Set in stone: Eastern Iowan turns rhubarb leaves into concrete art

MANCHESTER - Rhubarb is a precious commodity in Manchester this time of year.

With the third annual Rhubarb Fest just a few days away, everyone is gathering their stalks to make the pies, rolls, salsas and desserts visitors to this northeast Iowa city will seek on Saturday.

“People are bringing what they have or going over to their neighbors to see if they can get more,” Manchester Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Jack Klaus says with a laugh. “I think people have made new friends through this festival.”

 Jackie Sherman is among the Manchester residents gathering rhubarb, but she's not interested in the stalks.

She wants the leaves.

For about six years, Sherman has made concrete rhubarb leaves.

With patience, time and plenty of back labor, Sherman transforms the giant leaves into garden planters, birdbaths - even table settings.

“People ask me ‘What should I do with them?'” she says. “I tell them ‘Once you buy it, you can use it for chips and dip.'”

Searching for something to keep her occupied in her retirement, she fell in love with concrete leaves after seeing others at craft shows. Sherman started making her own, using a garden hoe and a bucket to mix the concrete, but eventually upgraded to her own cement mixer.

“And it's red!” she exclaims. “I was so thrilled. I told everyone on Facebook.”

It makes the process somewhat faster, as she's able to make enough cement for several leaves, depending on their size. She does most of the work on her own, although her husband, Dean Sherman, lends a hand when needed.

“Dean would really like me to find a project that doesn't involve his back,” Jackie Sherman says.

“Why can't she find a lighter hobby, like needlepoint?” he asks.

Joking aside, Dean Sherman has supported his wife's work by building her two waist-level sand boxes in which she creates a mold. Covering the sand with a plastic sheet, she places a rhubarb leaf on top of it, vein side up, and covers the leaf with cement.

“It's kind of like making mud pies,” she says. “You have to get the right consistency.”

Spreading the cement, Sherman is careful to work it into the leaf's veins to get the definition. She will let it set for 24 hours, then peel off the leaf.

“And then we get to the fun part,” she says. “Painting.”

She prefers natural colors, so her leaves tend to be different shades of green with a little brown or red. She uses a little gold to add some glitz.

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Sherman will be among craft vendors at Saturday's Rhubarb Fest. As a member of the festival's committee, she is thrilled at how the event continues to grow.

“We actually had rain the first two years, but it didn't damper the fun,” she says. “It was just a fun community event.”

Those who attend Rhubarb Fest can look forward to rhubarb wine tasting, music, craft vendors, the rhubarb store - featuring rhubarb products made just for the festival - and the rhubarb food stand. Klaus says the rhubarb brats from Dan's Locker in Earlville will be back this year and, hopefully, there will be enough.

“We had 100 our first year and ran out,” he says.

The committee purchased 300 brats for the second year and ran out again.

“We ordered 600 hundred this year, so hopefully we'll be OK,” Klaus laughs.

 Still, you might want to go early, just in case.

IF YOU GO

• What: Rhubarb Fest
• When: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday
• Where: Baum Park, Anderson and East Butler streets, Manchester
• Contests: Largest rhubarb leaf, longest rhubarb stalk, sweetest rhubarb stalk, tartest rhubarb stalk.
• New events: 1 mile and 5K run; 20-mile and 30-mile bike ride
• For more information: Contact the Manchester Area Chamber of Commerce at (563) 927-4141