The Iowa Source

The Iowa Source stands out as Iowa's sole complimentary monthly magazine dedicated to arts and entertainment, proudly celebrating its 29th year of publication. Each month, except for January when we take a short break, The Source delivers a distinctive regional perspective to 16,000 loyal readers, along with an additional 12,000 online followers. Our magazine covers a wide array of subjects including fine arts, music, culture, health, travel, recreation, technology, investments, movies, and literature. Additionally, we provide a well-loved monthly calendar of events that keeps our audience informed about local happenings.

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CRMA Hosts Fairfield Artists in Runway Fashion Show on April 25

1 week ago | iowasource.com | Megan Robinson

A runway show featuring one-of-a-kind wearable art by Judy Bales, Kathy Shrosbree, and Gyan Shrosbree will be held Friday, April 25, at 7 p.m., at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, in conjunction with the current exhibition All Dressed Up (and Down). Limited tickets for the Art in Motion benefit are still available but should be purchased soon to guarantee a seat.
Easter Imposter: Woeful Tales of a Heathen in the Cabbage Patch

2 weeks ago | iowasource.com | Meredith Siemsen

My dad was raised Catholic, but by the time he hit college had given up church for Monty Python. Mom was brought up Presbyterian, but the moment she’d been told that children who hadn’t been converted to Christ were going to hell, she knew something was deeply wrong about that whole situation. Because what about those kids in tribal Tanzania who hadn’t even heard of Jesus, hadn’t even been given a chance to decide?
SXSW 2025: Recap of the Industry Event That Sees into the Future

1 month ago | iowasource.com | Steve Horowitz

When I attended my first South by Southwest (SXSW) more than 25 years ago in Austin, Texas, the Music component was the primary draw. This year, judging by the number of attendees and events, Music was the least important part. During SXSW Music’s peak in the 2010s, more than 2,000 performances took place each year, with hundreds more shows at unofficial parties. Last month, however, there were only about 1,000 musical acts and far fewer parties.
Jazz Habit: A Tale of Two Scotts and a Jazz Jalopy

1 month ago | iowasource.com | Meredith Siemsen

I didn’t know I cared about jazz. Sure, I’d gotten caught in a “Heavenly” Harry Connick Jr. wave in the early ’90s—my teenage self swooned over his velvety voice and big-band sound—but it wasn’t until 1996, when a crew of chain-smoking college-age hipsters invited me to their poker game that jazz began to rewire my brain.
Right Up Your Alley: “Pin Action” Details Shifty Characters in the World of Bowling

1 month ago | iowasource.com | Rob Cline

When Bryan, our oldest child, who turns 28 this month, was in kindergarten, he came home one day with a flyer in his backpack. The flyer invited kids to try bowling at one of the local alleys. The fee was $4 a week and there was no upfront cost. We decided to give it a go. Little did we know that we would be spending nearly every Saturday morning for the next 17 or so years (our younger two kids took up the sport, too) in a bowling alley. Bryan took to the sport immediately.
The Alaskan Frontier: Stellavera Kilcher’s Homesteading Childhood

1 month ago | iowasource.com | Megan Robinson

Discovery Channel’s Alaska: The Last Frontier, the 11-season reality show that ended in 2022, garnered quite a fanbase, with millions all over the world following the exploits of the Kilcher family, homesteaders living off the land near Homer, Alaska. But what many people don’t know is that the Kilcher family has been attracting attention for decades.
Public Space One: Creative Folks Showing Up with Awesome Ideas

2 months ago | iowasource.com | Megan Robinson

Founded in 2002, Iowa City’s Public Space One (PS1) has become a thriving, artist-led, community-oriented art center, maintaining multidisciplinary, experimental spaces for Iowa City and Southeast Iowa. Not only does PS1 advocate for art in everyday life, it also supports artists with welcoming spaces for making art, innovative programs that stretch boundaries, and cultural resources for learning. “We started as a completely DIY space,” says PS1 Program Director Kalmia Strong.
Raise a Toast: Tunes About Wine Through the Decades

2 months ago | iowasource.com | Steve Horowitz

Every day is a holiday. Don’t believe me (or Katy Perry’s 2015 hit)—you can check for yourself. Just log on to your computer and ask what we commemorate today (or whenever). There’s always something being celebrated by someone somewhere. Most people know that February is the month of Valentine’s Day, Presidents’ Day, and even Groundhog Day.
Rereading a Classic: Ann Patchett’s “Bel Canto”

2 months ago | iowasource.com | Rob Cline

Fairly often, I am tempted to reread a book. Most of the time, I resist the urge. There are some notable exceptions. I have, for example, returned to Douglas Adams’s Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series—a trilogy in five parts, as the marketing sometimes reads—any number of times. As regular readers of this column know, I am currently engaged in a reread of Ed McBain’s masterful 87th Precinct series. I’ve revisited a variety of other books now and again, but it isn’t my usual practice.
Maybe Dinner. Definitely a Show.

2 months ago | iowasource.com | Meredith Siemsen

February. That month when two people are better than one under the covers. When the dinner hour is still dark enough to eat your favorite dish by candlelight. When the piece of chocolate cake you order before the show is just the right size to share. You find your cozy seats. Your fingers accidentally touch as you pass her the folded pages of the program. She whispers something in your ear as the lights dim.