Spring/Summer Downtown Magazine

DOWNTOWN IOWA CITY DOWNTOWN DISTRICT MAGAZINE | SPRING + SUMMER 2017

farm to roof

animation camp!

placemaking

thomas agran

produce sprouts in the city Page 19

a peek into FilmScene’s kids-only summer camp Page 29

new initiatives reenvision downtown Page 9

champion of public art in Iowa City Page 34

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DOWNTOWN IOWA CITY DOWNTOWN DISTRICT MAGAZINE

EDITOR | KATE CONLOW ART DIRECTOR | FRANKIE SCHNECKLOTH, LITTLE VILLAGE CREATIVE SERVICES

WRITERS AND EDITORS BRITTANY BORGHI, KATE CONLOW, FRANKIE SCHNECKLOTH, ABBY THOMAS

DESIGNERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS ZAK NEUMANN, FRANKIE SCHNECKLOTH, TOM LANGDON, CHRIS HUNTER

ICDD STAFF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | NANCY BIRD DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS BETSY POTTER

NIGHTTIME MAYOR | ANGELA WINNIKE SPECIAL EVENTS AND SPONSOR RELATIONS ASSISTANT

IN THIS ISSUE OF D O W N T O W N NEW INITIATIVES

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RAD RETAIL AND ART

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Getting creative with Downtown Iowa City’s urban spaces Three community organizers rethink the possibilities of a downtown storefront

BUSINESS CLOSER LOOK 14 Health and beauty entrepreneurs put Iowa City on the map

URBAN AGRICULTURE Green grows on rooftops

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BEST BITES 25 What to eat this summer

WHAT TO WEAR Warm-weather outfits from downtown shops

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ANIMATION CAMP

Kids get creative at FilmScene

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CALENDAR 32 Don’t miss these seasonal events

IN CONVERSATION

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Meet public art advocate Thomas Agran

ON THE COVER: Thomas Agran paints in his Goosetown Studio. Learn more about Agran and his work with public art on Page 34.

MARY BESLER

SPECIAL PROJECTS (COSIGN) NATE KAEDING

ART MANAGEMENT (COSIGN & UICCU BENCHMARKS) | THOMAS AGRAN DOWNTOWNIOWACITY.COM FACEBOOK: /DOWNTOWNIC INSTAGRAM: @DOWNTOWNIOWACITY TWITTER: @ICDOWNTOWN COPYRIGHT ©2017 BY IOWA CITY DOWNTOWN DISTRICT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. IOWA CITY DOWNTOWN MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED BY THE IOWA CITY DOWNTOWN DISTRICT. ART DIRECTION, PHOTOGRAPHY, AND DESIGN BY LITTLE VILLAGE CREATIVE SERVICES.

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new initiatives

CREATING PLACE IN DOWNTOWN’S URBAN SPACE

New initiatives reenvision the possibilities of what can happen throughout Downtown Iowa City.

POOL TIME: Paddle boarding presented a fun, new way to enjoy Black Hawk Mini Park.

The people who live, work, and play in Downtown Iowa City are constantly exploring new ways to engage with its public spaces. The concept of placemaking—which involves enhancing public and semi-public spaces through programming and physical improvements to bring people in, foster vitality, and give identity to urban areas— isn’t new to downtown: these efforts have been under way in Iowa City for many years. Lately, the Iowa City Downtown District (ICDD) has fostered placemaking through initiatives like the UICCU BenchMarks project, the Farm to Street Dinner, and new lighting and expanded patios throughout downtown. This summer, the ICDD is partnering with Hot House Yoga to transform Black Hawk Mini Park into an outdoor yoga studio (Page 32), and each Friday, The Englert will host a community lunch in the park (Page 32). Here are a few more placemaking initiatives that are in the works to make Downtown Iowa City an even more thriving place to spend time.

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new initiatives

NEW RECYCLING DOWNTOWN THE BACKSTORY Recycling downtown used to be a bit of a challenge, but new waste and recycling initiatives are changing this. Introduced gradually since 2015, nine Bigbelly solar-powered trash and recycling compactors have been installed throughout Downtown Iowa City.

With the power they generate, the machines are able to sort trash from recycling. In addition to the Bigbellys, downtown and north side businesses now have access to recycling pick-up services, as part of a larger initiative by the ICDD, the City of Iowa City, and other organizations to be more environmentally friendly and to clean up the Iowa City alleys.

WHAT TO EXPECT On average, Bigbellys hold five times more waste and recycling than the black trash cans they’ve been replacing. With the capacity to store more waste, there is less labor and collection involved.

Aiding this process is the Bigbelly smart technology, which monitors and transmits data to city officials and its contractors indicating how full the receptacles are. The system saves labor and bags (as well as carbon emitted by the garbage collection trucks). What’s up next? The ICDD and the City of Iowa City are exploring models to make comprehensive composting available to downtown businesses.

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COSIGN PROJECT THE BACKSTORY Originally launched in Cincinnati by the American Sign Museum, the CoSign Project is a nationwide initiative that engages art in neighborhood revitalization. The program pairs local artists and sign fabricators with small businesses to design and install unique, handcrafted signage in business districts. After successfully impacting the streetscapes and local economies of the CoSign Project’s pilot neighborhoods, the program is being adopted in places like Chicago and West Des Moines, as well as Downtown Iowa City.

