Welcome!

Photo by Tommie Ouverson

People fortunate enough to live and work in the Mount Vernon, Iowa area often comment on the vibrant local creative community. Visitors are often blown away by what we might describe as the creativity per capita here.

This website is a place where we showcase the creative efforts of people in the Mount Vernon, Iowa area, no matter how they express it. Of course it includes what we think of as arts stuff: writing (essays, poetry, fiction and non-fiction), the visual arts (photography, painting, ceramics), and the performing arts (music, dance, theater). Lincoln Cafe Chef Matt Steigerwald’s creations rank with the best in the country. We also want to include other types of creativity in which people here engage: whittling, storytelling, puppeteering etc.

There are many types of creativity that extend well beyond “the arts.” For example, there are some extremely talented people growing and marketing food in creative ways. Cheese makers and honeybee hive keepers, come forward and share what you’re doing with others! There’s a place for young people to demonstrate their creativity, and we offer a calendar of stuff going on in and around MV as well.

My training and professional experience is in journalism, so I would very much like to include interviews with some of the folks in the area. Trust me, you are going to be blown away at the scope of what’s happening in our town of four thousand-some people.

Participating in this site is pretty easy. Just pass along 1) a bio of yourself; 2) a photo to accompany your bio; 3) some samples of your work: these can be pictures, things you’ve written, audio files, videos that have been posted on YouTube or Vimeo; 4) whatever links you want included on your profile page. These can include a link to a website, a blog, your Facebook page, Picassa site…anything.

If you’re interested in displaying your creativity, you can use the submission link in the navigation bar along the top or send me an email at steveiowa@aol.com. I hope to hear from you soon!