From Cornfields to Cliffs and In Between: Daily Palette Artists Reimagine Iowa's Landscape

Since its launch in 2004, the Daily Palette at the University of Iowa has featured the work of over 3000 Iowa-connected artists, publishing their work online and encouraging a greater appreciation of the arts statewide.

In honor of its twelfth year, the Daily Palette is organizing a gallery exhibition at the Old Capitol Museum on the University's campus to celebrate two of Iowa's most important yet often under-appreciated features: its landscape and its artistic talent. From Cornfields to Cliffs and In Between: Daily Palette Artists Reimagine Iowa's Landscape is a juried exhibition that spotlights seven artists working in a variety of media who interpret Iowa's landscape and invite us to think about the state in new ways.

From Cornfields to Cliffs and In Between: Daily Palette Artists Reimagine Iowa's Landscape is on view at the Old Capitol Museum from Tuesday, April 26, 2016 to Sunday, June 12, 2016. This exhibition is made possible through the support of the following departments and organizations at the University of Iowa: the Old Capitol Museum, the Obermann Center for Advanced Studies, the Graduate College, and the School of Art & Art History.

DIANE BLAIR KUNZLER
Spencer Flood, oil on canvas, 24" x 24", 2012

Diane Kunzler earned a degree in Art from Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa and an MFA in Visual Arts from the Art Institute of Boston.  She is an experienced educator who taught art in the public school system for over thirty-five years, and she continues to serve as an adjunct instructor and a member of the Art Advisory Board for Iowa Central Community College.  She also teaches a variety of workshops in pastel and oil painting for the Blanden Museum of Art, the Amana Arts Guild, and the Iowa Area Education Association.  Diane has shown her work in juried, group, and solo shows throughout the Midwest, and she is the Treasurer of the Iowa Pastel Society Board.  Her work was first published on the Daily Palette in 2015.

The Iowa landscape has been the center of my work for over 30 years.  My connection to the land is still a bit of a mystery to me; I didn't grow up with a particular interest in the environment and no one would consider me 'nature girl.'  Whether it is traditional panoramic views or the more close-cropped views, the land and environment have invaded my consciousness and shape my imagery.  I find them endlessly fascinating and challenging.  -- Diane Kunzler

Diane Blair Kunzler's website