Public Space One presents colorful clay sculptures by Narciso Meneses Elizalde at the PS1 Northside Gallery in Iowa City through October 25. The exhibition, called Dreams and Reflections of Flower Worlds, celebrates Mesoamerican Indigenous culture by promoting the “Old Ways,” or costumbre. Elizalde will speak at the gallery on Weds., October 1, 5 p.m., with| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
“He’s never comfortable in a room until he sees a piano.” —A fond observation about Billy Joel from lighting designer Steve Cohen This has been a bumper year for bio-documentaries, and one of the most memorable is Billy Joel: And So It Goes, a five-hour tour through the life and career of the accomplished recording| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
“Broadway’s Next Hit Musical”: Improv Comes to the FACC| www.iowasource.com
What happens when you mix Broadway with audience suggestions and lightning-fast improv? You get Broadway’s Next Hit Musical, the award-winning comedy show where every song, scene, and story is made up on the spot. The hit production comes to Fairfield Arts & Convention Center on Saturday, October 18, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. Direct from… The post “Broadway’s Next Hit Musical”: Improv Comes to the FACC first appeared on Iowa Source.| Iowa Source
In 2023, Governor Kim Reynolds signed the Students First Act into law. In function, this law created access to public funds for families to send their children to accredited private schools. The 2025–26 school year marks the first year that all families, regardless of income, are eligible to apply for an award. While the public… The post Cara Fitzpatrick on the History of School Choice first appeared on Iowa Source.| Iowa Source
Most people equate the color green with health and natural living, but the inconvenient truth is that some green plants in natural areas cause serious harm to the ecosystem in which they’ve established themselves. Invasives, as they’re non-affectionately categorized, are defined by two strict criteria: being non-native to the area in which they’ve become established,… The post Invasives: Not Everything Green Is Golden first appeared on Iowa Source.| Iowa Source
A scientist, inventor, and self-described biohacker for over 50 years, Fairfield entrepreneur John Huff designed the Floating Bed based on dozens of studies showing that, in his words, “gentle rocking produces measurably better relaxation and sleep quality than stationary beds do. Virtually every mother in history, including your own, has proven it, too. It is… The post The Floating Bed: John Huff’s Rocking Innovation for Better Sleep first appeared on Iowa Source.| Iowa Source
Acupuncture is one of the most widely used traditional medicine practices in the world, according to a 2021 World Health Organization report. A component of traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture has become increasingly popular in the U.S. over the last 40 years in helping to manage multiple health issues. Scientific studies have corroborated acupuncture’s effectiveness in… The post Acupuncture Resurgence: A Traditional System Finds a Place in Modern Life first appeared on Iowa Source.| Iowa Source
Local storyteller and filmmaker Katherine Eid Wild returns to Fairfield with her new project, From My Father’s Table, a live performance interwoven with documentary film culminating in Katherine and her father serving the audience a Lebanese meal (think The Moth meets a family dinner table). Fresh from a national summer tour that included performances at… The post Katherine Eid Wild Shares Family Stories & Food on October 18 first appeared on Iowa Source.| Iowa Source
Imagine a state that works with a community to shut down a large CAFO, then establish a permanent moratorium in a valued watershed. Crazy pipe dream? This actually happened in Arkansas in the Buffalo National River watershed. On Thursday, October 16, you’ll hear the whole story during the JFAN Annual Meeting, “STOP THE CAFOS: How… The post How a Community Group Stopped the CAFOs: JFAN’s Annual Meeting Oct. 16 first appeared on Iowa Source.| Iowa Source
It’s imminent. Any day now, my shriveled little eggs will stop being sent down the line to “nest.” Dry, misshapen little ovum, or so I imagine, scraping their way to my womb with the ever-waning hope of decent company. These last, wheezing little gasps, I expect, are related to a twice-monthly splitting headache that feels… The post “The New Menopause”: A Hopeful Resource for Navigating the Second Half first appeared on Iowa Source.| Iowa Source
I looked at my schoolmates nervously. I’d been warned about the dangers of messing with the dead. The dark forces. A Ouija Board was not just a Parker Brothers game. Even in our small Iowa town, midafternoon. “Don’t worry, Meredith,” said Stacy, across from me, her voice cutting through the sound of the other girls’… The post A Midwest Midnight Fright … & Comfort From a Cookie Monster first appeared on Iowa Source.| Iowa Source
Fridays through October 31 • Haunted Tractor Ride, Wilson’s Orchard, Iowa City. WilsonsOrchard.com. Join Bessie as she navigates an eerie path through the moonlit orchard. Riders will encounter horrifying re-enactments of spine-tingling slasher scenes and cult film gore. Fridays 7 p.m.–10:30 p.m. Friday & Saturdays through November 1 • Mayhem Haunted House, 13011 120th Ave.,… The post Spooky Entertainment, From Haunted Houses to Scary Rides first appeared on Iowa Source.| Iowa Source
