Welcome to Bellevue Arts Council, Bellevue, Iowa!

We are delighted to announce that BAC member Ronald Hansen dedicated the public art piece along Bellevue's Scenic Byway during our Fishtival 2018 festivities.  Ronald's concept of steamboat stacks and colorful fish is now installed for all of Bellevue and visitors to enjoy. To celebrate this beautiful addition to the Bellevue Riverview Park walkway, we have decided to use the sculpture as our new Bellevue Arts Council logo. 

Thank you to the community for its input in this multi-year process, and to the Public Art Selection Committee which developed the theme "Living, Flowing, Ever Changing." This project is being managed by the Byways of Iowa Foundation and the Northeast Iowa RC&D.  

Our current BAC Board Members

(Back row left to right)

Allen Ernst

Joannie Kilburg

Linda Nudd

(Front row left to right)

Carrie Weaver

Kate Brooks

David Eischeid

Mike Pedersen (not in photo yet)

(Social Media) 

Julianne Couch - Facebook

M. Sue Sawvel - Website  

To learn more about our organization visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/BellevueArtsCouncil/

We are so fortunate for the use of the Great River Gallery for individual showings by artists and also for our annual BAC Annual Art Exhibit.  

The gallery is located at Water Street Landing: The Button Factory,  307 South  Riverview Street, Lower Level, Bellevue, Iowa.  Access to the gallery is available upon request by contacting Allen Ernst at 563.581.9197 (or 563.872.3388, email at allenrernst@me.com. 

or David Eischeid, 563.542.7020 or email at d.c.eischeid@gmail.com. 

Viewing of the artworks in the gallery are also available during the Farmer's Market every Thursday at the same location, from 4 to 6:30 P.M.  A BAC board member will always be present anytime the gallery is open. 

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PLACE & RECEPTION DATE

The Summer Art 2022 Exhibition will be  displayed in the Button Factory lower level, the new location of our Great River Gallery, 307 South Riverview St., Bellevue, Iowa, 

Friday evening,  June 17th,  from 5:30 - 8 p.m. with a reception,  and Saturday, June 18th, from 2-6 p.m. for walk-in viewing.  Artists can take their artworks home with them after the showing on Saturday, or they can choose to make other arrangements with David Eischeid for artwork pickup. .

 This art exhibit is open to all public and BAC members in Bellevue and the surrounding areas. 

The CALL FOR ART entry form for show exhibitors can be downloaded using the page link on the navigation bar at the top of this page entitled 

The form is in PDF format so you have a number of options for completing it. 

1. You can download a copy,  print it out, write in your information and mail your registration to Dave Eischeid, 30724 Oak Lane, Bellevue, Iowa 52031. 

2.  The most convenient option is just to print it off and bring the entry forms with you on June 17th along with your artworks you are submitting for the show .

DROP OFF AND PICKUP

For this year's show, the drop off date for art is no later than Monday, June 6th, from 2 to 4 p.m.., or other arrangements may be made with Dave Eischeid for a delivery time. 

Artists may pick up their artworks following the above events on Saturday, June 18th, from 2 to 4 P.M. or they may leave them on the walls at the gallery for a later pickup.  Arrangement for late pickup needs to be arranged by calling  Dave Eischeid at 563.542.7020.

GUIDELINES

This is a non juried show open to any current BAC member. Member artists are invited to exhibit up to three works of art. Non members may enter artwork by joining and paying the $25 membership dues at the time their artwork is delivered for exhibition. 

SALE COMMISSION

The Bellevue Arts Council requires a 20% commission from the artist on any work sold during the show. 

Please visit our Bellevue Arts Council Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/BellevueArtsCouncil/

Our  annual 2022 Bellevue Fall Fishtival event is scheduled for September 10th, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  

Featuring area artists and crafters, this daylong event showcases talent through the area.  Arts, crafts, food, music, Ski Bellevue's water ski show, and more fill the day.  Some areas for arts, crafts, and vendor booths may still be available. If interested, please contact Dave Eischeid (d.c.eischeid@gmail.com) for registration form or link to a Fishtival Entry Form Page above, that must be turned in no later than August 1st. 

Also planned are Make and Take family art activities held in our new art gallery, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Activities will include drawing, painting, sculpture and jewelrymaking. 

If you'd like to view some photos from last  year's Fishtival, use this link to access the Fishtival page or use the link at the top of this Home Page.

If you would like to be an artist participant in the Fishtival, link here to the Entry and Registration Information Form which is located on the Fishtival Entry Form page.  

BELLEVUE FALL FISHTIVAL OVERVIEW
The annual Fishtival event in August is a celebration of our heritage as a community on the Mississippi through all forms of art including dance, media arts, and folk and traditional music. Some activities included in the past are  an art exhibit, on-location painters, fish sculptures, fish related children's hands-on projects, DNR fish demonstrations, children's dance troupes, trolling musicians, a mermaid, and a fish boil.  Added in 2017 were informal adult art experiences in the gazebo, which  included a clay handbuilding project, chalk pastel and watercolor.  In 2018 we added a family-friendly art workshops held in the Great River Gallery that included a wide variety of studio activities.  

The mission of the BAC is to present a variety of unique, artistic expressions and experiences to children, students, and community. The purpose of Fishtival is to attract tourists to the Bellevue, Iowa, through the promotion of art. 

We've had so much wonderful community participation in Bellevue promoting the arts because of  enthusiastic support from the school districts and community.   This year we have decided to rethink approaches to community need and requests for alternative avenues of sharing the arts with our community.   In addition to the 2nd Sunday events and Mill Valley painting classes for residents, we have a series of outreach opportunities for all citizens in Bellevue. This year, we offered a Paint to Create 2-hour class  on a Friday evening painting a beautiful Mississippi scene in acrylic. In addition, we are wrapping up the 5 series  painting sessions in either acrylic or oil with teacher assistance to render a painting of one's own subject matter.  As time goes by this year, we'll be offering more diverse avenues of creative expression for our Bellevue community. As always, classes being offered will be shown on the Bellevue TV station and in the newspaper. We hope to see you at our future events.  

Summer Reading Program 2019

Dave Eischeid worked with 50 Bellevue students (2 groups) who repainted the fence behind River Ridge Brewery with a fish-themed mural.  They worked on their drawings on June 12 in the afternoon and painted the fish on the fence June 26th. Volunteers included Maury Anderson, Meg Baught, Earl and Megan Sawvel, and Ray and Mary Kubick. It's an adorable mural by our local children. When you are in that area, make sure and check it out!

One to two times a month  Dave Eischeid and a volunteer assistant, Mary Kubik, conduct  painting classes to any Mill Valley residents who choose to attend. Our painting classes are an hour and a half in length giving residents the opportunity for mental focus, dexterity, and critical decision making skills while producing very personal artworks that could include subject matter from horses and barns to florals.  Of course, the water soluble paints are nontoxic for the safety of the residents. We love working with the residents of Mill Valley, knowing these activities add to their enrichment opportunities and quality of life. Random discussions, camaraderie, and  life stories add depth and a smile to the residents' day as well.

 Past field trips have included art museum tours to Milwaukee, Chicago, Dubuque, and Mt. Carroll.   Future events/possibilities we are working on for our members are an art workshop at the Birds and the Bees, a Rose Frantzen Gallery Tour, and a tour of the 22 murals in Dubuque.