WHAT TO EXPECT A collaboration of the ICDD, American Sign Museum, the City of Iowa City, and MidWestOne Bank, the project paired local artists with downtown businesses interested in new signs for their streetlevel storefronts. Through a juried competition that drew 250 artist applications, 12 business/artist teams were selected to implement their signs downtown and on the north side. The businesses received stipends to pay the artists and cover the cost of the signs, which will be installed on Aug. 11, 2017 during MidWestOne’s Rock the Chalk event.

NIGHTTIME MAYOR mayor is being introduced right here in Downtown Iowa City.

WHAT TO EXPECT In April, Angela Winnike was hired to manage and enhance relations between businesses and cultural venues that conduct business in the evenings. As the nighttime mayor, she will also collaborate with THE BACKSTORY the greater Iowa City community What started in Amsterdam and has to foster a vibrant, inclusive, and been adopted in cities throughout creative evening ecosystem. Created Europe, “night mayors” are employed in partnership with the ICDD, the City as business and community liaisons of Iowa City, the University of Iowa, who work to encourage healthy and the UI Student Government, nighttime economies, promote the nighttime mayor is tasked with safety, and foster more inclusive advocating for and establishing communities. These positions have positive working relationships with lead to measurable improvements business owners, residents, and in community diversity, increased visitors in downtown. As a direct hire entertainment options, neighborhood of the ICDD, Winnike will also support safety and cleanliness, and small non-traditional events, conferences, business prosperity. Now, for the and creative endeavors that first time in the U.S., a nighttime strengthen the evening economy.

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new initiatives

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN AN ARTIST AND TWO FASHION DESIGNERS, ALL OF WHOM ARE ALSO COMMUNITY ORGANIZERS, DECIDE TO OPEN A STOREFRONT?

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hen the popular convenience store and T-shirt shop The Den closed in 2016, John Engelbrecht, Simeon Talley, and Andre Wright were each drawn to the storefront because of its location, affordability, and their shared vision for a space where art, retail, design, and innovation could meet. Each was already involved in community-focused initiatives, and after a series of conversations, they decided to open RADinc.—or the Retail,

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Art, and Design Incubator—which contains a gallery, as well as collective and affordable retail spaces, artist studios, and a community event space.

“Each of us brings elements of the work that we were already doing and houses it in RADinc.,” Talley says of himself and his collaborators. “We all have an interest in creating more community and support for artisans, makers, and creative entrepreneurs.”

ART AND RETAIL COMBINE: In early Spring 2017, Modela opened a pop-up shop in the RADinc. Photo

by Tom Langdon.

LEFT: Upstairs, a studio visit brings together artists and friends.

Talley—who helped found the Iowa Fashion Project, Flyover Fashion Fest, and The Political Party—will oversee the programming and events in the space and manage dayto-day operations. Engelbrecht will organize the shared studio and gallery space, which is located upstairs and which will have some connection to Public Space One, where he serves as codirector.

“We have ten artists sharing mostly private studio space with the occasional— limited and as determined by the studio users—event,” explains Engelbrecht, who says there may be studio visits, critiques, photo shoots, or receptions that will bring visitors into the second-floor space.

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Wright, who works at the Iowa City Area Development group and owns BLU Collar clothing, will manage the retail aspect of RADinc., which he describes as a type of fashion cooperative.

“We have 10 to 12 brands/designers that are willing to pay a monthly cost to share the space, and each month we will feature one designer in the event space where they can hold their own exclusive popup shop,” says Wright.

Patti O’Neill, a North Liberty resident and owner of the online retail shop Modela, was one of the first to collaborate with RADinc. when she hosted a pop-up shop in early Spring 2017.

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“I had just returned from several weeks in Oaxaca, Mexico, with loads of artisan goods and wanted to have a Modela pop-up shop,” says O’Neill. “I wanted to collaborate with another business, and it wasn’t until I saw the large space that I thought of Mad Modern, a mid-century modern furniture shop in Cedar Rapids owned by David Owens. I’ve wanted to have furniture styled with the vintage Moroccan rugs that Modela sells, and RADinc. made that possible with its large, available space.”

O’Neill says that RADinc. is unique in that it brings a huge physical space to Downtown Iowa City and that the project fosters collaboration.

“I am excited to see what other events happen in RADinc.,” O’Neill continues. “I love that PS1 is affiliated, too—it makes the whole space a creative hub.”

In addition to the retail, art, and event spaces, there will be an open membership program that will offer opportunities intended to help local artists grow creatively and professionally.

Engelbrecht, Talley, and Wright have signed an 18-month lease on the RADinc. space, and if it is successful, they hope the project will continue.

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closer look wildculturekombucha.com

IOWA CITY ALL NATURAL

ORIGIN STORY

HEALTH BENEFITS

Rachelle Schmidt and Tim Roed met as coworkers in 2010 and quickly bonded over their shared interests in health, fresh juice, and all things kombucha. They began brewing the fermented beverage at home and when they traveled around the country, discovered bars that served kombucha on tap. So they decided it was time to turn their home-brewing hobby into a business, and Wild Culture Kombucha was founded. Today, they offer four flavors year-round (including beet/orange/lime, as well as pineapple/jalapeño) and collaborate with local farms to release seasonal flavors like strawberry rhubarb.

