Small Town, Big Art

The 2026 CCHS Art Show The Charles City Arts Center was filled with energy, pride, and creativity as we hosted the opening reception for the Charles City High School Art Show. From 5–7pm, more than 200 community members came through our doors to celebrate the incredible work of our local students. This year’s exhibit features over 200 pieces of artwork spanning a wide range of media, including drawing, painting, photography, digital art, wheel-thrown pottery, and 3D sculptura

The two hour Drum Iowa event on March 27, 2026 at your Charles City Arts Center was delightful! Read on for the full report, and an invitation. First, a Little Background The Drum Iowa facilitator, Myquawn Bailey Sr., MS, fell in love with drumming at his childhood church in Waterloo, Iowa, but was introduced to the power of hand drumming during his eleven years as a first-grade teacher in Cairo, Egypt. After returning to Waterloo, he discovered how much drumming could help a

Discover more about artist Victoria Reed - featured in our permanent collection Crow by Victoria Reed: A staff favorite at the CCAC! “I, for one, believe that our flaws are what ultimately define our personalities. As such, I don't hide errors in my work, I embrace them.”   Victoria Reed My name is Shaune Fields. I am the part time Co-Assistant Director at the Charles City Arts Center, but I also work full time with preschool aged children.  I’ve been with CCAC since August 2

Moral Responsibility of Artists in the Face of Political Power A series review by Kate Campbell How do art and politics meet? Do they conflict? Can art serve a political purpose and remain art? Do artists have any moral responsibility outside of their art? These are very complex questions, which this year’s films addressed. Opening Credits The first two films were set in Nazi Germany in the 1930s. The first artist claimed her films for Hitler were only about art, yet after th