50 people attend Decorah meeting on the arts

Decorah resident Elizabeth Lorentzen answered the question "What do you love about Decorah?"

Officials of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs were in Decorah on Tuesday on what was billed as a "listening tour" about the state of the arts in Iowa.  The meeting at Vesterheim Museum was one of 25 town halls scheduled across the state.

Department of Cultural Affairs Director Mary Cownie told the group her department was looking for advice on how to take advantage of the "natural and cultural assets" of Iowa.

She pointed out that the Department of Cultural Affairs has already helped several Decorah area arts groups.  ArtHaus has received a DCA grants, as has the Luther College Archives and several individual Decorah area artists.

Cownie says the DCA's visit comes as it is working to revitalize the State Historical Building.  But Cownie stressed that her agency is looking for ways to improve "not only the building itself, but the department as well."

Vesterheim's Steve Johnson welcomed the crowd

Organizers asked participants to write answers on Post-It notes and put them on a whiteboard