Featuring Appearances by
Allen Vaughan
As the consumer experience director at The Des Moines Register, Allen is a top newsroom leader involved in digital/print production, events and sports. Next month is his 10th wedding anniversary and he has two young daughters. A former boss’ impersonation of him went something like, "Rap. Sports. Sports. Rap. Sports. Journalism."
Brad and Sundie Ruppert
Brad and Sundie are a local husband-wife team whose passion is creating art from items otherwise discarded. They have followed their arrow from corporate America to the dotcom world and are currently creating a stable of sculptural felt creatures made from a hatmaker's fabric remnants. They are honored to be preserving the fabric of Americana once small piece at time.
Van Holmgren
Working as a full-time artist in Des Moines for more than five years, Van has splashed color around all corners of this city. He loves wading through the muck to find truth and present it to all who are willing to see.
Joany Yi
Joany works on the communications and marketing team at the Greater Des Moines Partnership (#DSMUSA!) and is the founder of the socially-driven project One Positive Thought. If she could, she’d run a doggy daycare. Her top favorite items she owns are her road bike, Canon camera and a purple and orange carabiner.
Ella Richards
Ella has lived in Greenwich Village her entire adult life. She feels it’s presence every day in her art and in her soul. For her, art is a unique medium where emotion and experience are shared and she strives to create art that strikes an emotional chord. She believes that the art you choose for your environment is important, like a relationship, and is a direct reminder of why we get up every morning — to find happiness. Happiness means something different to everyone, but she likes to share things that make her happy and she hopes they touch you, too.
Agenda
June 21, 2017
The Secret Life of Artists: Allen Vaughan - 'Pretty fly for a white guy'
In rural Missouri, Allen Vaughan’s friends just didn’t get it when he started to proclaim his love for rap music. But when a love became an obsession, Vaughan set down a path that – unbeknownst to him -- would shape the rest of his life.
June 21, 2017
The Secret Life of Artists: Brad and Sundie Ruppert - 'Follow your arrow'
The ups and downs of Sundie and Brad Ruppert’s life have been challenging, but they made it through by following their arrow(s).
June 21, 2017
The Secret Life of Artists: Van Holmgren - 'The art hustle'
Van Holmgren discovered his talent for drawing early on, but it took a special person to show him that skill was worth more than money.
June 21, 2017
The Secret Life of Artists: Joany Yi - 'The life of a secret artists'
Joany Yi is a cataloguer of life as it happens and a student of languages and she’s about to out herself; as a writer.
June 21, 2017
The Secret Life of Artists: Ella Richards - 'Tears. No. Smile. Yes.'
Ella Richards was a refugee in need of a friend when she met a woman almost twice her age who would change her life forever.