The Visual Spectrums Collaborative Arts Project, a traveling exhibit that explores art for all eyes to enjoy, comes to Fairfield on November 7 at the CoLab during Fairfield First Fridays. The exhibit will also be making stops at other venues across Eastern Iowa. When the idea originally hit me to create a visual arts exhibit… The post Art for All Eyes: What is Visual Art for Those with Visual Loss? first appeared on Iowa Source.| Iowa Source
One would presume a music festival called AmericanaFest would feature great acts from the United States. And that was certainly true at this year’s event, held in Nashville from September 9–13. But, surprisingly, some of the best music came from artists from other countries. That shouldn’t be a shock. Americana music, like the U.S. itself,… The post AmericanaFest 2025: Searching for Identity in a Changing Country first appeared on Iowa Source.| Iowa Source
Acupuncture is one of the most widely used traditional medicine practices in the world, according to a 2021 World Health Organization report. A component of traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture has become increasingly popular in the U.S. over the last 40 years in helping to manage multiple health issues. Scientific studies have corroborated acupuncture’s effectiveness in… The post Acupuncture Resurgence: Traditional Systems Finds a Place in Modern Life first appeared on Iowa Source.| Iowa Source
I had resisted trying Elon Musk’s Grok chatbot, in part because of the controversy surrounding the man, including his creepy fascination with naming things X: SpaceX, xAI, Tesla Model X, and his social media platform X (formerly Twitter). Plus, a four-year-old son named X Æ A-Xii. Seriously. But when I finally tried Grok, it was… The post Have You Tried Grok? It’s a Chatbot Worth X-Ploring first appeared on Iowa Source.| Iowa Source
I'm a football fan. Maybe you’re not, but you’ll still understand this analogy. When a team is successful with a play, I am very much in favor of trying it again until it doesn’t work anymore. Then it’s time to try something else, right? I first heard Donald Trump talk about how other countries were| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
Looking for a fun day trip in eastern Iowa? Check out Czech Village, a historic neighborhood in downtown Cedar Rapids. Home to the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library (NCSML), which was moved to the top of a hill after the devastating flood of 2008, Czech Village draws visitors with its top-quality museum, funky| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
My conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jane Smiley over lunch at St. Burch Tavern in downtown Iowa City began in a way appropriate to an Iowa spring. We talked about sneezing. “I love sneezing now, actually. It gives me a tingle,” Smiley said. Before the lunch, I’d been thinking back on my previous conversations with| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
Fairfield Area Community Theatre (F.A.C.T.) is excited to present Freaky Friday: A New Musical the weekend of June 12–15 at the Fairfield Arts and Convention Center. A family-friendly production based on the 1972 Mary Rodgers novel and the hit Disney films, Freaky Friday is the comedic and heartrending tale of a mother and daughter at| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
Superman Summer: Vintage Books for Fans—and a New Movie| www.iowasource.com
Several new art exhibitions around town, the continuing solar-powered lighted installation, and a dance party on the square will welcome visitors to Fairfield First Fridays on July 5, 6 to 10 p.m. Abstract Artists at ICON Gallery An opening reception for abstract work by three Iowa City artists opens at ICON Gallery, 58 N. Main| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
Find My Files! AI Now Helps Locate What’s on your Computer| www.iowasource.com
Michael Wagler on How AARP Can Help You: October 4| www.iowasource.com
Fairfield Cares is proud to sponsor Michael Wagler, Iowa State Director for AARP, to speak Saturday, October 4, in the theater at the Fairfield Arts and Convention Center, 1:30–3:00 p.m. His talk, “How AARP Can Help You” promises to be informative and useful for everyone over the age of 50 and their family members. This| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
One of the toughest things audiophiles must face is the reality that some of their favorite music hasn’t been recorded perfectly. If you are used to listening to beautifully executed modern recordings, many of the great old tunes sound pretty rough in comparison. Recently, my designer friend and I have been experimenting with replacing his| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
Attending audio and video shows has always been one of my favorite things to do. Chicago’s AXPONA show (Audio Expo North America) at the Renaissance Hotel in Schaumburg, Illinois, certainly stands with the best of the best. One special feature is that it is open to the public, not just to people in the audio| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
