Be persistent, adaptable, and stay positive!

Hi! My name is Steve Hammann . I have worked part-time at the Muscatine Art Center since 2019 It’s a great place to work and has a very talented and dedicated staff

My main duties include hanging artwork for new exhibits, routine maintenance on our facilities and HVAC systems, and helping visitors and other staff when needed .

The Muscatine Art Center is a great asset for the city of Muscatine We are lucky to have such a historic and cultural facility for our residents and visitors Two of my favorite parts of the job are meeting visitors from near and far, and seeing new artwork and exhibits as they are being prepared for showings

In my spare time, I like to do long distance trail running . I started long distance running in my mid 40’s and have completed 183 races . Of those races, I have finished 51 road marathons (flatter, faster, runners have greater control of the race factors) and 132 ‘ultra’ trail races (trail terrain, greater distance) ranging from 50k (31 miles) to 100 miles . During a typical year, I run one road marathon and twelve ‘ultra’ trail races I look for challenging races with hills, rocks, roots, mud, snow, and water crossings

My first long distance race was the Quad Cities Marathon in 1998 I thought I would run one marathon, then that would be it Three weeks later I ran the Chicago Marathon . Then 2 weeks later, I ran the Des Moines Marathon and just kept running more races In the early years, I ran mostly road marathons . Then I started running ultra-distance trail races and really enjoyed the challenge . Now I run mostly ‘ultra-distance’ trail races

My first 100-mile trail race was not planned I signed up for and ran the 50-mile event, and at the finish, I felt surprisingly good A friend was running the 100-mile event, so I offered to keep her company and run the next 10 miles in the dark with her Now at 60 miles, I still felt pretty good, so I ran 10 more miles with her . Together, we ran through two lightning storms with heavy rain and wind that night Big tree limbs were crashing around us and the trails looked like mud streams They had ropes to help us get up one of the long, steep hills At mile 70, near daybreak, we saw the race director . He said if I wanted to continue on and complete the 100 mile distance, he would give me a 100mile award He strongly encouraged me to go for it I was tired by then, with no sleep and 70 miles on my legs, but with only 30 miles to go, how could I pass up such an offer and challenge . The final 30 miles went well, but were definitely challenging . The race director congratulated me at the finish line for completing my unplanned distance I’m so glad he encouraged me to go for it and run farther than I had ever run before

Currently, I don’t plan too far in advance for races I usually sign up at the last minute for races that I think will be challenging and fun One exception is the Quad Cities Marathon . It was my first marathon, and I have run it every year since Last year was its 25th year anniversary .

Lessons Learned From Running

Be persistent Don’t give up if you’re tired, fatigued, cold, hot, wet, muddy, hungry, etc If you think you cannot take another step or go up another hill, guess what - you can . That is how you get to the finish line when others quit

I finished a race just before the pandemic that over 75% of the runners dropped out of because of difficult trail and weather conditions No matter how tempting it would have been to quit…I was persistent!

Be prepared . I ran a 50-mile race on a date the weather forecast was 0% chance of rain I decided to travel light and left my rain gear at home We received four inches of rain during the race I was not prepared, but I was persistent

Be adaptable . Weather and trail conditions can change drastically when running all day, or into the night You might need to speed up or slow down You might need different shoes or clothing . You might need to adjust your calorie and fluid intake Being able to adapt will help you get to the finish line .

The most important lesson learned from running . . . Stay positive and have fun When you hit a rough spot, it doesn’t always get worse . If you can hang in there through the rough spots and stay positive, be persistent, be prepared, be adaptable and have fun, it will get better and you will get to the finish line n

The Muscatine Art Center is located at 1314 Mulberry Avenue in Muscatine, Iowa. Details about programs and exhibitions are posted on muscatineartcenter.org. Hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. Admission is free of charge.

June 1 – September 10, 2023

Birds in Art

Organized by the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum

Birds in Art, an exhibition organized by the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, is traveling to the Muscatine Art Center for the first time . Since 1976, Birds in Art

Special Events

has showcased the remarkable talents of more than 1,000 international artists, who presented their best work interpreting birds and related subject matter Birds in Art is recognized globally as the exhibition setting the standard for avian art

This traveling exhibition features 50 entries from the 47th annual Birds in Art exhibition The full exhibition of work by and the Muscatine Civic Chorale from 2:15 to 2:45 p .m ., play some games with the family, explore the exhibitions, join the family bike ride to the event, and purchase some ice cream and pie to support Friends of the Muscatine Art Center . Sponsored by Kent Corporation Admission is free of charge

118 artists was presented at the Woodson Art Museum in Wausau, Wisconsin from September through November 2022 Three notable jurors evaluated nearly 1,000 images from 570 artists from around the world . Bronze, acrylics, oils, watercolor, linocut, stone, and other mediums are represented in the traveling exhibition n

Friends Annual Ice Cream Social

Sunday, June 25, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. Summer would not be the same without the Annual Ice Cream Social! Enjoy live music by Crusin’ from 1:15 to 3:45 p m

Classes

The Muscatine Art Center offers an array of classes and programs The current schedule is at muscatineartcenter .org Popular classes include Mini Masters for young learners on Wednesday mornings and Thursday afternoons, Workshops for Kids and Teens on select Saturday afternoons, and Adult Studio on select Thursday evenings and Sunday afternoons Classes for students are often free of charge . Studio classes for adults are typically $15 or less and include supplies n