ArtHaus at home in Decorah

A new face appeared on Water Street this July. Lea Donhowe Lovelace (‘97), a Luther alumna and Decorah native, and Kristen Underwood, a Decorah resident, merged their visual and performing art specialties to create ArtHaus. This arts center offers a variety of classes and free events involving the Luther and Decorah communities.

Both Lovelace and Underwood taught art classes separately for years before they started dreaming of a space like ArtHaus.

“What we were really looking for was a roof for what we do,” Underwood said.

The two met in July of 2007 and almost immediately set a goal to open an arts center in Decorah by September of this year.

“When we were visualizing our space “we wanted it to be warm, inviting, comfortable, filled with character,” Lovelace said. When we found this building, it just felt like home to us.”

In a span of three weeks, 42 volunteers worked for 263 hours to help renovate the space for its opening during Nordic Fest.

“It went through quite a transformation in three week’s time,” said Lovelace.

The first fall session classes have filled to over 85 percent capacity with many classes starting waitlists. Adult classes include everything from drawing to improvisation. Youth classes include clay work and drawing.

“We want to offer something for every age group and different level of experience,” Underwood said.

One of the pair’s goals is to connect the Luther and Decorah communities.

“One thing I think is great about Decorah is that the Luther community and Decorah community really do interact, and if we can offer another venue for that, that’s great,” said Lovelace. “If we can help students get on-the-job experience, that’s great. There’s a built-in resource here.”

This experience has proved valuable to Elise Aram (‘09) an elementary education major and art minor. Aram has been working as Lovelace’s teaching assistant for Little Masters Art Studio.

“I’ve learned about a lot of different techniques of teaching art,” Aram said. “I’m so impressed by Lea’s creativity. She incorporates artists along with the project they’re doing.”

Underwood welcomed Luther students as stage managers and assistants at Upstart Crow Theatreworks in the past.

“I’d be happy to have Education or Theater majors to assist [at ArtHaus],” Underwood said.

Professors are also involved at ArtHaus. Professor of English Amy Weldon will be leading a class entitled ‘Journals in the Real World.’

“It’s about having fun, getting over your fears and hesitations and writing what you really think, notice and feel in order to live more fully and intentionally every day,” Weldon said. “Even if nobody reads what you write, writing can enrich and deepen your life.”

Assistant Professor of Theatre Lisa Lantz is bringing her experience in the theatre department at Luther to ArtHaus. Lantz will teach a handbag-designing class. She plans to bring articles of clothing and old curtains along with two to three design variations to inspire the class members during the three-hour class session.

“I wanted to focus on using recycled materials to make it more unique,” Lantz said.

Understanding the tight college budget, Lovelace and Underwood hope to see college students attending events like the Poetry Slam on October 3 from 8 to 10 p.m. It costs only $2 to attend and an extra dollar to perform. ArtHaus will also host a jewelry show, a film festival and other free events in October.

Lovelace and Underwood continue to meet and set goals for ArtHaus as its popularity grows in the Decorah community.

“Kristen and Lea saw an opportunity to pull a lot of great creative resources together, and they just went for it and made it happen,” Weldon said. “There aren’t many communities where a venture like this could thrive as I believe it will in Decorah.”