Fred Gratzon is an ideas guy. Entrepreneur and founder of two Iowa companies that took off like rockets back in their day—The Great Midwestern Ice Cream Company and TeleGroup—Fred is also one of the funniest fellas I know. We connected at a writers’ event a few years ago and he spilled the beans about a| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
Fairfield’s hip new ice creamery, the SCREAM Ice Cream Shop, offers house-made, locally sourced cold deliciousness to Southeast Iowan ice-cream aficionados. The name of the shop—a play on the nursery rhyme “I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream”—appeals to the ice cream-hungry inner child, while the wonderfully gothic SCREAM logo, an inverted| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
Enjoy Harvest Flavors at Fairfield First Fridays on September 5| www.iowasource.com
After months of searching off the beaten path for musical gems, I’ve distilled this 13-song, 52-minute playlist that includes tunes from alternative, singer-songwriter, house, folk, indie pop, and world categories. The order follows the sequence that I would play it if it were on my Fringe Toast radio show. To listen to full free tracks,| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
The following account is true. The events rolled out like a bad dream, in spite of my best intentions. In the summer of 1995, I received a grant from the Iowa Arts Council to create a history play for elementary schools as part of Iowa’s 150th statehood celebration. I had never written or directed| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
The first-ever Iowa City Songwriters Festival (September 4-6) was something worth singing about. The event brought together nationally known artists such as Jeff Tweedy and Joy Oladokun with local musicians like Dave Moore and Deb Talan and up-and-coming songwriters including Ken Pomeroy and Margo Cilker to celebrate the craft of songwriting through thoughtful talks and| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
It's National Library Card Sign-Up Month at the Fairfield Public Library! A library card opens up a world of possibilities, from books and the countless real and fantastical worlds within their pages, to reference materials, internet and databases, tech support, job resources, movie rentals and streaming services, story times, book clubs, free classes and workshops,| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
Now in its second year, the Symmetry Music and Arts Festival is poised to be an even greater success than in 2024—its inaugural year, when it pulled in over 900 festival attendees from across the US, and all over the world. Held at an outdoor venue outside of Libertyville, Symmetry is a three-day celebration of| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
Beyond their striking beauty, there are many reasons to shine some respect and awe in the direction of butterflies. For one, how many of us know their role in maintaining the health of our planet’s ecosystems? The butterfly’s presence on sunny days is not only proof of nature’s aesthetic imagination, but also evidence that an| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
“Ronald Reagan proved that deficits don’t matter.” —Dick Cheney, American businessman and former U.S. Vice President The debt crisis could cause an “economic heart attack.” —Ray Dalio, founder and former CEO of Bridgewater “It doesn’t mean a short-term crisis, but it does mean we’re going to be poorer in the long term.” —David Kelly, chief| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
Crime is the family business for the Mercurios in Lou Berney’s new novel, Crooks. The book starts with an origin story—how Buddy and Lillian found each other, fell in love, got married, and, ultimately, tried to double cross one another—and then follows each of their five children one at time. The episodic narrative follows the| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
Freeform Art Gallery at 58 N. Second St. is showing a new exhibition of photographs by Hal Masover, with an opening reception during First Fridays night on September 5. The show continues through September 27. “My love affair with photography began in 1972 on the island of Majorca, when I first held a borrowed Pentax| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
“There is no terror in the bang, only the anticipation of it.” —Alfred Hitchcock, whom Steven Spielberg studied to master suspense You’re gonna need a bigger boat.” This utterance from the 1975 mega-movie Jaws, starring Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, and Richard Dreyfuss, became one of cinema’s most quotable lines. When Chief of Police Martin Brody| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
It's rare to meet a young person who’s fired up about the state of Iowa—one so interested in exploring it, absorbing it, and sharing it that he’d commit himself to an athletic Iowan quest that will consume years of his life. Every Saturday, and sometimes even weekdays after work, 37-year-old Tyler Sullivan launches himself into| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
