ia: The best of Iowa arts and culture

Des Moines native Moe Cason's passion for barbecue has led him through 260 contests across 35 states and on to stardom on several TV cook-off shows. Photo: Iowa Eats Festival.

Hungry? Head to the Iowa Eats Festival in Waterloo

A new event is setting the table in Waterloo. Chefs, authors, artisans and others will offer up their food, beverages, ag products and more at the inaugural Iowa Eats Festival on April 1 at the Waterloo Convention Center.

Guests will be able to eat, drink and enjoy their way through various tastings, product demonstrations and live entertainment. Festivalgoers will have a chance to attend classes led by foodie experts like barbecue pitmaster Moe Cason, who grew up in Des Moines, and a panel of chefs that includes James Beard Award nominees George Formaro of Orchestrate Restaurant Group in Des Moines and Aaron Hall from the Local Crumb in Mount Vernon. Session topics range from Iowa beer and wine pairings to cooking with Iowa-grown products.

Tickets are $10 per person and include food and beverage samples. Find more info on vendors, classes and speakers at iowaeatsfestival.com.

The artist and University of Iowa alumna Elizabeth Catlett (1915-2012) is the subject of a new film. Photo: Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs.

New Documentary Spotlights Pioneering Iowa Artist

The sculptor and printmaker Elizabeth Catlett, who studied with Grant Wood at the University of Iowa at the start of her own world-famous art career, is the subject of a new documentary.

“Standing Strong: Elizabeth Catlett,” by the Iowa City filmmaker Kevin Kelley, will screen at 1 p.m. April 15 at FilmScene at the Chauncey in Iowa City. The documentary tells the story of the artist, whose grandparents were enslaved and who earned the University of Iowa’s first master’s degree in fine arts, in 1941, at a time when she and other Black students were not allowed to live on campus. (In 2017, Catlett Dorm was built in her honor.)

After the film screening, you can stick around for a panel discussion, gala reception and rare showing of Catlett prints in the visual arts classroom at the UI Stanley Museum of Art. Another screening and panel discussion is planned for 1 p.m. April 16.

Funding for the documentary was provided by a Greenlight Grant from Produce Iowa, the state office of film and media, and the Iowa Arts Council, both divisions of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs.

At Palmer Candy Co., you'll find shelves of sweet favorites like classic gum balls, Swedish fish and Twin Bing candy bars. Photo: Rachel Mummey.

Enjoy Candy and Eye Candy in Sioux City

If you’re looking for a road-trip excuse, Sioux City has plenty. Here are just a few highlights from a 36-hour getaway to northwest Iowa that Megan Bannister chronicled for the current issue of ia magazine.

Sioux City is the home of the Palmer Candy Co., makers of the Twin Bing candy bar. For the uninitiated, Twin Bings are made from two mounds of chewy, cherry nougat covered in chocolate and chopped peanuts. While cherry is the iconic original flavor, Palmer Candy has expanded its offerings with a caramel Twin Bing. Stop by the downtown storefront to stock up on this classic Sioux City candy and more.

Check into your art deco home base, the Warrior Hotel, and prepare to swoon at this stunning transformation. You’ll marvel at a dramatic black stone entry set against a gleaming grand staircase. The glamorous 1920s flair continues throughout the space with gilded inlays, luxurious textures and rich greens intermixed. After sitting vacant for more than 40 years, this now Autograph Collection by Marriott “hipstoric” hotel underwent a $70 million renovation and reopened in 2020. Today, the 148-room destination features an upscale restaurant, indoor pool, private bowling alley and serene spa.

Head up the street for a few drinks and a bite to eat at the Diving Elk. Named for the troupe of traveling “diving elk” trained by Sioux City’s own W.H. Barnes in the early 1900s, this eatery is as unexpected as its namesake. The menu changes frequently, and dishes like the farro and roots bowl and elkwurst along with handcrafted cocktails and a variety of craft beers on tap give this unassuming gastropub its glowing reputation. About those sensational diving elk? By 1903, the beasts were jumping from a 40-foot tower into a 16-by-6-foot tank and headlining traveling shows across the country.

For more to explore around town and nearby Orange City and Le Mars, read the full story online.

The 11-mile Trout Run Trail loops around Decorah, crossing several trout streams and following the Upper Iowa River. Here, two cyclists pass “The Cut.” Photo: Mary Willie.

Treat Yourself to a Ride Through Scenic Decorah

We're hoping the weather cooperates so we can hit some of Iowa's best bike trails this spring. One of our favorite trails is Trout Run Trail in Decorah, where you can start and finish at the Whippy Dip, a popular ice cream shop that just reopened for the season. (And if you start and finish your ride with a treat, well, all the better.)

The 11-mile paved trail, completed in 2012, is yet another highlight in a town brimming with outdoor options, such as mountain biking, hiking and paddling the Upper Iowa River, one of the Midwest's most scenic.

