Longfellow-Hurlbut
Concourse Gallery
Enjoy temporary exhibits with a dramatic view of the river in this gallery which serves as the lobby for Hope Martin Theater, the home of Waterloo Community Playhouse and the Black Hawk Children's Theater.
Now Displaying
Twin Passions,
Art and the Outdoors:
Journey from Landscape to Abstraction
by Greg Hargreaves
On view March 17-November 8, 2026
This exhibition features acrylic paintings by retired Waterloo commercial illustrator Greg Hargreaves. At the core of his work is the tension between the ‘wild’ and the attempt to harness and control that ‘wildness.’ His compositions explore the countryside outside his backdoor, which is
a patchwork quilt of pastures and row crops, lush, green, and pastoral. Hargreaves says he finds a never-ending source of inspiration in the
co-existence of chaos and order. An accomplished and industrious Midwestern artist, Hargreaves used to begin with thumbnail sketches,
but he abandoned that in favor of a more intuitive approach. The artist quips, “Just for fun I will throw some paint on a canvas and let the paint lead me in directions uncharted. That journey is to find out just what kind of artist I will be when I grow up. Seriously, our inner child needs nurturing and freedom. That child needs recess. That child needs the open air and a butterfly.”
Upcoming Exhibitions
Tangled/ Entangled
by Judy Bales
On view December 8, 2026-April 11, 2027
Floating between tapestry and painting, the underlying theme of this exhibition is the exploration of fabrics deconstructed and reconstructed. Fabrics are typically chosen for their color, texture, and pattern as we view them in a relatively flat plane. Fairview artist Judy Bales disrupts this pattern by cutting the fabrics into thin strips then reconstructs them creating complex, non-regular patterns melding into an expanse of rich textures. This transforms the fabric from its original purpose, showing the viewer qualities of texture and pattern that are hidden and surprising. These works are a metaphor for the merging of thoughts, experiences, and deeds into new patterns of knowledge and action.
Gallery Talk & Opening Reception
Friday, December 11 | 5:30-7:30pm
Threads Between Worlds
by Wendy Stegall
On view December 8, 2026-April 11, 2027
Works on paper, canvas, and mannequin half-forms by Fairfield artist Wendy Stegall express organically emerging shapes through the intuitive use of paint, thread, ink, fabric, and even feathers. Discovering that some birds in her yard used wandering bits of thread for nesting material, she was moved by a synchronicity between creativity in nature and her own processes. Layers are created through calligraphic writing, thread, or collaged materials. As a long-time Kathak dancer (North Indian classical), she uses elements of costume, musical rhythm, and movement flow in her uniquely detailed and experimental works.
Gallery Talk & Opening Reception
Friday, December 11 | 5:30-7:30pm