Featured Artist — Joel Lueck

Joel Lueck’s work explores the relationship between memory and drawing. He reflects on how drawing helps him remember places and moments from his past, while also capturing scenes that catch his eye in the present. His pen and ink drawings often depict scenes from Western Iowa, where he grew up, and are created from multiple photos that he alters to focus on essential elements like light, shadows, and shapes. Lueck’s use of India ink on cold press watercolor paper is intentional, evoking the texture of etchings he made during his time at the University of Iowa. Inspired by artists like Martin Lewis and Edward Hopper, his work emphasizes the interplay of light and dark, and invites viewers to share in his intimate connection to time and place. Through his art, Lueck asks, “What do you see?”

Featured Artist — Nathan Stromberg

Nathan Stromberg’s work explores post-war America by reinterpreting iconic period objects, reflecting on how the past is understood and its impact on the present. He examines the ways people assign memory and meaning to consumer items, questioning how relics shape our perception of history and identity. By transforming archival images into new artworks, he comments on American identity and the complexity of how the past influences present-day societal divisions. Stromberg’s collages, made from vintage magazines and books, appear realistic but reveal layers of historical references, blending nostalgia with deeper commentary. His art navigates the intersection of memory, culture, and the evolving American experience.