Marshalltown is on the brink of becoming an essential arts hub in Central Iowa. Through the exhaustive efforts of local cultural and civic leaders, Marshalltown is showing how communities can rebuild and restructure with the arts as a foundational element.

As the Arts & Culture Master Plan says, “When an arts and culture master plan is adopted and integrated into a city’s comprehensive plan, amazing things happen. Art and culture can connect and renew Marshalltown, positioning us for collaboration and revitalization.”

Marshalltown has the potential to become a true cultural powerhouse for Central Iowa, but in order for that to happen, our local artist community has to take an active role in shaping and building that vision.

It’s a popular misconception that artists are solitary souls, toiling away at their craft in a state of isolated “genius.” But that’s rarely the case — creating artwork in a vacuum isn’t just difficult, it’s next to impossible. Art after all, by very definition, is crafted out of a community consciousness. Art affects culture and culture affects art.

This is why, as an artist and gallerist, I’m personally drawn to spaces and communities where artists work together. I enjoy working in the presence of other artists’ creative endeavors – I’m inspired by their struggles and successes and I crave the sorts of critical and supportive feedback that other artists can give me.

One of the reasons that so few artists continue making work after graduation is a lack of an artistic community. While in school, art students are surrounded by artwork and art-making. Daily critiques and demos are just a part of the advantage of spending your days amidst an art-making “bonanza.” Now imagine being taken out of that environment essentially overnight, getting a 9 to 5 job to pay the bills and to forget or neglect how important art-making is to you.

The most important (and seemingly obvious, yet most often sadly overlooked) thing that an artist needs to do to be an artist is to make stuff. It is not easy to make things after a hard day’s work. It takes discipline, not just a desire, and that’s where an artist community can help – they can push you, hold you accountable, and inspire you to keep going.

An organized artist community is also a boon to the community at large as it gives artist members a larger community voice that could hopefully translate into a greater civic understanding of the arts as cultural producer, not just an economic or social asset (the arts in Iowa contributed over $4 billion to the state economy in 2020).

Local artists are already getting together to organize, but there are few key things that we need for this artistic community to really thrive and help Marshalltown achieve its cultural potential. Here are a few action items that local artists and community members could collaborate on:

1. Places to see (and show) art

Marshalltown already has a long list of great public art (murals, sculptures, etc.). These are great – they enliven and enrich public spaces and they attract national attention to our town – but public art isn’t a medium for every artist. Most local artists and their artwork are better suited for one-on-one engagements in a quiet spot (a gallery, cafe, storefront, etc). This town needs more spaces for artists to share artwork and for the community to see that artwork.

2. More (and deeper) interactions between artists and the community

Community members have limited opportunities to meet and greet with local artists – MCC gallery openings, street fairs, markets, etc. but these opportunities rarely provide enough time and space to really engage with artists and learn about their artwork. Marshalltown needs spaces and events for artists/community interactions throughout the year. A good art town makes art a part of its daily life, not just on the weekends or special events.

3. Opportunities for emerging artists

Not every artist has work ready for an exhibition nor is every artist ready to declare themselves an ‘artist.’ A good art town has an infrastructure (formal or informal) that supports and encourages these emerging artists. Whether through offering professional or technical advice, sharing much-needed yet expensive supplies, providing affordable studio space, guidance during exhibition submissions, or moral support, already established local artists can nurture and grow an arts community from the ground floor while also attracting new artists to town.

Local artists are working towards these goals and so are civic and business leaders, but we need Marshalltown residents to pitch in as well. As the Arts & Culture Master Plan says, “Cities that weave arts and culture into the fabric of daily life become a destination for visitors. They drive economic prosperity. They become regional focal points. But most importantly, they bloom into a springboard of imagination and a creative home for their own residents. Conversations spark, connections are made and our community thrives.”

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Josh Cox is a local artist and a member of the Arts and Culture Alliance board of directors.