Wild Culture doesn’t interrupt the fermentation process or dilute their product, which Schmidt and Roed say results in more probiotics, vitamins, and nutrients.

They explain that many people drink kombucha for gut health, but that it can also help detox, boost immunity, and act as “a natural hangover cure due to its high amount of B vitamins.” They also cold press fresh produce into juice, which only adds to the health benefits.

Get to know these three local businesses that are creating products aimed at well-being.

FIND IT Wild Culture kombucha is on tap at Pullman, Forbidden Planet, and Bread Garden Market. Pullman and Forbidden Planet feature the kombucha in cocktails. Schmidt and Roed also sell their kombucha at the Iowa City Farmers Market.

rootpretty.com

ORIGIN STORY Root was founded in 2013 in Waverly, Iowa, while owner Krista Dolash was pregnant with her son. During that time, she discovered that many foods, cosmetics, skin care items, and cleaning detergents contained toxic chemicals, so she began to replace these products with ones she made at home.

What started as a hobby evolved into a business with retail locations in Waverly and Cedar Falls. Soon after, the company was launched.

Dolash decided to make

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everything vegan and gluten free so that everyone would be able to use Root products.

Today, Root sells a wide range of makeup for all skin types and complexions. The store also sells oral care products, body soaps, and household cleaners.

HEALTH BENEFITS Through her research, Dolash discovered that traditional cosmetics and skin care products were linked to cancers and reproductive disorders and were full of toxins, artificial dyes,

and harsh fillers. In Root’s products, you will find ingredients like olive and coconut oil, shea butter, and vitamin E. Dolash also notes that skin is the largest organ in the body and easily absorbs chemicals, so Root products are certified organic.

FIND IT Root recently opened its third location in Downtown Iowa City. Look for the hot pink storefront on the Ped Mall. All of their products are also available online.

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Get Your Health On These downtown businesses offer services that encourage mental and physical well-being.

ACUPUNCTURE IOWA CITY AND DOWNTOWN CHIROPRACTIC

325 E. Washington St. #101 clinic-eight.com For acupuncture, chiropractic work, and functional medicine.

EASTWIND HEALING CENTER

221 E. College St. #211 eastwindhealing.com For alternative healthcare and a range of mind and body therapies.

THE GYM ebbandflowbyty.com

ORIGIN STORY One day, while completing her degree in English at the University of Iowa, Ty Bramwell walked into Revival to consign clothes and Teah DePover, then the store’s merchandise manager, complimented her on the necklace she was wearing, which she happened to have made. DePover and Revival’s owner Sheila Davisson liked the jewelry so much that they asked her to make 12 more to sell in the store.

From there, she founded Ebb & Flow and began selling jewelry at the Iowa City Farmers Market, where she started learning about running a business and talking about her products, and where she met White Rabbit owner Cortnie Widen. Ebb & Flow was soon sold at both White Rabbit and Revival, as Bramwell began travelling the country and placing her products in boutiques nationwide. Since then, Bramwell has grown the company to become an organic apothecary, selling a range of body

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products, and it recently began selling a line of household goods as well.

HEALTH BENEFITS Bramwell says that all Ebb & Flow products are rooted in love, and the ultimate vision is for it to be a one-stop shop for good energy and soulful products. In addition to the brand’s good intentions, all the products are free of any preservatives or chemicals, and they are on their way to becoming entirely organic.

FIND IT Ebb & Flow is now available at boutiques throughout the country, as well as larger retailers like Urban Outfitters and Free People.

In Iowa City, Ebb & Flow has done collaborations with Buzz Salon, Revival, and White Rabbit.

“Downtown Iowa City has been so kind and welcoming of this brand,” says Bramwell. “I got my start here, and I am beyond grateful.”

213 E. College St. thegymiowacity.com For a full gym and personal training.

HEARTLAND YOGA

221 E. College St. # 213 icheartlandyoga.com For mindfulness-focused yoga and pilates classes.

HOT HOUSE YOGA

224 S. Clinton St. hothouseyoga.com For a range of hot yoga, pilates, and barre classes.

LULULEMON ATHLETICA

281 N. Linn St. For free Saturday morning yoga.

ROBERT A. LEE RECREATION CENTER

220 S. Gilbert St. icgov.org For swimming, racquetball, roller skating, group classes and leagues, and a gym.

VIRTUE MEDICINE

221 E. College St., #212 For a range of alternative healthcare, mind and body therapies, and classes.

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AN URBAN OASIS

BY BRITTANY BORGHI

C

limb the stairs at M.C. Ginsberg and pop out onto the roof. From this spot on Washington Street, the skyline of Downtown Iowa City is all around you. Climb a steel ladder behind you and step up onto a higher landing. There, you’ll see it: Mark Ginsberg’s rooftop garden. It’s a hydroponic system where water and liquid nutrients feed plants anchored to hunks of porous lava rock, rather than the plants being situated in soil. The system is designed to be more lightweight than a traditional garden, mobile when the growing season ends, and easily manipulated from year to year. With just a handful of gallon buckets, trellises, and one wooden table, Ginsberg and his staff grew—and ate— tomatoes, herbs, lettuces, squashes, and other kinds of produce over the course of last summer. Through a pipe hookup running from inside the building up to the roof, the hydroponic system keeps the planters full of fresh water and the vegetables growing throughout the season.

