Southwest Iowa Art Tour 2023

September 15th, 2023

In 2014, a group of local artists in the southwest Iowa area gathered to showcase their work in rural communities. These artists wanted to show people what their hometowns offer other than retail stores, something with a small-town charm.

The showcase became the Southwest Iowa Art Tour. It has grown from 6 to 11 communities, 18 gathering places, and artwork from more than 90 local artists.

Rebecca Castle Laughlin, coordinator of the tour, says 18 locations across southwest Iowa can sound overwhelming, but the tour is designed for people to visit as many or as few as they can in three days, depending on how far people want to drive.

The stops in the tour can be a pop-up place just for this weekend, private studios from artists, or a rental space for multiple artists to bring their work, making each stop unique.

One of the stops in Malvern Iowas to keep in mind is the Art Church, a 150-year-old Presbyterian church that just finished its restoration and turned into a gallery.

The Southwest Iowa Art Tour has stops in Council Bluffs, going as far as east Villisca and Clarinda. The tour has officially started, and goes Sunday at 4 p.m. For more information, you can visit swiarttour.com.