Artful Adventures

american midwest ballet Hoff Family Arts + Culture center

Hoff Family Arts + Culture center

Tom hanafan river’s edge park iowa west public art ‘looking up’ by tom friedman

A ballet, theater, and a symphony

National performances at the arts center

The Hoff Family Arts & Culture Center is a hub for all things creative in Council Bluffs! Check out the Anne & John P. Nelson Gallery on the fourth floor to see exciting exhibitions that change throughout the year. The gallery is also the permanent home of the Corn Room Murals created by the world-renowned artist Grant Wood. Every month, the venue hosts the Hoff Fourth Friday event that brings in locals and visitors to enjoy an artful evening with live music, art classes, pop-up restaurants, cocktail specials from their bar, McCormick’s 1894, and so much more! This special event allows you to explore the beautiful four-story building, and you also get to meet the amazingly talented resident studio artists.

Housed inside the Hoff Family Arts & Culture Center, the American Midwest Ballet, Kanesville Symphony Orchestra, and Chanticleer Community Theater put on some of the best live entertainment in the metro! The American Midwest Ballet provides high-quality, breathtaking performances by its troupe of professional ballet dancers. The Chanticleer Community Theater performs a vast repertoire of plays and programs that delight and entertain live theater lovers of all ages. Music enthusiasts will enjoy live and groundbreaking musical performances by the Kanesville Symphony Orchestra.

Located on the campus of Iowa Western Community College, The Arts Center is a state-of-the-art facility that houses performances in theater, dance, and music, along with other cultural events. They’ve hosted nationally touring artists as well as student and community groups, providing important and affordable options to experience high-quality performing arts in the metro.

Murals

Council Bluffs is home to several murals that tell the area’s history and bring vibrance to the community. Check out the ‘Enjoy’ mural on the 100 Block, the ‘Riverboat on the Missouri,’ and brand new ‘See Bee’ murals near Bayliss Park. Learn more about our history by visiting the Pottawattamie County Genealogical Society mural and the Historic Lincoln-Fairview Neighborhood murals.

Iowa West Public Art

In 2004, the Iowa West Foundation, which works to improve the lives and strengthen the Council Bluffs community, funded a community-wide public art master planning process that resulted in the Iowa West Public Art Initiative. Because of this unique initiative, Council Bluffs is now home to an impressive collection of 12 pieces of public art that have been created by artists known around the world.

Take a self-guided tour of the collection using the Otocast Public Art app! This interactive app serves as your tour guide by giving you directions to each piece and allows you to hear directly from the artists as they speak about their work. This fun and engaging app can be downloaded on both Android and iOS.