“It seemed to us that, if we were able to grow a reasonable plant structure on the roof, it would not only add a sustainable element to our rooftop, it would also encourage more local businesses to do the same thing,” said Ginsberg, who owns and operates the downtown jewelry store M.C. Ginsberg.

And that’s the idea. When Ginsberg looks out at downtown from the top of his building, what he sees are more than one million square feet of empty rooftops—and viable growing space. His hope is that he can help mobilize downtown business owners to transform their rooftops into gardens as well, and change the face of Downtown Iowa City into something greener and more eco-friendly. Ginsberg’s vision is all a part of the wider idea of urban agriculture: bringing farming and gardening closer to

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“If we were able to grow a reasonable plant structure on the roof, it would not only add a sustainable element to our rooftop, it would also encourage more local businesses to do the same thing.”

—Mark Ginsberg, M.C. Ginsberg

UP ON THE ROOFTOP: UPHydroponic ON THE ROOFTOP: gardens Hydroponic gardens grow in the student grow in the student greenhouse at greenhouse Universityat of Iowa’s University of Iowa’s Biology Building.

Biology Building.

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the places where people live, work, and eat, all in the name of sustainability and conservation. But growing food in an urban environment depends on having a growing system that can handle the conditions of a city. On Ginsberg’s rooftop, plants need to be able to handle the heat of the full sun, the reflective quality of many other rooftop surfaces, and the stress that comes from the unrestricted flow of wind—or they need to be housed in structures that protect them from those elements but that are still light enough to keep on top of a roof. It’s a complex puzzle, and figuring out how to make all of those variables work in concert is no easy task. Ginsberg, who doesn’t profess to be a gardening expert, has been looking for someone to help him build and sustain a rooftop garden plan for the last decade.

That’s where Chad Treloar and Krista Osadchuk come in.

Treloar, who has a background in environmental science, and Osadchuk, who is a PhD student in biology at the University of Iowa, are working to spread the idea of urban agriculture through hydroponics.

They’re turning the idea into a full-time job through Treloar’s company Urban Greens. They designed and built Ginsberg’s rooftop garden last year, and they, like Ginsberg, want to see the idea spread.

In order to make rooftop hydroponic systems more accessible to the general public, this team of three has been working to develop hydroponic system “recipes” that other business owners, home owners—or anyone—could use to set up their own lightweight, malleable farm. Osadchuk has developed an algorithm where people can input the size of the space they have and what they’d like to grow, and the algorithm will spit out specifications for a hydroponic garden plan.

Ginsberg wants to get the algorithm online and sell the plans for 99 cents, making them easily available to anyone who can spare a dollar.

“If I can maybe give an idea to a 12- or 20- or 80-year-old to add more value to their lives, if I can inspire somebody to think in those terms, it just makes sense,” Ginsberg said.

The jewelry store isn’t the only place that Osadchuk and Treloar have designed a system for— they’ve also got hydroponics going to work in the rooftop greenhouse in Biology Building East for the University of Iowa Gardeners, a student club.

“We established the hydroponics system in order to realize year-round growing capabilities. We hope to get to the point where we can provide some fresh produce to the UI Food Pantry during all months of the year. Our developing partnership with the Food Pantry will help combat student food insecurity at the university,” said UI Gardeners co-president Jacob Simpson. This is the benefit of urban agriculture as Simpson sees it: if fresh food can be grown in the city, it will be easier to transport and make available to students who need it. The fresher those vegetables are, the more nutrients they’ll contain, and the more people SPRING + SUMMER 2017 |

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will benefit from eating them, Osadchuk said.

The idea of a nutrient-rich, fresh vegetable is enticing to local restaurant owners, too. Oasis Falafel co-owner Naftaly Stramer said he would happily buy cilantro—which his restaurant uses in several dishes— from a rooftop garden like Ginsberg’s, and that, in the summertime, 15 to 20 percent of his food supply comes from local farms. Stramer has found that’s the right mix of price and locality that his restaurant can afford—despite the fact that local produce and meat can be more expensive than buying conventionally farmed foods. In the summer, Stramer buys his cucumbers and eggplants on a weekly basis from Lopata Farms at the Iowa City Farmers Market, and his baklava comes yearround from Barb’s Garden and Pantry in Davenport.

“It’s a cycle of economy,” Stramer said. “You invest in the local economy, that makes the cycle expand—it’s helping as much as we can.”

Pullman Diner co-owner Cory Kent agrees. He said Pullman would definitely use produce from a rooftop garden, as long as the product was high quality, consistent, and met the volume and deadlines of the restaurant.

“We of course try and use local when that equation makes sense. Using such products supports the local economy, which is great for all of us in Iowa City and its surrounding areas,” Kent said.