A vibrant celebration of local food, delectable flavors, and convivial community hits the Fairfield square on Friday, September 5, 6-10 p.m., for Fairfield First Fridays' Harvest Celebration. This special night will shine a spotlight on Southeast Iowa’s rich agricultural roots. Local restaurants and vendors will be serving up dishes made with ingredients grown and produced| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
It’s happened again. You’d think that after many years of writing this column I would stop being astonished. Not so. A free artificial intelligence tool for creating animation absolutely delighted me. My prompt was this: “This video should be in the style of a cartoon. An automobile races down a country road toward the viewer.| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
Have you ever driven behind someone with goldfinch license plates and wondered what they meant? You may have seen that same goldfinch on a REAP sign while walking on a path in Jefferson County Park or the Fairfield Loop Trail. Whether that sign piqued your curiosity or not, I’m here to explain this mysterious government| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
The Pitt: Superheroes of the ER| www.iowasource.com
The Cedar Rapids Museum of Art has mounted two exciting new exhibitions for the summer. And what’s more perfect on a hot summer day than an air-conditioned art museum? All that Jazz: Photographs by Carl Van Vechten and George T. Henry provides a visual feast for music and photography lovers, while Strokes of Genius: American| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
Robert Hoerlein’s “Works on Paper” Opens August 1 at ICON Gallery| www.iowasource.com
The Iowa City Songwriters Festival (ICSF), an intimate three-day music festival centered around the craft of songwriting, premieres September 4–6 at the Englert Theatre and other small venues in downtown Iowa City. Showcasing world-class songwriters through cozy performances, the festival has a stellar lineup that includes Jeff Tweedy, Courtney Marie Andrews, Loudon Wainwright III, and| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
Community choirs are one of the simplest, most joyful means available to turn strangers into neighbors. These choirs lift moods, tune bodies into a shared rhythm, and give every participant a front-row seat to the miracle of harmony. As composer John Rutter says, “Choral singing is not a frill—it’s the heart of our humanity." Walk into a| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
A vibrant celebration of creativity is coming to Fairfield this month. The first annual Southeast Iowa Art and Book Fair will be held on Saturday, August 16, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center. Admission is free and open to the public. This inaugural event brings together over two| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
In late June, a few hours ahead of his reading at Prairie Lights Books, I met Lee Cole over coffee in Iowa City. He was in town—back in town, really—to promote his new novel, Fulfillment, which tells the story of a dysfunctional family in which each member desperately wants something they can’t quite have. It’s| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
Overlooking the Mississippi River in downtown Davenport, the Figge Art Museum is dedicated to bringing art and people together. The building itself is a wonder of architectural design—its sleek lines, lustrous green glass façade, and arresting interior spaces create an artistic haven along the riverfront. With 17 to 23 rotating exhibitions on view every year,| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
Mary Helen's essay accompanies her exhibit of "Bathrobes I Have Sewn" in the Po/Art/Ry show at Artifactory, 120 N. Dubuque, Iowa City. She and the other exhibiting artists will read from poems accompanying their artwork during the no-cost opening reception this Friday, April 4, 6:00-8:00 PM. The show will be open on Saturdays, 1:00-3:00, and| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
Economic Roadblocks: No One Likes a Traffic Jam| www.iowasource.com
Please join the Southeast Iowa Sierra Club, TerraCycle, and the Sustainable Living Coalition—along with an estimated 100 million participants in 190 countries—in reducing our reliance on single-use plastics during Plastic Free July, and beyond. So, what’s the problem? Plastic has many valuable uses in our daily lives. In fact, I would wager to say that| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
Hinterland did not just grow this year—it exploded. The festival grounds in St. Charles, Iowa, tripled in size, stretching over 1 million square feet and 250 acres, with more of everything: water stations, shade, camping, parking, and creature comforts. But the real headline at the August 1–3 event was . . . well, the headliners.| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
Like many Americans, I grew up reading Mark Twain’s stories about Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. The Mississippi River figures prominently in these novels, and it has always been a comforting presence in my life. To me, the river embodies infinite strength and calm, the backbone of a nation that, in the words of Winston| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
