Uh-oh …Your friend’s birthday is coming up, and yet again you have no idea what to get her. You want something with a personal touch, something she will remember. I mean, how many years in a row can you get someone a T-shirt from Old Navy?

Why not take a look at the Dubuque Art Center? Although the downtown location is relatively new, it has a lot to offer.

Where does the birthday present come in, you may wonder? There are many ways the center can help. For example, one of the easiest ways it fosters creativity is by providing pieces of pottery to paint. The pricing for the pottery ranges from $12 to $30.

The center also offers a wide range of free classes for youths and adults alike. You can plan an art party there, shop at the design store, watch a play put on by the Dubuque Art Theatre and see some beautiful art pieces displayed in the Renaissance Center.

The founder, Jordan DeGree, began the Art Center nearly two years ago. “All our programs focus on helping individuals grow as people,” DeGree said. “The more creative people we have living here, the better we’re able to respond to challenges, overcome obstacles and find creative, innovative solutions… and ultimately become more livable as a community.”

In keeping with that mission, the Art Center is committed to keeping prices as low as possible. The free art classes they offer are part of the “Creative Community Project.” This offers every member of our community a free session of art classes each year. DeGree said the center is able to fund the classes “thanks to generous support from local businesses, individuals and a number of local and state grants that we’ve received.”

Jess Stoffel, the head of the art education department at the center, loves watching kids respond to various projects. “This summer, we were doing a very tiny sewing project. While the kids are learning how to thread their needles, this little boy begins to sew, and all anyone heard throughout the entire Art Center was this little boy shrieking, ‘Sewing is so awesome!’ and it was great to hear that come from a little boy because sewing is a really old skill and it’s such a useful thing,” she said.

Stoffel said one of her main goals is to teach kids skills that they might not learn anywhere else. “I once had 14 little girls, and they all made these little mobiles, and they had the opportunity to use pliers and wire. We’re really trying to give them the opportunity to work on critical thinking skills and problem-solving skills.”

The Creative Community Project is one of a handful of changes the center has made. It also has a new location at the corner of First and Main streets.
“We’re also beginning to expand our digital arts program, filmmaking, digital photography and a number of workshops on Adobe programs,” DeGree said.

“I like the energy that’s created here when it’s full of people,” DeGree said. “And I also really like seeing people who come in saying they can’t do this or that, leave at the end of their class sessions, saying ‘Wow, I did it!’ I want people to know that the center is for people of all skill levels, from beginners to advanced. We challenge people to reach beyond their boundaries.”