04/24/19

AMES, Iowa — In celebration of spring, an interdisciplinary class of students from the Iowa State University College of Design will host a community event Wednesday, May 1, at Reliable Street on the northwest side of Ames.

The “May Day Hey Day” celebration will feature music, games, craft activities and food from 4 to 7 p.m. A May pole dance will begin at 6:30 p.m. Participants are also invited to bring a yoga mat for a free yoga class.

This family-friendly event is organized by students in the spring-semester “Seeing, Making, Doing: Art + Social Capital” studio, an interdisciplinary elective class taught by Jennifer Drinkwater, assistant professor of art and visual culture and community arts extension specialist. The course explores different strategies and methods for the use of art and design to increase social capital in communities. Students from multiple majors come together to learn effective ways to engage communities, facilitate meaningful discussions and use art, design and culture to build understanding among diverse populations.

The studio is sponsored by RDG Planning and Design, which established a fund to develop and enhance student understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of design and the potential for collaboration and interaction across all disciplines in the art and design professions.

Reliable Street, 4625 Reliable St. in Ames, is a collective space that works across the disciplines of art, design and business to strengthen the connection between the public and placemaking. It seeks to actively involve people as both participants and collaborators in the ongoing creation of projects.

Contacts

Jennifer Drinkwater, Art and Visual Culture, (515) 708-2825, jd1@iastate.edu
Heather Sauer, Design Communications, (515) 294-9289, hsauer@iastate.edu

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