President Trump has promoted a bill that would disallow states from regulating artificial intelligence for the next 10 years. Pope Leo, on the other hand, views today’s AI wave as a new and disruptive industrial revolution that requires regulation in order to defend dignity, justice, and labor rights. In other words, their views represent an| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
These three documentaries—The Quilters, My Heroes Were Cowboys, and My Mom Jayne—promise to entertain and make you feel good about humanity. The Quilters These days, prisons offer imaginative programs that make use of the inmates’ time while developing their skills, which sometimes offers unexpected benefits. A Sing Sing prison program teaches acting classes with opportunities| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
On day two of distributing bundles of The Iowa Source a few months ago, I decided to take “the scenic route” from Ottumwa down to Van Buren County, cutting in toward the Des Moines River on Route 16. The two-lane highway shoots down a tree-lined hill and swoops east right into the heart of Eldon,| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
After the inauguration, Donald Trump said we would be entering a new golden age. He didn’t explain why he thought that. So it left us to wonder what would cause it to be a golden age. My mind immediately went to the Gilded Age, a time in American history when fortunes were made and conspicuous| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
A new exhibition, Robert Hoerlein: Works on Paper 2019–2025 opens at ICON Gallery on Fairfield First Fridays night, August 1, 6:30 to 10:00 p.m. It’s the first showing of new work by Robert Hoerlein in Fairfield in over a decade. Hoerlein was a resident of Fairfield for 25 years, and now resides in Santa Fe,| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
The Trump administration is prematurely halting important tax incentives for clean energy purchases. If you were thinking about reducing your fossil fuel impact and taking advantage of the tax savings, it’s time to move right now. New electric vehicles (EVs) can generate a $7,500 tax credit. Used EVs and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) can qualify for| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
If you’ve noticed more twinkling lights in Iowa over the summer, you’re not alone! Many Iowans have reported an increase in firefly sightings this year compared to the past few. This local surge is a welcome sight, especially given the global decline in firefly populations. The recent increase in precipitation over the last year or| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
We live in a world where agricultural needs, environmental health, and economic interests often appear to be incompatible. But sometimes it just takes a guy like Ron Blair, driving along a country road and contemplating a string of “what-ifs,” to make a difference. This is a story about how farmers, community members, and environmentalists found| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
Lizzie No is both a musician and a political activist, and she doesn’t see a difference be-tween these roles. The job of the artist is to help people see their place in the world more clearly. As a queer Black woman and a self-described communist working in the larger white folk-country-Americana field, Lizzie No understands| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
Corruption and politics often go hand in hand around the world and throughout history. So it’s not exactly news that a politician might be corrupt. That said, despite some extreme corruption in very high office in the United States over the years, we have enjoyed a reputation as one of the less corrupt nations. As| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
Applications are open for the second year of the Big Field Fund (BFF), a regional grant program for artists, supplied by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and administered by Public Space One in Iowa City. BFF offers financial support to artist-led projects that manifest new, inventive models, support under-resourced creative communities, engage| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
Dept. Q (Netflix) takes us to Edinburgh, Scotland, where law enforcement is about to launch a new cold case unit that will soon be assigned to the top-notch detective that’s least likely to choose it. Enter DCI Carl Morck, played by the superb, British-born Matthew Goode. In this series, Goode is not the scrubbed, boyish| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
A new Superman movie, directed by James Gunn, hits the big screen this month, and I am cautiously optimistic about it. That said, each time a new film featuring Superman comes out, it is inevitably compared to 1978’s classic Superman: The Movie, starring Christopher Reeve. I think most folks would tell you that no film| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
A beloved figure in the gaming world, Walter Day of Fairfield is the subject of a new movie, Arcades & Love Songs: The Ballad of Walter Day, now streaming worldwide. The founder of Twin Galaxies, an organization that tracks world records for video games and conducts electronic-gaming promotions, Day was dubbed the “Father of eSports”| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
