Press – Art Studios of Carroll + Crawford Counties

Link to PDF map with addresses and QR codes.
Link to PDF printable poster.

(L to R) Randy Carrillo, Haley McAndrews, and Lee Shiney at Carrillo’s current exhibition at The Old Fashioned in Denison, IA.

WEST IOWA ART TOUR

CARROLL, DENISON, ARCADIA, IOWA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Western Iowa, April 7, 2025

See also www.westiaart.com/press for this release and high resolution photo of the organizers.

Visit Local Artist Studios for the West Iowa Art Tour

Here’s your opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at studios of local artists on Saturday, April 26, 2025 from 10am to 4pm. Featuring 11 artists in six different locations, the very first West Iowa Art Tour is taking place from Denison to Carroll, and will allow visitors to not only visit working studios, but also see recent artwork, talk with the artists, and see works in progress. The event is free and open to the public.

Carroll will feature Sasha Backhaus Foley’s home studio, along with Cecelia Comito and Laura Comito in their downtown Artworks Studio. Haley McAndrews will be showing work along with Lee Shiney in his studio in Arcadia at the old Ar-We-Va school, and between Westside and Manning will be Mary Phillips at her farm studio southwest of the Five Mile House. Denison includes Denice Peters’ home studio, plus Randy Carrillo, Luis Guzman Montano, Ted Mallory, and Justin Tedford will all be at Carrillo’s studio upstairs in the Donna Reed Theatre.

The idea for a tour of art studios began in December with Denison artists Haley McAndrews and Randy Carrillo chatting with Lee Shiney at his art show at The Old Fashioned in Denison. They wondered how they might make more connections with other local artists and also better connect with the public. That discussion resulted in their brainstorming a studio tour event.

“This is about sharing the process of creation. Local artists are all around us in their studios working” Shiney said. “and from there they follow different paths. Some are visible with storefronts, some are selling online, some are creating the next body of work for a gallery show, and some enjoy sharing their work with family and friends. The common denominator here is they all are working and communicating in their own ways and it results, I think, in a positive energy that benefits the local community.”

“I’m so excited about this first year, so far we have had a great response!” said McAndrews. “We have so many artists in our area, so why not get together for a studio tour to showcase and share, and let the public know about our talented community members!”

Plan your tour visits with the group’s website at westiaart.com. There you will find descriptions of all the artists, links to their own websites, examples of their work, along with printable and interactive maps to all the locations.

Lee Shiney is a transplant from Wichita, Kansas and a veteran of 20 solo exhibitions, over 40 group shows and events, and an arts educator. In 2016 he and his wife Lajean, a Crawford County native, bought and moved permanently into the old Ar-We-Va school in Arcadia, converting it into living and working spaces.

Last year Haley McAndrews painted a Herky sculpture for Iowa City, a large train mural in Kiron, and a second lighthouse in Storm Lake. She is also known locally as an author/illustrator, with multiple published children’s books.

Randy Carrillo was born and raised in Los Angeles, and now makes his professional studio space above the historic Donna Reed Theatre in Denison, creating content, producing high-quality films, promotional pieces, and visual art. He currently has an art exhibition of recent work at The Old Fashioned in Denison, Iowa through April.

###

Contact Information:

Website: https://westiaart.com

Lee Shiney: 712-790-4290,

Previous:

WEST IOWA ART TOUR

CARROLL, DENISON, ARCADIA, IOWA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Western Iowa, updated March 27, 2025

Call for Artists: Studio Tour for West Central Iowa

A tour of artist studios in West Central Iowa is being planned for Saturday, April 26, 2025, and artists in the Crawford and Carroll county area are encouraged to join. The one-day event will be an opportunity for the public to see local artists at work and to discuss their creative processes.

A chance meeting of three local artists at an art exhibition opening event in Denison was the catalyst for this studio tour. Denison artists Haley McAndrews and Randy Carrillo were talking with Lee Shiney, of Arcadia, at his art show opening in December at The Old Fashioned in Denison. The three wondered out loud how they might make more connections with other local artists and also better connect with the public. The discussion resulted in their brainstorming a studio tour event that would be free and open to the public.

The three are extending an invitation to interested artists to be a part of the tour.

“There is a wealth of creative talent in rural Iowa, but often as visual artists, we are working quietly and solitarily,” Shiney said. “But there are great things happening in these studios, and, in fact, western Iowa has local artists who are very well established and making a good living making and selling their art. We hope this event makes that talent more visible.”

“I’ve always had to travel to participate in studio tours and other events – sometimes over two hours one way! I’ve been dreaming about having a local studio tour around here for years now,” said McAndrews. “Unfortunately, my studio in my home is about the size of a cubicle,” she joked. “So it doesn’t really work for public viewing, but I’ll be joining Lee Shiney in Arcadia.” She encourages other artists to join in as the studio tour is a free event for participating artists and for visitors.

The current roster of participating artists includes: Sasha Backhaus Foley (Carroll), Randy Carrillo (Denison), Cecelia Comito (Carroll), Laura Comito (Carroll), Luis Guzman Montano (Kiron), Haley McAndrews (Denison), Denice Peters (Denison), Mary Phillips (Manning), and Lee Shiney (Arcadia).

Artists can join the tour by contacting one of the organizers, or for more information visit westiaart.com.

Contact Information:

Lee Shiney: 712-790-4290,
Hayley McAndrews:
Randy Carrillo:
Website: westiaart.com

###