We offer a variety of programming and events for visual arts, performances, and literary arts. Check our calendar for the most current listings.
Our Hanson and Stanton Galleries host a new exhibition approximately every month, and our Sukup Lakeside Courtyard and Sculpture Garden changes sculptures every year.
You can also read about our largest event every summer, Art Sail. This event is currently in it’s 44th year.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
Hanson Gallery
Dan Perry is a sculpture artist based out of the Cedar Falls area. He leads the Public Space Incubator at the University of Northern Iowa and instructs sculpture students as they begin their art careers.
The imagery in my work is best described as a fusion of cultural imagery and fabricated realities constructed in the guise of toys, props, architecture, and machines. My sculptures are composed in ways to suggest a narrative to which the viewer becomes a witness – part of a scene; a moment suspended in time. I use color to accentuate form and push shifts in scale and perspective to challenge viewers to question their physical relationship to the world around them.
Dan Perry Sculpture Art Artist Statement
On display May 30 – July 1
Sponsored by the Hanson Family Foundation and Tom & Jan Lovell
Upcoming Exhibition
Plein Air Show 2023 on July 5 – August 5
Previous Exhibitions
Stanton Gallery
Colors of Inclusion: An LGBTQ+ Collective Show
On display May 16- June 23
This show was open to all artists & hobbyists in all mediums that identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community in Cerro Gordo and the surrounding counties.
Artists were encouraged to submit work either about their life, struggles, or support as members of the LGBTQ+ community or artwork that doesn’t inherently pertain to their affiliation in the community. This gives all members of LGBTQ+ community a chance to showcase their work just like we host other themed exhibitions throughout the year for a variety of mediums and groups of artists. Allies were also encouraged to show their LGBTQ+ supportive works this year to show that there is acceptance in the area.
Upcoming Exhibition
Works by Morgan Drilling & Madison Osegera on June 27 – July 26
Previous Exhibitions
If you are an artist with us, you are invited to have an artist spotlight show. Spotlights are typically a month long, but they can be adjusted to fit your schedule. These are an opportunity to be highlighted in our community and an added bonus for being an artist in the gift shop, Hanson Gallery, or Art Sail. Contact Jessi at info@clearlakeartscenter.org for more information about having your own spotlight.
Sukup Lakeside Courtyard and Sculpture Garden
Dedicated in the summer of 2019 and expanded in 2020 and 2023, the Sukup Lakeside Courtyard and Sculpture Garden is designed for the visitors to enjoy a dedicated space displaying a rotating exhibition of sculptures. In early spring, a request for proposals is posted to build a pool of sculptures to select from. A small volunteer selection committee reviewed the proposals and selected each year’s finalists. Each artist received a stipend for the season.
The sculpture garden is open from May 20 – October 20 each year.
View Previous Sculpture Garden Exhibitions
Art Sail
The Clear Lake Arts Center’s 44th Art Sail will be on July 22, 2023 from 9am – 4pm in City Park and the Sukup Performing Arts Wing.
An annual average of 5,000 people attend this one-day market. Art Sail attracts locals and shoppers from several states around the country as families are in the area vacationing in our wonderful resort community. City Park is the bridge between retail shops on Main Street and the beautiful shore of the natural lake. The park is the center of a lively, upbeat business district and is one of the busiest areas in Clear Lake all while being a block away from the Clear Lake Arts Center itself.
The primary focus of the Art Sail is the juried exhibition of quality fine art. Additionally, the event offers family activities including hands-on activities, entertainment, outdoor food vending, and artist demonstrations.