At six in the morning, thunderstorms rumble through Fairfield. Isabel and I sit at our computers as rain slashes against the windows. It’s our daily ritual—checking overnight WhatsApp messages from Tanzania. We’ve helped coordinate TM projects in Tanzania for many years, but messages from Penina always bring a fresh sense of urgency and hope. Penina,| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
It's a hot June afternoon and you’re in a grocery store browsing the refrigerated aisle. Rows of colorful drinks pass through your eyes. Suddenly you find it—coconut water, at last! Just as you pick up the plastic bottle, you notice your favorite brand now comes in cartons, aluminum cans, and glass. You tout yourself as| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
Sometimes it feels great to get outta Dodge, even if it’s just for a day. My headquarters are in Southeast Iowa, and I’ve got a good friend over in Springfield, Illinois, so about once a year he and I find a spot in between to rendezvous. It’s not like that. We’re just really good friends.| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
The summers of my childhood were built upon expressions of wonder that rolled over fields and skittered across ponds, where “the future” didn’t exist because the present was so absorbing and delicious and deserving of one’s deepest attention. What followed it was a mystery—one to be quickly dismissed. There was grass, sky, bicycles, baseballs, TV| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
Lately, I’ve been working my way through the complete works of science writer Sam Kean. I first became aware of Kean while I was programming Out Loud!, an author series produced by Metro Library Network in Cedar Rapids. We presented Kean in Cedar Rapids and—in collaboration with the Iowa City Book Festival—in Iowa City in| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
Mid-America Emmy Award-winning Fair Field Productions, whose series of historical films about Fairfield have garnered both popular and critical acclaim, is premiering its latest documentary in June. The last film focused on Parsons College and won five awards at the Iowa Motion Picture Association Awards Gala. Fair Field Productions’ latest film, When Maharishi Came to| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
There’s a common misconception that nature does best when left alone. It’s an appealing idea—to step back, let things grow wild, and allow nature to run its course. And once, long ago, that was largely true. Before European contact, the landscape that we now call Iowa was shaped slowly by time, weather, wildlife, and the| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
Imagine the U.S. economy as a massive highway system with businesses, investors, and consumers all driving toward their desired financial destinations. For decades, traffic has flowed rather smoothly. The system has had its fair share of accidents over the years, as would be expected with a massive highway system. A fender-bender here and there, and| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
Apologies to people who are fans of medical dramas of all kinds—I’m new to the genre and won’t be able to compare The Pitt (on HBO Max) to ER, New Amsterdam, The Resident, Chicago Med, Code Black, or even (if you are really old) Dr. Kildare. Even so, the fresh impact of The Pitt on| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
"So, a lot of this book, you know, is engaging with some of the racist, dehumanizing attitudes that in my mind have a role to play in the environmental disaster we call the Dust Bowl,” said Karen Russell, who is passionate about the themes of her new novel, The Antidote. I talked with her via| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
Combining a gallery exhibit with four live events, Sliding Parameters: Fiber Art and Fashion by Judy Bales features fashion creations and sculptural works by the Fairfield artist, through July 12 at ICON Gallery at 58 N. Main St. in Fairfield. Judy Bales is one of the most uniquely creative artists living in Fairfield. Having established| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
The Chamber Singers of Southeast Iowa will present “Songs for a Better World” at their annual spring concert on Saturday and Sunday, May 24 and 25, 7:30 p.m. at the Golden Magnolia Sanctuary, 200 South Main Street in Fairfield. This year’s program explores the universal themes of love, kindness, and praise that nourish our lives,| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
Emmy-nominated filmmaker Ian Cheney’s newest film, Observer, is an invitation to find beauty and meaning in the most unassuming places. The 94-minute documentary premieres in Fairfield on Sunday, June 1, 3 p.m. at Cinema Fairfield, in the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center. Observer follows an experiment in careful seeing. Cheney asked a dozen people who| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
The general consensus on trees is that they inspire great fondness, respect, and gratitude. I share those sentiments so much that I decided to pursue forestry as my career path, aspiring to conserve and protect the forests that I love. To my surprise, I quickly learned that being a forester often means wielding a chainsaw| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
