IRIS will host a special guest this Sunday: Iowa Senator Tom Harkin will be visiting the IRIS office and studio Sunday morning. Who knows? He may even read a few stories. Senator Harkin has been instrumental in obtaining the funding allowing the reading service to expand over the past few years.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Senator Harkin to visit IRIS on Sunday!
IRIS will host a special guest this Sunday: Iowa Senator Tom Harkin will be visiting the IRIS office and studio Sunday morning. Who knows? He may even read a few stories. Senator Harkin has been instrumental in obtaining the funding allowing the reading service to expand over the past few years.
Friday, July 24, 2009
New IRIS Administrative Assistant!Sasha Djordjevic (pictured left) will be the new Administrative Assistant for IRIS. Sasha's first day was Monday, July 20, 2009. Sasha recently completed a year of service for the AmeriCorps*VISTA National Service program at AIB College of Business in Des Moines. While at AIB, Sasha assisted IRIS with helping to organize readers for the Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil. Welcome, Sasha!
Monday, July 13, 2009
"Touch the Art" at IDB
Last Friday, July 10, the Iowa Department for the Blind invited the community to an event called "Touch the Art."
Here are some photos from snapped by IRIS director Rob Davis, with captions supplemented by news releases from the Iowa Department for the Blind:
Renowned tactile artist Ann Cunningham of Denver, Colorado, unveiled her public art exhibit. The exhibit features seven 3-D pieces installed throughout the Department's Des Moines office. In this photo, Cunningham and a blind community member touch the tactile representation of Grant Wood's "American Gothic", made from slate, bronze, and cherry wood.
Visitors touch the "Regionalist Landscape," which is a tactile representation of farm fields. This mixed-media piece uses bronze, slate, and cherry wood to depict a country road replete with a farm house, barn, large poplar tree, and child using a cane and leading a piglet on a rope.
"Most art is of the 'don't touch' nature," said Colleen Armstrong, Iowa Arts Council board member. "But this artwork is meant to be touched and interpreted. It represents how the Iowa Department for the Blind gets in touch with the blind and visually impaired, with their families, with employers."
Artist Ann Cunningham, pictured at the podium, has been sculpting for more than 30 ears. Her accessible fairy tales have been seen by over 150,000 people. Her work is in many public and private collections, including the Denver Art Museum, the Museum of Outdoor Arts, Englewood, Colorado, and the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind.
Karen Keninger, Iowa Department for the Blind director, also announced that the Department will expand its field staff-- phasing in new counselors and teachers over the next three months to better serve all areas of Iowa. In addition, the Department unveiled a new logo, which emphasizes the lower case "i." Keninger says, "We believe the new logo and tagline exemplifies the mission of the Iowa Department for the Blind, which is to create opportunities for independence for all blind and visually impaired Iowans." State Senator Staci Appel (D-Warren) is pictured above with Keninger.
The Des Moines Register's Mark Hansen covered the story in Saturday's paper. Check it out at the Register's website:
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009907110323
Here are some photos from snapped by IRIS director Rob Davis, with captions supplemented by news releases from the Iowa Department for the Blind:
Renowned tactile artist Ann Cunningham of Denver, Colorado, unveiled her public art exhibit. The exhibit features seven 3-D pieces installed throughout the Department's Des Moines office. In this photo, Cunningham and a blind community member touch the tactile representation of Grant Wood's "American Gothic", made from slate, bronze, and cherry wood.
Visitors touch the "Regionalist Landscape," which is a tactile representation of farm fields. This mixed-media piece uses bronze, slate, and cherry wood to depict a country road replete with a farm house, barn, large poplar tree, and child using a cane and leading a piglet on a rope.
"Most art is of the 'don't touch' nature," said Colleen Armstrong, Iowa Arts Council board member. "But this artwork is meant to be touched and interpreted. It represents how the Iowa Department for the Blind gets in touch with the blind and visually impaired, with their families, with employers."
