Special Projects

Prairie Cairn. The Center for Prairie Studies helped conceive and plan Prairie Cairn, the first component of Andy Goldsworthy: Three Cairns in collaboration with Grinnell College's Faulconer Gallery and the Des Moines Art Center. Goldsworthy designed and built Prairie Cairn in the early spring 2001 at Grinnell College’s Conard Environmental Research Area.

Roots of Renewal. The Upper Midwest is changing under pressure from new immigrants, new industries, new farming practices, and new attitudes towards the original tallgrass prairie. While still agriculturally grounded, we are re-examining virtually every aspect of the culture and land as we rethink our farms, our livelihoods, and our sense of self. Roots of Renewal is a campus and community partnership which uses contemporary art as a catalyst for an exploration of the issues facing those of us who live on the farms, in the rural areas, and in the towns and cities of the Upper Midwest in the early 21st century. Several of the works that were part of the Roots or Renewal exhibition were acquired by the college and are now part of the Art of the Prairie Region Collection.

The Prairie Suite: A Study of Place. A suite of 12 original prints by as many artists, commissioned by the Center for Prairie Studies in 2000 and completed in the summer of 2001. Diverse in medium and subject, the works are united around the themes of prairie and place.