When Susan Watts, owner of Olson-Larsen Galleries, began working with local interior designer Jillian Lare in February, the goal was to transform a client's Ankeny home into something a little warmer and lighter. Watts frequently works with Lare to curate original pieces of work into projects. To do this, Watts set out to find a mix of artwork from Midwestern creators.

"We wanted to do a combination of abstract and landscapes," Watts says. "[Lare] had a pretty good idea of artwork she had seen on our website."

The project, which you can find here, turned out the way they had hoped. Neutral colors help brighten the home, and the artworks from Olson-Larsen enhance the living room and bathroom. The main piece over the fireplace comes from photographer Michael Johnson's series of the Driftless Area in northeastern Iowa and northwestern Illinois, a region characterized by forested ridges and deeply carved river valleys. The blue work to the right in the photo, by Jeanine Coupe Ryding, is a woodcut print that brings an aspect of abstract to the space.

"We're so fortunate to have relationships with designers who want to invest in Midwestern artists," Watts says. "I could never be an interior designer. I think it's a really hard job. But when it's done well, it's so clear. Being able to partner with that type of talent and curate collaboratively is really fun for me."  

Currently home from school because of the coronavirus, many college students are experiencing an uptick in stress and anxiety as they try to navigate the resulting changes in their life plans, according to panelists who participated in the second installment last Friday of dsm Lifting the Veil: Life Interrupted by COVID-19, a virtual six-week series exploring the mental health effects of the pandemic.

Dr. William Schupp, a family physician at the Iowa Clinic, said the virus is "taking that depression or anxiety up another notch or two." The key, he said, is to talk through feelings with family members or friends and seek professional help if distress reaches an alarming level.

One of the biggest stressors is the effect on career opportunities, students on the panel said. Madi Dwelle, a graduating senior at Drake, said her internship in Washington, D.C., was canceled because of the virus. Now she's moving there without a job, upping her level of anxiety.

Ana Kaushik, a graduating senior at Iowa State University, added that the situation "pushes us to think creatively about how to network, how to reach out to companies, how to find that niche. A mentor told me once that it takes one company to give you one job offer to start your career."

High school students entering college in the fall also have experienced heightened anxiety, both because they are missing a few months of learning and fear that the fall semester will be altered. "There's not a college or university in the country that isn't going to recognize the need to reach out to all of the new students and provide them any kind of support they need to make the transition," noted Rob Denson, president of Des Moines Area Community College. He recommended contacting colleges or universities directly to ask for help.

The next dsm Lifting the Veil: Life Interrupted by COVID-19, this Friday, May 15, from noon to 1 p.m., will focus on parenting and the challenges of working from home with children out of school. You can register here.