Here, the line between urban agriculture and local foods starts to blur. No matter where they’re grown in Iowa City, if fresh produce can be grown with proximity and accessibility to where people live, those people can benefit from that produce. The City of Iowa City opened this year’s plots of community gardens in early April, and in 2017, they’re hoping to make the experience more successful for people taking advantage of the plots.

This fiscal year, the city council has authorized $30,000 to help fund projects that will directly benefit the local food economy. The council is directing those dollars toward programs that will give community gardeners access to free seeds, tools, and the education they need to make their gardens grow, said Iowa City’s sustainability coordinator Brenda Nations.

“Sometimes, people start a garden, and then it goes to weeds—it’s not kept up—which means a lot of wasted space, even though people had signed up for that garden plot. Even though people want to garden, they might not have the knowledge,” Nations said.

To that end, the Parks and Recreation Department will host free gardening classes to help anyone interested—especially those in underserved communities. The fund also helps to support Double Up Food Bucks at the farmers’ market, where families who qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) can double their money when they spend it at the market. Next fiscal year, the city council has authorized $35,000 to dedicate toward developing those programs even more, Nations said.

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FARM TO STREET: ICDD, City of Iowa City, and Johnson County partnered with local restaurants and farms to host the Farm to Street dinner.

The city also partnered with the Iowa City Downtown District, Johnson County, 20 local farms, and six local restaurants to throw its inaugural Farm to Street Dinner in August 2016. The dinner, held in the middle of North Linn Street, also grew out of the city council’s designated funds. All of the proceeds from the dinner—around $10,000 in total—went to Farm to School, a local nonprofit that works to bring local produce into public schools, as well as to the City of Iowa City’s Parks and Recreation Department to install water lines for community gardens. The city plans to make the Farm to Street Dinner an annual event, and every year, the event will benefit a different nonprofit that works with local foods.

“I think there’s a lot of reasons to eat local foods,” Nations said. “They use fewer greenhouse gases in covering the distance from the farm to the consumer, but also, a lot of the benefit is in the refrigeration and the processing—not to mention that local foods are better for our health—there’s a lot of reasons to eat more local foods.”

In a 160-square-foot room in the basement of a house at the corner of College Street and Muscatine Avenue, the temperature is set to a consistent 70 degrees, and the walls are covered with reflective insulation. Inside, Treloar and his second business partner and roommate, Ted Myers, have a set of floor-to-ceiling shelves housing plastic pallets of microgreens: radish greens,

FIELD TO FAMILY fieldtofamily.org

LOCAL FOODS RESOURCES 22

LOCAL FOODS CONNECTION localfoodsconnection.com LOCAL HARVEST localharvest.org PRACTICAL FARMERS OF IOWA practicalfarmers.org

sunflower shoots, pea shoots, and red beets.

The tiny plants can be germinated, sold, and eaten in around 15 days. Treloar and Myers hope to cultivate a whole crop of various microgreens and sell them to local restaurants and markets. They’ve recycled nearly everything they’ve built in the room—from the shelving to the lighting—and it’s another way that Treloar and his friends are thinking about bringing the farm closer to home.

“If we can take a relatively small, underutilized space, turn it into a green space, and maybe turn a profit as well, that’s the dream,” Myers said.

From the basement to the rooftop to the street, the possibilities for urban agriculture in Iowa City seem endless.

JOHNSON COUNTY FOOD POLICY COUNCIL johnson-county.com UNIVERSITY OF IOWA OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY sustainability.uiowa.edu UNIVERSITY OF IOWA GARDENERS facebook.com/UIGardeners

DOUBLE UP FOOD BUCKS doubleupfoodbucks.org IOWA CITY FARMERS MARKET icgov.org/farmersmarket IOWA CITY FARM TO SCHOOL PROGRAM fieldtofamily.org

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best bites

WHAT TO EAT THIS SUMMER

PACK A PICNIC

For a classic warmweather dinner, assemble a pulledtogether picnic. Tuck into the wine room at John’s Grocery for a bevy of approachable bottles alongside a smattering of cheeses, cured meats, and crackers to make an impressive and refined spread for grazing al fresco. Or, for a meal that’s more substantial, trust Nodo to please your whole pack with their extensive menu of sandwiches, wraps, and salads. A bucket of addictive fried chicken and coleslaw from Harold’s make the perfect companion for a shady spot in City Park, and a trip through new grocer Asia+ will supply an afternoon in the sun with all the international snacks you need.

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best bites

Hot Weather Cooldown

Pullman Diner's Shugga Pie

PIE, OH MY! Go traditional and order a whole pie made with whatever is in season—blueberry, apple, peach?—from Bobby’s Pies or Molly’s Cupcakes. If it’s one of those dripping-hot Iowa summer days, try Graze’s “Big

Farm-Fresh Food

Iowa City Farmers Market >

Collaboration with area farmers is a cornerstone of many Downtown Iowa City restaurants. Northside Bistro and Devotay constantly highlight the best of farm-fresh vegetables on their rotating, seasonal menus. If you’re craving a burger, Short’s, Iowa Chop House, and George’s Buffet all source local beef.

Craving something sweet? Yotopia works with area dairy farmers and fruit purveyors to make their mouthwatering frozen yogurts.

Feel like making your own local food feast? Head to the Iowa City Farmers Market and meet the people behind the produce yourself.

