-Submitted photo courtesy of Art Farm Iowa
Art Farm Iowa is a nonprofit arts and agriculture destination outside of Northwood that combines art with a rural setting. The farm features a gallery, performance stage, mural and sculpture gardens, and a ceramics/glass center.

NORTHWOOD — In a creative merging of two separate worlds, arts and agriculture come together in northern Iowa to offer visitors the opportunity to enjoy culture while surrounded by cropland.

Art Farm Iowa happens to be a nonprofit arts and agriculture destination outside of Northwood that combines art with a rural setting. The farm features a gallery, performance stage, mural and sculpture gardens, and a ceramics/glass center.

“Art Farm Iowa aims to promote arts and culture through exhibitions, workshops, artist residencies, concerts and events, creating a unique cultural hub that blends creativity with the agricultural landscape,” explained Steve Hanson, whose family has operated their farm at the Art Farm Iowa site since 1945.

The family farm has always been a typical Iowa farm with corn, soybeans, hogs, cattle and chickens over the years. Currently, the farm still raises corn and soybean, but no longer has livestock. Hanson said the farm was purchased by his grandparents Alfred and Alice Hanson, then by his parents Merle and Jeanette Hanson. He now owns the 10-acre farmstead that is known as Art Farm Iowa.

“After living in Arizona for over 20 years, I moved back to my Iowa family farm to create Art Farm Iowa to spark cultural and economic development in north Iowa for the arts and agritourism. It’s my goal that Art Farm Iowa becomes an international destination highlighting the significance of Iowa agriculture alongside world-class art and culture,” Hanson said.

-Submitted photo courtesy of Art Farm Iowa
Art Farm Iowa features a gallery and events center, which on the outside looks like a pole barn, but inside is filled with paintings and sculptures. The center also has a performance stage, bar and gift shop. Each year, different artists are invited to showcase their work.

The idea for Art Farm Iowa surfaced in March 2021, Hanson explained. It took until June 2022 to clear and prepare the site. The construction of the primary structures wrapped up in the summer of 2023, and Hanson, along with the board of directors, opened to the public for their first exhibition in September of 2023. He serves as the head of the board, as well as the founder.

Thanks to Iowa’s seasonal weather, Art Farm Iowa is open from the end of May to mid-November and doesn’t charge admission. There’s also workshops, farm-to-table dinners, presentations, artist events and more.

“Our goal isn’t to be a static venue, so we’re continually hosting new exhibits and improving the experience for guests. This means new art and construction projects are ongoing and part of the overall plan,” he said. “My favorite part of Art Farm Iowa is the gallery and events center that looks like a regular farm pole barn building on the outside. However, on the inside, the interior is like a gallery you would find on Madison Avenue — high ceilings, white walls and the gallery filled with paintings and sculpture. The center also has a performance stage, bar, gift shop, restrooms and kitchen. It serves as the hub for most of the activities at Art Farm Iowa. We’ve designed Art Farm Iowa so visitors can experience both event areas where people gather, as well as places of personal solitude.”

Sculptures can be found throughout Art Farm Iowa in the galleries and along the walking paths. The mix of sculptures includes those that are permanent, while others rotate from year to year. Every year is different, Hanson explained, because organizers invite either an artist or a group of artists to showcase their sculptures.

“Typically, we like to have around 10 to 15 throughout the grounds. Our goal with the sculptures is to have them work in partnership with the natural landscape, so most are life size and not monumental sculptures,” Hanson said.

-Submitted photo courtesy of Art Farm Iowa
Art Farm Iowa is a nonprofit arts and agriculture destination outside of Northwood that combines art with a rural setting. The farm features a gallery, performance stage, mural and sculpture gardens, and a ceramics/glass center.

The ceramics and glass center consists of two grain bins where one has been converted into a classroom and display area, and the other has the kilns and equipment.

“In 2026, we’ll be hosting workshops and classes where visitors can utilize the equipment to make ceramics and fused glass works,” Hanson added.

The mural garden uses an old hog finishing house concrete floor as a central gathering area with three concrete mural walls and landscaping surrounding it. Two of the walls are 10-by-15 feet and the other is 8-by-20 feet, which allows for six murals.

“Each mural has a different theme ranging from a traditional farm scene to abstract art,” Hanson said. “Our goal is to have a mix of art styles to expose visitors to a broad range of artists and techniques.”

The courses and workshops are open to the public. Some are free and others include a fee to cover expenses, Hanson noted. Workshops range from youth camps and song writer’s workshops to painting and ceramics. One of the workshops Art Farm Iowa will be hosting in 2026 includes making succulent plants from upcycled paper and cardboard materials, hosted by artist Daniel “Attaboy” Seifert, Hanson said.

Past art displays include paintings combined with music, a felt installation, a haunted art experience for Halloween, an art-based farm-to-fork dinner and more. The farm has hosted more than 10 artist residencies.

“With farm consolidation and fewer farmers, we’ve witnessed a dramatic shift in small rural communities. Many communities have lost businesses and infrastructure that once supported the agriculture industry. These towns have become shells of what they used to be. People have urbanized for better economic and cultural opportunities,” Hanson said. “Conversely, in a separate trend, many cities have become so expensive and crowded due to gentrification that artists and creatives are being displaced.”

The visionary said that rural communities offer “ideal location for artists and creatives to thrive with an unmatched quality of life, affordability and peace to create.”

“This also creates a tourism opportunity for rural destinations in targeting people who want to travel out of the city to explore nature and have ‘farm life’ experiences,” Hanson said. “Art Farm Iowa was created to fulfill these growing needs and to generate economic and cultural impact for our rural communities.”

However, Hanson is quick to point out that while Art Farm Iowa was his vision, it took many hands to bring it to fruition. Neighbors, friends, artists, Iowa State University Extension, Iowa State University Rising Star Interns and the Iowa State University College of Design are just a few. Art Farm Iowa also received local and state grants from the Worth County Development Authority, the Northwood Swensrud Fund and others.

For more information about upcoming exhibits, events and opportunities at Art Farm Iowa, visit their website at artfarmiowa.com. They also have a social media presence on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.