Do you know where you can find a local cyberartist? How about an Iowa-based game designer, a folk dancer or a cartoon illustrator?
These artists, as well as nearly 300 others across disciplines, are all listed on the Iowa Artist Directory. The register was launched a year ago by ArtsWork, an organization that supports creative entrepreneurs. It serves to connect artists with opportunities to work, and allows the community to discover and hire local professionals. The Des Moines Musicians' Association has a similar tool for finding professional musicians.
Colleen Murphy, with the Des Moines Arts Festival and ArtsWork, said the need for the directory arose from the community reaching out to the festival and other arts organizations asking to connect with artists.
“We regularly got requests for, ‘We want to do a mural, do you know some muralists?’” Murphy said.
She said the directory lets artists independently make their own profiles and offer their work in one central place.
“We wanted to make it public-facing so that anybody can go on the website and say, ‘I'm looking for a muralist, and this person in their bio says that they do murals,’” she said.
It’s grown from 100 to nearly 300 artists in just one year, and listed artists, from painters to performing artists, have been hired for work all over the state. Additionally, members of the public can list artist opportunities on the site, like auditions and grant opportunities. Many artists listed on the directory offer their services in the form of education and classes.
Looking for an artist? Just go to the site and select the type of artist you’re looking for from the dropdown menu. You’ll find bios, links to their work and contact information.
Want to make a profile? Any artist with an Iowa address is able to make a profile in the directory. It will be submitted to ArtsWork for approval, and artists can receive feedback from the organization to make their profile shine.
“We work with the artists to clarify that and really make them think about how they can be presenting themselves,” Murphy said. “We want them to have the best profile. We want them to be able to be successful.”
Once live on the site, profiles can be updated at any time. Murphy says they’re required to be updated every 18 months to ensure the services listed are up-to-date.
Iowa City-based artist Thomas Agran was contracted to paint a mural in Keokuk after a nonprofit organization found his profile on the registry.
“It's always a great idea to make those kinds of registries and stuff,” he said. “It was a pleasant surprise to find out that it worked in a very Point A to Point B to Point C way for me.”
ArtsWork is a sponsor of Iowa Public Radio.
