'Portrait of Maquoketa,' next phase

On Wednesday, August 17, the UI LEAP (Lifetime Enrichment Adult Program) -- http://www.centeronaging.uiowa.edu/olli.shtml  -- visited Maquoketa and specifically the Old City Hall Art Gallery, which houses the art of Rose Frantzen, her father, her partner (Charles Morris) and a ceramicist from New York.  Attendees were treated to a tour by Rose's mother, Ellen.  Rose's jump to fame happened when her 180 portraits of Maquoketa residents, from 5 days old to 100 years, collectively titled "Portrait of Maquoketa" was exhibited at the Smithsonian and viewed by 700,000 visitors.

The portraits are still in the boxes in which they were returned from the nation's capital.  New things, however, are on the horizon for the gallery.  Charles Morris is working on a book of prints, "The StorytellingTree."  Some of the prints are displayed in the gallery using custom-made frames of tree branches.  Maquoketa's downtown suffered a significant fire in 2008.  A large building stands empty, and it is the Gallery's hope that interest and funds came be raised to permanently display the portraits of the "Portrait" in this building.  With the Maquoketa Caves closed temporarily to protect the resident bats' health, cave visitors to the area have dropped significantly, Frantzen said, from 200,000 to 50,000.  The "Portrait" permanently on display in downtown Maquoketa could recapture some of those visitors.

Rose Frantzen's other work is perhaps more intriguing.  One series of paintings involves a mother's response to a young child developing cancer.  Claustrophobic and imprisoning and suffocating elements mingle with ones of hope, healing and redemption.

The gallery's website is: www.oldcityhallgallery.com.