Jimmy Jack's Rib Shack

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Ass Ice Cream Pie,” or opt for one of Hamburg Inn’s renown pie shakes. The chefs at Pullman get creative with their pies: try their Nutella pie with banana ice cream or their Shugga Pie with cereal milk ice cream.

^ Northside Bistro Yotopia Frozen Yogurt >

Can’t decide between a sweet treat or a caffeinated beverage? Try Bread Garden Market’s affogato (espresso over gelato).

For a delicious local craft beer, head to Joseph’s Steakhouse, which serves ReUnion Brewery beers on tap. The cocktail program at Forbidden Planet boasts many winners; among them is the gin-based Mortal Kombucha for something herbaceous, or the Resident Evil for a spicy, gingery margarita. The fruity notes of Java House’s Tropical Iced Tea make an obvious warm-weather choice, while the chocolaty swirl in High Ground’s Kickapoo Iced Mocha makes a hot summer morning a little more bearable.

HAPPY HOUR HOP Head to Brix for their Cordial Hour, inspired by the afternoon rituals of Mediterranean Europe. From 3-6 p.m., they have specials on their fortified-wine based cocktails, as well as their cheeses and snacks.

For a happy hour inspired by the Western Hemisphere, head to Saloon’s Fiesta Hour, which features sangria, margaritas, and a small selection of snacks. At Pullman’s Community hour, bring your friends and enjoy the “Shift Beer” which comes with a shot of Short’s whiskey.

For a barbecue menu offering a range of smoked meats and vegetarian options, head to Jimmy Jack’s. At Pop’s Old N’ New, get a taste of St. Louis-style barbecue with a rack of their ribs. Dumpling Darling’s barbecue pork bun or brisket dumplings come with Korean barbecue sauce and kimchi. Craving the tang of barbecue on a slice of pizza? Mesa offers multiple barbecue pizzas, including one with chicken and bacon.

^ Forbidden Planet cocktails

Downtown Iowa City has a strong patio game, and the renovations on Washington Street only made it better—One Twenty Six, Bo-James, Mama’s, Quinton’s, Java House, and Osaka are among the restaurants with revamped and expanded outdoor seating. Looking for some shade from the afternoon sun? Head to Atlas, The Mill, or Bashu. And if you need an escape, Gabe’s beer garden is sublime in the early evening. Feel the need to get a little higher in life?

Head to FilmScene, where you can enjoy a beverage on their secluded rooftop patio. Joe’s Place is also joining the rooftop patio scene; guests can enjoy drinks as well as pizza from the new neighbor, Pi-Zan. To catch the best sunset in town, head to Clinton Street Social Club and enjoy their refreshing cocktails and dinner entrées from the comfort of AC.

< view from FilmScene's rooftop patio

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what to wear

BUILD YOUR LOOK |

Downtown retailers offer a variety of clothing, footwear, and accessory options for anyone to put together their perfect summer outfit.

clockwise from top left: Lilla P long-sleeve button down, Velvet Coat; Corgi pin, White Rabbit; Anything is Possible by Elizabeth Strout, Prairie Lights; Pol denim shirt dress, Revival; Latico Cross Body, Dulcinea; Dolce Vita leopard print espadrilles, Catherineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s; BAGGU floral print bag, Raygun

clockwise from top left: Vans short-sleeve button down, The Full Kit; Midwesterner T-shirt, White Rabbit; The Hearts of Men by Nicholas Butler, Prairie Lights; Fuji Instax Camera, University Camera; Saucony Grid SD shoes, The Full Kit; Patagonia Black Hole bag, Active Endeavors; Publish pants, The Full Kit

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DOWNTOWN | SPRING + SUMMER 2017

RATED K FOR KIDS At FilmScene’s innovative summer camp, kids are empowered to create their own animated motion pictures.

BY ABBY THOMAS | PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF FILMSCENE

SPRING + SUMMER 2017 |

DOWNTOWN

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ast summer, well before normal boxoffice hours, FilmScene opened their Screening Room doors to a stream of kids who were nervous but ready to join forces and create their very own animations.

They were there for the nonprofit cinema’s inaugural Animation Summer Camp, which was founded after Kembrew McLeod, the theater’s education committee chair, and his son discovered an intuitive stop-motion app for iPad. “Teaching my five year old animation gave me the idea to center FilmScene’s camp around animation, because this would be something a child of any age could do with a little adult supervision, and it could be taught in just a week,” McLeod says.

Leading the Animation Summer Camp is former Iowa City Community School District teacher, Mark Jones.

“You have to scribble before you start making shapes,” Jones says about his teaching style. As a former art teacher who always made time to teach animation to his kiddos, he has turned his attention completely to animation, teaching workshops in art rooms, at after school programs, and for FilmScene’s Animation Summer Camp.

When Jones isn’t watching Cartoon Network’s Adventure Time or creating animations for the band Iron & Wine, he’s teaching kids rotoscoping, onion skinning, easing, and story arcs. Sound confusing?

It all seems pretty complicated, but even on day one of Animation Summer Camp, students begin pushing short, stop-motion videos out of their shoes. Along with Buffy Quintero, another local art teacher, last summer Jones taught two weeklong sessions, one for fifth and sixth graders, another for seventh and eighth graders.