On the trail, head along the north end of downtown overlooking the river, then follow its bend along the edge of town before it opens up for gorgeous countryside views. This is where the fun starts, flanking the creek and heading out to another major tourist draw: the Decorah eagles’ nest that overlooks the fish hatchery about 5 miles into the trip. The famous bald eagles are known around the world because a camera is mounted near the nest and broadcasts live online.

You get the whole story of the area right here—agriculture, trout streams, the river and its bluffs. Once you hit the home stretch rolling into town, that ice cream reward is within a mile.

The Iowa Gleaning Network coordinates volunteers to harvest surplus crops from farms and gardens across the state. Produce is donated to local food pantries. Photo: Duane Tinkey.

Gleaning for Good Across the State

This story appears in the current issue of ia magazine. Read the full version online.

Writer: Brianne Sanchez

Rescue operations are underway in rural communities across the state, where volunteers pick tomatoes, dig potatoes and collect bins of beans. They’ll harvest leftover crops of all kinds from farms, orchards and large private gardens in a practice called “gleaning,” kicking off a process that distributes ultra-fresh produce to people in need.

Several organizations across the state partner with farms to harvest leftovers, and these groups came together in 2020 to form the Iowa Gleaning Network.

A successful gleaning program involves networking with farmers and building up a pool of volunteers who can respond to timely requests. “Farmers are very grateful that we are offering this service because they don’t want to see their products going to waste or not being used to feed people,” said Nora Garda, an AmeriCorps 4-H gleaning coordinator.

Garda typically only gets a day or two notice to rally helpers and host a gleaning event. After hearing from a farmer, gardener or orchard owner, she sends notice to a list of volunteers with the location and picking details. Typically, she winds up with a handful of people who can accomplish the task in a morning shift.

Get Involved
Find a map of Iowa Gleaning Network partners and contact information for county-specific initiatives on the Iowa Commission for Volunteer Service website.

Iowa Stops Hunger is an ongoing initiative by Business Publications Corp. to raise awareness of food insecurity and inspire action to combat it.

The sweet corn esquites feature chayote, a type of squash common in South America, plus a cilantro sour cream sauce, chili oil and, of course, sweet corn. Photo: Duane Tinkey.

Check Out Bar Nico for Latin Fare With Flair

Writer: Karla Walsh

Find south-of-the border-inspired dishes at Bar Nico, a small eatery in Des Moines’ East Village. The menu echoes the colorful dining room’s aesthetic: bright, fresh and modern, yet comforting. This is the latest project from Jason Simon, who also created Alba, Eatery A, Motley School Tavern and Parlor.

Chef Matt Small has been perfecting his taco strategy since early in the pandemic. They were good then but are even better now. On Bar Nico’s menu, he’s showcasing the best from his two-plus years of experimentation, research and travel.

While produce and meats are all sourced as locally as possible, masa is flown in from Mexico, ground in-house, and transformed into tortillas for the large taco roster. Vegetables, seafood, corn and potato-based dishes are ideal for sharing, and those three-per-order taco platters are sizable enough for a duo as well, especially if you want to add a dessert. (Psst … you do.)

Bourbon, tequila and mezcal star in several of the well-balanced cocktails, and Garrett Dotsch, the general manager from Alba, curated the wine list to feature fresher, lighter, delightful food pairing options. Beers and spiked seltzers are also available. Book a table or browse the modern Mexican menu online.

For generations, Meskwaki farmers have grown the so-called "three sisters" together, with a mound for the corn surrounded by climbing beans (pictured) and shaded and protected from weeds by a base of squash. Photo: Duane Tinkey.

It’s Planting Season at the Meskwaki Settlement

When Luke Kapayou’s corn breaks the Meskwaki Settlement soil, hundreds of years of his family’s history surface as well.

“That is just amazing, how old these seeds are,” he said. “I got them from my mother in the early 1990s, and I put them together with the seeds of my wife’s brother, so now it’s like a family variety.”

The corn is a part of his family, and for many others on this settlement in Tama County the corn is like their own long-lost family member. A project of Meskwaki Agriculture and Food Sovereignty is helping them reconnect with an ancient history of growing indigenous foods from the seeds of their ancestors.

“I love being out in the garden growing,” said Kapayou, 58, who has lived on the settlement most his life. “I enjoy deciding what seeds to grow, getting the ground ready and having the family help to cultivate and harvest them.”

Read more about this deep-rooted Meskwaki tradition in Mike Kilen’s full story in ia magazine.

Bonus: You can learn about another aspect of Meskwaki culture during a gallery talk at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the Des Moines Art Center, where several members of the Young Bear family will discuss their beadwork currently on display in the museum’s 75th anniversary exhibition.