas said. “I came up with my own story and did it myself.”
The series he is working on focuses on a drifter in a zombie apocalypse.
“It follows him along on this final journey before he passes along,” Baas said.
Baas said his paintings are acrylic. For the comics, he inks the pages and colors them with Copic alcohol markers.
His comics are available locally at Dungeons and Dodgers, 1018 Central Ave.
REPRINTED FROM FORT DODGE MESSENGER