We are currently living in overly interesting times, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all the upheaval going on in the world. Here are ten ways to boost your spirits and lift your mood in this era of uncertainty. Get Outside Spending time in nature has been scientifically shown to benefit our physical and| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
On November 27, 1964, Bob Dylan gave a performance at the Masonic Auditorium in San Francisco. My parents dropped me off at the concert with cab fare, the address of a party they were attending in “the City,” and careful instructions about calling a taxi after the show. I was 13 years old. Cultural Icons| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
If you live in America, you are more likely to get back pain than a divorce (although in some cases, the two may be related). Our chances of getting low back pain are between 60 and 90 percent, depending on variables in lifestyle. Approximately 619 million people worldwide suffer from back pain, and that number| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
Jackie Venson was born and raised in Austin, Texas, and still lives there. Her music incorporates many of the diverse genres (blues, soul, rock, hip-hop, electronica) that have found a home in the “Live Music Capital of the World,” as the town’s official slogan proclaims. She said the Midwest is more responsible for the growth| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
It would be interesting to pick John Deere’s mind today to see if he ever imagined that his invention would change the Iowa landscape so dramatically. Deere invented the plow in the early 1820s, and in 75 years, it altered the Iowa landscape forever. Back then, Iowa had roughly 30 million acres of prairie comprising| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
To grow up in Iowa is to be intertwined with nature. We are raised in tune with the seasons—hyper aware of when the leaves change, corn grows, and our parents demand we shovel the driveway for the umpteenth time. Despite having among the fewest acres of publicly available parks, Iowans recreate outdoors at a higher| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
The Southeast Iowa Sierra Club and Lonnie Gamble invite you to A Walk Through Earth's 4.6 Billion Year History on Sunday, April 27, 1-4 p.m. at Jefferson County Park. Meet at the main parking lot. Experience the wonder of all of life's interconnection, with each step representing 500,000 years of earth's history. Led by Lonnie| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
A runway show featuring one-of-a-kind wearable art by Judy Bales, Kathleen Shrosbree, and Gyan Shrosbree will be held Friday, April 25, at 7 p.m., at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, in conjunction with the current exhibition All Dressed Up (and Down). Limited tickets for the Art in Motion benefit are still available but should| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
My dad was raised Catholic, but by the time he hit college had given up church for Monty Python. Mom was brought up Presbyterian, but the moment she’d been told that children who hadn’t been converted to Christ were going to hell, she knew something was deeply wrong about that whole situation. Because what about| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
In 2024, Fairfield Cares surveyed Jefferson County residents who have either received or assisted in home healthcare in the last five years. The response was over 300 surveys, which revealed the increasing need for a more robust solution that connects those who need help with those who wish to help. Town Hall Meeting on April| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
Iowa’s Seed Savers Exchange (SSE) is celebrating its milestone 50th anniversary this year. A community-based nonprofit famous for its huge collection of garden and food-crop heirloom seeds, SSE not only safeguards heirloom seeds for future generations, it also encourages gardeners and farmers across the world to grow and share heirloom seeds. Founded in 1975 by| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
“They’re an act of war, to some degree.” —Warren Buffett interviewed about tariffs on CNN “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” —Winston Churchill “I never make the same mistake twice. Instead, I make it five or six times just to be sure.” —Anonymous Big increases in tariffs have been| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
Okay, let’s get this out of the way: this is not another column about using artificial intelligence for shopping. But it just happened that my friend Bill emailed me a shopping-related tech question on the very day that I had planned to investigate a new “deep research” feature. (People email me tech questions thinking I’m| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
Blending the classic Western with a thriller/crime genre staged on the Navajo reservation, Dark Winds was inspired by the crime series by Tony Hillerman, a journalist whose 35-year career produced 18 novels, starting in 1970 with The Blessing Way. While the TV series takes its own imaginative directions, it features Hillerman’s leading characters as it| Iowa Source - Iowa's Enlightening Magazine