During their week at FilmScene, campers work together in groups to produce, direct, and edit their own animations.

They also learn about a range of animation styles, including claymation, GIFs, light and shadow puppets, and hand-drawn cartooning.

The childlike wonder that Jones has for animation fuels the students’ imaginations and their ability to open up; ultimately though, he is there to help the students create their work and provide technical guidance. But Jones says that the camp is not only about learning the materials and principles, it’s even more about letting the students’ pure imaginations

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SUMMER CAMPS FOR KIDS BEADOLOGY IOWA beadologyiowa.com

MAKE A BRACELET & RECYCLED BLOOM Camp 1: Aug. 8, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Camp 2: Aug. 9, 1 - 4 p.m.

Ages 8+ BEADED BUDDY KEYCHAIN & PAINTING WITH BEADS Camp 1: Aug. 8, 1 - 4 p.m.

Camp 2: Aug. 9. 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Ages 8+

HOME EC. WORKSHOP

homeecworkshop.blogspot.com

QUILTING CAMP June 5-9, Ages 8+ FABRIC DESIGN & FASHION CAMP June 26-30, Ages 8+ MAKE A BOOK FROM START TO FINISH! July 10-14, Ages 8+ and personalities mold and mesh with the other students’ in the room. Whether it be a claymation grandma telling the story of how she met Zombie Elvis (starring Zombie Presley himself), or a story with a spaceship (because let’s be honest, it’s always cooler if there’s a spaceship involved), creativity and fun guide the camp.

Throughout the weeklong session, teamoriented work is emphasized.

“I want this to be a collaboration, and that can be tricky, and I know sometimes ideas get compromised and taken out,” says Jones. “But I think it’s important to negotiate.”

Jones says that one of the most gratifying parts of the camp for him is witnessing the camaraderie fostered by the groups.

“Seeing their new friendships, and by the end of week, they’d have these inside jokes that were just so them,” Jones says. “That’s their humor that totally developed just through the shared circumstances, and that’s just lovely to see.”

The energy from the Animation Summer Camp students is infectious even to FilmScene staff not participating in the camp.

“There are 15 kids and three teachers buzzing about, cutting paper, bending wires, building sets, and filming one frame at a time to create mini masterpieces,” says Andrew Sherburne, FilmScene’s associate director. “The energy and enthusiasm are contagious, and we love having these kids in here as a reminder that, above all else, movies are fun.”

Now in its second year, the camp has extended to six sessions for students ages nine to 14. Additionally, with the support of Hills Bank (which helps sponsor the summer camp), a few full and partial scholarships will be given to students

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with demonstrated need. If kids from last year want to come back, Jones will offer additional lessons, while also teaching the foundational animation skills.

“Students that have done this before will go deeper into techniques of things they can do to make it better—refining the craft,” Jones says.

At the end of the weeklong session, closing ceremonies held at FilmScene’s Scene 1 cinema premiere the animators’ movies for family and friends. In the room, the excitement is palpable as students see for the first time their 30-second stop-motion animation full of inside jokes, giggle-inducing silliness, and their own creativity.

“It’s not always for the parents, sometimes it’s very much this is the thing these four strangers who became friends created, and it’s their thing,” says Jones.

The future of FilmScene’s Animation Camp seems bright: Besides expanding camp leadership to involve more community members skilled in sound design, musical scoring, and storytelling, the hope is to take the iPads on the road around Iowa.

Animation Summer Camp 2017 Grades 3-4 (Ages 9-11): June 26-30 morning session 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. afternoon session 1:00 – 4:30 p.m.

Grades 5-6 (Ages 11-13): June 12-16, July 17-21 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. daily with lunch Grades 7-8 (Ages 12-14): June 19-23, July 10-14 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. daily with lunch For more information, visit icfilmscene.org.

IOWA CITY PUBLIC LIBRARY icpl.org/kids

IOWA CITY PUBLIC LIBRARY SUMMER READING PROGRAM June-July, PreK – Grade 6

IOWA YOUTH WRITING PROJECT iywp.org

HISTORY HUNT! FROM THE GOLD DOME TO THE GRAVEYARD June 5-9, Grades 5-6 IMAGE + WORD 2017 WITH PROMPTPRESS June 5-9, Teens WORD WIZARDRY: A HARRY POTTER CAMP June 12-16 or July 24-28 Grades 3-6

ROBERT A. LEE RECREATION CENTER

icgov.org

CAMP THUNDER June 12 – Aug. 11, Grades K-3 CAMP LIGHTENING June 12 – Aug. 11, Grades 4-6 CAMP STEAM June 12 – Aug. 11, Grades K-6

UNIVERSITY OF IOWA JACOBSON INSTITUTE ENTREPRENEURSHIP CAMP July 10-14, 17-21, Grades 5-9 jacobsoninstitute.org

IOWA FIRST NATIONS DAY PROGRAM July 16-22, Grades 7-10

diversity.uiowa.edu/programs

SPRING + SUMMER 2017 |

DOWNTOWN

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calendar

TO DO THIS SUMMER...

