• Clarke Area Arts Council announces the sponsorship of architectural historian as Artist in the Schools May 19-21 for the local elementary school.
• A walking tour of Osceola’s historic downtown square entitled, “What Makes that Building Special: Learning to Read Building on Main Street,” will be available to the public 5:30 p.m. Monday, May 19. It will start at King’s Canyon.
Clarke Area Arts Council is sponsoring Molly Naumann at Clarke Community Elementary School. As an architectural historian and Artist-in-the-School, she will teach Clarke fifth-grade students about the features of the local history in architecture, and how knowledge plays an important part in the Osceola community so the process of preserving the local sites can continue.
On May 21, the last day of Naumann’s residency, she will take the students on a bus tour of some of the historic neighborhoods and downtown to actually see much of the architecture they have been learning about.
“With a little information, students and adults can learn to ‘read’ the many houses and buildings they pass each day,” Naumann said. “They can learn a lot about design and construction, they can learn about local history, and they can learn about city planning.”
Naumann, who is from Ottumwa, is an experienced architectural historian who works with communities across the state, helping them to identify and preserve their local historic sites. Her goal is to heighten the awareness of the architecture people see every day. She has been here four other times as an Artist-in-the-School, and many other times as a consultant for the city, preparing National Register of Historic Places nominations for the Depot, Old Masonic Building and George Cowles Residence.
Naumann, along with the CAAC, invites the public to join her for a free program and short walking tour of the Osceola downtown business square 5:30 p.m. Monday, May 19. She will point out the architectural features of many of the buildings and importance the district’s preservation has to Osceola and Clarke County.
For the event, people are invited to meet Molly at 5:30 p.m. at King’s Canyon on the north side of the square and have treats in anticipation of the 5:45 p.m. discussion. In case of inclement weather, people will meet at Clarke County Development Corporation in the large conference room.
“We are so fortunate to have an arts council that chooses to bring Molly to Osceola for this residency,” Mayor Fred Diehl. “It provides a wonderful insight for our students, our future citizens, to develop a real appreciation for the art found in architecture, the impact it has on all of our lives and the importance of preserving these architectural treasures that help define our community. It is especially significant this year as we continue our final phase of restoration of our historic Depot and the upcoming grant for Intensive Architectural and Historical Survey and Evaluation of our downtown commercial district scheduled to begin soon.”