Artist Ann Cunningham, pictured at the podium, has been sculpting for more than 30 ears. Her accessible fairy tales have been seen by over 150,000 people. Her work is in many public and private collections, including the Denver Art Museum, the Museum of Outdoor Arts, Englewood, Colorado, and the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind.
Karen Keninger, Iowa Department for the Blind director, also announced that the Department will expand its field staff-- phasing in new counselors and teachers over the next three months to better serve all areas of Iowa. In addition, the Department unveiled a new logo, which emphasizes the lower case "i." Keninger says, "We believe the new logo and tagline exemplifies the mission of the Iowa Department for the Blind, which is to create opportunities for independence for all blind and visually impaired Iowans." State Senator Staci Appel (D-Warren) is pictured above with Keninger.The Des Moines Register's Mark Hansen covered the story in Saturday's paper. Check it out at the Register's website:
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009907110323
Hum
Attention IRIS Listeners:
You may be hearing a hum over your IRIS radio. We are currently working with our technicians to fix the problem. Thank you for your patience.
You may be hearing a hum over your IRIS radio. We are currently working with our technicians to fix the problem. Thank you for your patience.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Sioux City Volunteer Coordinator Terry Hudson Visits Des Moines and Is Featured in the Journal
Terry Hudson took over as volunteer coordinator for IRIS in Sioux City this past spring, and he has been busy this past week!
Terry was featured in today's Sioux City Journal in a story about IRIS. Check out the article online at:
http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2009/07/06/news/top/0bce6df91d8f7f33862575eb0014aa11.txt
Last week, Terry stopped by the Des Moines office, and Rob snapped a few photos:
Madison attempts to teach Terry the ins and outs of online volunteer scheduling. Looks like fun!
Terry was featured in today's Sioux City Journal in a story about IRIS. Check out the article online at:
http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2009/07/06/news/top/0bce6df91d8f7f33862575eb0014aa11.txt
Last week, Terry stopped by the Des Moines office, and Rob snapped a few photos:
Madison attempts to teach Terry the ins and outs of online volunteer scheduling. Looks like fun!
Terry cracks a smile.
Thanks for the visit, Terry. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for the visit, Terry. Keep up the good work!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Greetings from an Old Friend!
It's been more than a year since our friend Marilyn Von Ahsen left IRIS to move to the St. Louis area with her husband. She sent us a note with a photo to say hello. If you would like her email address, call the IRIS office and we will put you in touch.
Marilyn says:
Hello from Missouri! I still check the website, and look at the calendar and sometimes listen, so readers I am still watching you! and miss you all very much.
Hard to believe we have been here a year already. I am not working now, along with a lot of other folks around here who really wish they were, so decided to take your fine example and volunteer. I am helping out in the hospice office here in town.
Our kids visit pretty often, and Nathan and Jenna's four day wedding spectacular in May was a great family reunion in Omaha. Barry & Kim got down last month for a Cardinals game - we all agree, fans or not, watching Albert Pujols bat is great! Last weekend we took the grandsons to Grants Farm to see the animals which was a lot of fun. They are fun no matter what we do of course - Keegan just had his fourth birthday and Johann is six months. And a couple of characters let me tell you! They amuse each other greatly, and their grandma.
Keep in touch, and keep up the great work there at IRIS!
Marilyn
Marilyn says:
Hello from Missouri! I still check the website, and look at the calendar and sometimes listen, so readers I am still watching you! and miss you all very much.
Hard to believe we have been here a year already. I am not working now, along with a lot of other folks around here who really wish they were, so decided to take your fine example and volunteer. I am helping out in the hospice office here in town.
Our kids visit pretty often, and Nathan and Jenna's four day wedding spectacular in May was a great family reunion in Omaha. Barry & Kim got down last month for a Cardinals game - we all agree, fans or not, watching Albert Pujols bat is great! Last weekend we took the grandsons to Grants Farm to see the animals which was a lot of fun. They are fun no matter what we do of course - Keegan just had his fourth birthday and Johann is six months. And a couple of characters let me tell you! They amuse each other greatly, and their grandma.
Keep in touch, and keep up the great work there at IRIS!
Marilyn
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