SIDEWALK SALES July 20-23

Downtown Iowa City downtowniowacity.com

Downtown Iowa City downtowniowacity.com

OUTDOOR YOGA WITH HOT HOUSE YOGA

IOWA CITY ARTS FESTIVAL June 3-5

TASTE OF IOWA CITY August 23

Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Downtown Iowa City summerofthearts.org

Downtown Iowa City downtowniowacity.com

BOARD GAME NIGHT WITH HOBBY CORNER

IOWA CITY PRIDE FESTIVAL June 17

IOWA SOUL FESTIVAL August 4-5

LIGHTING PAINTING WITH IOWA CHILDREN’S MUSEUM

Downtown Iowa City iowacitypride.com

Iowa City Ped Mall summerofthearts.org

DOWNTOWN DAY TO WED: POP-UP & GROUP WEDDINGS

IOWA SUMMER WRITING FESTIVAL June 17 - July 21

ROCK THE CHALK August 11

University of Iowa iowasummerwritingfestival.org

DOWNTOWN BLOCK PARTY June 24 Downtown Iowa City downtowniowacity.com

IOWA CITY JAZZ FESTIVAL June 30 – July 2 Downtown Iowa City summerofthearts.org

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PLACEMAKING ACTIVITIES

SUMMER SHOP CRAWL May 19

Downtown Iowa City downtowniowacity.com

Black Hawk Mini Park | downtowniowacity.com Sundays at 10 a.m.

THE ENGLERT PRESENTS COMMUNITY LUNCH

Wednesdays from 5 to 9 p.m.

July 22 at 1 p.m.

July 29

FRIDAY NIGHT CONCERT SERIES

On the Ped Mall | summerofthearts.org

FARM TO STREET DINNER August 17 Downtown Iowa City downtowniowacity.com

NORTHSIDE OKTOBERFEST September 30 Northside Marketplace downtowniowacity.com

June 9 | Meteor Cat and Local on the 8’s June 16 | Goose Town and Soul Sherpa June 23 | Death Valley Welcome Center and Ralston Creek Ramblers July 7 | The Fez July 14 | The Recliners July 21 | The Candymakers and The Maytags July 28 | Winterland August 11 | Flash in a Pan and Cedar County Cobras August 18 | Jack Lion August 25 | Paa Kow

DOWNTOWN | SPRING + SUMMER 2017

SPRING + SUMMER 2017 |

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in conversation

MEET THOMAS AGRAN: ARTIST AND PUBLIC ART ADVOCATE

In recent years, Thomas Agran has coordinated the Iowa City Downtown District’s UICCU BenchMarks program, which hires artists to use Ped Mall benches as a painting canvas, and he is part of the team coordinating the CoSign project (Page 10). Agran also serves on the Iowa City Public Library Art Advisory Committee, as well as the Johnson County Historic Preservation Commission. With his wife Allie Gnade, he runs Burrowing Owl Bakery, which operates a stand at the Iowa City Farmers Market. We caught up with Agran to learn about his other projects, the importance of art in urban spaces, and how he sees art fitting into the future of Downtown Iowa City.

Why did you become an artist?

Have you always been interested in art?

I have loved painting and drawing since I was a kid. I went on to study art in college and graduate school, and I have always found myself in jobs working with my hands, whether that’s painting murals, teaching students, working on farms, or carpentry. I am happiest when my mind and my hands are both engaged.

What projects are you currently working on?

I have a few large public mural projects in the works in both Iowa City and Cedar Rapids this summer that I am excited for, and I am currently wrapping up a 20-foot landscape commission that will be installed at the Cedar Rapids Veterans Memorial Building. It has been exciting to be part of the renewed energy for public art in the corridor. My wife Allie and I also run a small business, 34

Burrowing Owl Bakery, at the Iowa City Farmers Market, which keeps us busy Saturday mornings during the summer.

What role does public art play in cities, and what specifically can it do for a place like Downtown Iowa City?

Vital cities are full of public art, and public art helps create that vitality. Urban spaces and art have a commensalistic relationship, and it is critical that we value that as a community. Art burnishes our cities, adding the human touch that we need to make the built environment inviting.

I think a wide-reaching art stimulus in Iowa City would have a lasting impact and valuable returns. We are a community chockablock full of artists, and I think establishing some well-funded programs to recognize that talent is well deserved. Large formal programs pave the way for smaller and individual endeavors in

the public realm, and I think some new investments in the relatively low price tag world of murals is a great place to start. A worthy goal would be a permanent grant making an endowment for public art in Iowa City. Public art breeds more public art, and the more art we have, the more Downtown Iowa City is a place where people want to live, shop, and invest.

What is your vision for public art in Downtown Iowa City?

I hope that Iowa City opens itself up more to public art, especially to murals large and small, and temporary installations. But we don’t need the mural to end all murals. Art on walls can be short-lived, challenging, surprising, and political. Ultimately the best will be preserved, and others will come and go. Our walls can be an artistic ecosystem, fostering dialogue and reflecting our community’s creative energy, dynamism, and vitality.

DOWNTOWN | SPRING + SUMMER 2017

SPRING + SUMMER 2017 |

DOWNTOWN

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PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID TRU ART

103 E. COLLEGE STREET SUITE 200 IOWA CITY, IOWA 52240