Exhibitions
With over three hundred works by local and regional artists, the Hearst Center Permanent Collection provides a fascinating perspective on Iowa, the Midwest and the nation.
For more information on exhibitions and the permanent collection, email
Curator/Registrar, Emily Drennan.
To propose exhibition or a gift to the permanent collection, view our Hearst proposal guidelines.
CURRENT
John Page Print
John Page Print
PERMANENT COLLECTION: MIDWEST
December 18, 2025-March 15, 2026
Opening Reception: Thursday, December 18 from 5:30-700 p.m. Food, beverage, and musical performance by our Education Assistant, Liudmila Lebedeva
This selection of works features the physical and social landscape of the Midwest. Etchings made for a handmade book by a class of John Page’s students will be shown for the first time. Works commissioned for the 2006 exhibition Field & Verse will be shown alongside the James Hearst poetry that inspired them. These sculptures made by Thaddeus Erdahl, Rich Robertson, Brad Travis, and Margaret Whiting and the paintings made by Angela Battle and Frje Echeverria were acquired for the permanent collection as part of that project
FIRES: PAINTINGS BY SAW NAING LIN
January 6–March 8, 2026
Public Reception: Saturday, January 17 from 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Through the vivid lens of memory, Fires traces the life and displacement of Burmese painter Saw Naing Lin, from tranquil childhood moments tending water buffalo in the countryside to the harrowing experiences of hiding in forest caves as his village was overtaken by violence.
Comprising approximately twenty narrative paintings, each accompanied by a descriptive text, the exhibition reads as a visual memoir. Lin’s use of bright, stylized forms and expressive color belies the gravity of his subject matter, transforming scenes of human-rights trauma into poignant acts of witness and remembrance. Stay tuned for programming updates associated with this exhibition, coming soon.
HEARST PHOTO CLUB 2026 GROUP EXHIBITION
February 1–March 30, 2026
Artist Reception: Sunday, February 8 from 1:30-3:00 p.m.
Visit the classroom level at the Hearst to see the annual exhibition of works by the Hearst Photo Club. Meet the photographers and enjoy refreshments!
Exhibitors Include: Al Sundt, Leila Daryan, John McCormick, Eric Garcia-March, Kristin Pehl, Teresa Johnson, Sandra Walker, Barbara Myers, Kate Petersen, Mark Dutton, Amber Hartness, Samuel Miranda, Sam Anderson, and Aaron Johnson.
UPCOMING
COMMUNITY NATURE QUEST
March 28-May 10, 2026
Public Reception: Tuesday, May 5 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. with guest speaker, Kamyar Enshayan
Works created in and outside Community Nature Quest workshops are featured in this community-sourced exhibition. The Cedar Falls Public Library and the Hearst Center for the Arts worked together to present this new year-long program designed to foster
creative engagement with our natural surroundings. Launched in May 2025 and running through May 2026, this free, community-centered initiative invited participants to explore local nature through expert-led lectures and open art studio sessions
dedicated to an ongoing nature art journal project.​
Made possible with our partners at the Cedar Falls Public Library, Cedar Falls Community Foundation, and the Kathryn Ray Fund for use by the Library.
Cedar Falls Student Art Exhibition 2026
April 11-May 10, 2026
Opening Reception: Saturday, April 11 from 1:00-4:00 p.m.
See what the kids are up to in this annual student art exhibition! The Hearst Center's tradition of celebrating students and teachers continues this spring with an exhibition of work created in the art rooms of Cedar Falls Community Schools. Pottery, painting, and works on paper abound!
People looking and touching artwork
People looking and touching artwork
IT’S TOUCHING: ART YOU CAN FEEL
June 4-August 2, 2026
We invite visitors to experience art through their fingertips. It’s Touching is a tactile exhibition featuring 12 works by regional artists meant to be explored by touch. Challenging the usual “do not touch” rule, the show celebrates accessibility and the sensory richness of texture, form, and material. Designed to engage audiences of all abilities—including those with limited vision—It’s Touching creates a new way to connect with art. Visitors can vote for their favorite piece, for a Community & Accessibility Best In Show. Funding for this project is made possible in part by the Cedar Falls Community Foundation and Friends of the Hearst.
CALL FOR ART SUBMISSIONS begins March 1, 2026. Artist submissions are due April 17, 2026 by 5:00 p.m. Selected artists will receive a $250 stipend to complete their artwork. Additional details and guidelines here.
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CLASSROOM LEVEL GALLERY
CLASSROOM LEVE GALLERY AT THE HEARST CENTER
Rotating exhibitions every two months
February/March: Hearst Photography Club 2026
April/May: Artwork by Nancy Barsic and Dianne Peterson
June/July: Artwork by Marion Boyer
Online l Hearst Permanent Collection
John Page
View original etchings as part of the Hearst Permeant Collection.
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Gary Kelley l Sleepy Hollow
View the original pastels in the Hearst Permanent Collection as part of the 1990 novel, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow: Original Book Illustrations by Gary Kelley.
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Exhibition James Hearst Interpreting The Farmstead l The Hearst Legacy Site
View original works of art selected from the Hearst Permanent Collection, as part of this grant funded project.