first on decorahnews.com: New business will combine the works of local artists and writers

A sample of the artwork that will be published by Driftward Press

For a number of years, Northeast Iowa residents have been able to get locally-grown food delivered to their homes by signing up as customers of "Community Supported Agriculture," or "CSAs."

Now that concept is being used by two Decorah women in a new business that doesn't provide lettuce and rutabaga--but artworks by area artists and writing by area writers.

"Driftward Press" is the idea of local artist Jeanine Scheffert and local writer Cerrisa Snethen.  Their goal is to make art accessible and affordable, while boosting the visibility of Northeast Iowa area writers and artists.

Cerrisa tells decorahnews.com the "Art CSA" idea came out of local Poetry Slams, where performances would feature wonderful writings--but those writings were confined to just the audience at the poetry slam.  Jeanine says she and Cerrisa started talking about ways in which the works of local writers and artists could be promoted jointly.

The two women took their idea to www.indiegogo.com over the summer--and raised more than twice as much in contributions as they had asked for.  That set up a process of issuing an "All Call" on Facebook and Twitter for submissions from people living within 150 miles of Decorah--as far away as Des Moines and Madison, Wisconsin.  (Submissions can be e-mailed to submissions@driftwardpress.com)

After picking a name for their business ("Driftward Press" is a combination of "Driftless" and "Toward"), the two have begun a subscription drive.  Subscriptions are either $12.99 a month or $140 a year (a discount of 10 percent for paying for a year subscription).  The first 100 subscribers will receive authographed copies of the artwork and poem.

The first issue will be published next month.  It will feature a never before published poem by Decorah author June Melby, printed on the back of a printing of an artwork by Ames artist Peter Neel.

Each month subscribers will receive an art print on thick, high quality paper that is hangeable, frameable and giftable, with a piece of writing by a regional writer on the back of the art print.

For more information--including interviews with June Melby and Peter Neel--is available at www.driftwardpress.com

Jeanine Scheffert

Cerrisa Snethen