The annual AgArts Field Day will be held Sunday, Aug. 30, at the Land Alliance Folk School and Geyer farm near Oxford, west of Iowa City. The program will begin promptly at 7 p.m.
The field day is a drive-in event this year, featuring West Liberty's performing “Shenanigans: Animals in Charge!”
AgArts conducts an in-person field day each year, and tentatively had scheduled an online event for 2020. “The drive-in show is an ideal option for this summer,” said AgArts Director Mary Swander.
The 75-minute event will feature Eulenspiegel Theatre (located in West Liberty) Puppets performing a new show based on true stories of animal antics during a pandemic, “with a lot of imagination thrown in,” said Eulenspiegel Director Monica Leo. “Imagine if you were an alligator visiting a deserted mall!”
Included in the show will be a giant parade-size puppet and various animal puppets. The show promises to be entertaining for all ages.
Mary Swander will give a concise talk about AgArts, which imagines and promotes healthy food systems through the arts.
In addition, Anna Geyer will tell briefly about the Land Alliance Folk School, located on her family’s diverse farm which includes a food forest, cutting garden and wood-fired pizza oven. The Folk School offers a variety of classes and retreats, related to the skills of tending the land and the art forms that have risen from agrarian life.
This summer and fall, the Folk School and AgArts are co-sponsoring several online classes including poetry, drawing, puppetry and harvest/ preservation classes.
Jean Graham, an artist from Austin, Texas, participated in an AgArts Farm-to-Artist Residency at the Geyer farm last summer, and created a graphic zine about her experience. A few of Graham’s images will be shown before and after the puppet show.
Puppeteers for the event include West Liberty residents Monica Leo and Stephanie Vallez, and music will be provided by Laura Kittrell..
The Land Alliance Folk School is located at the farm of Anna and Dave Geyer, 1259 Rohret Rd SW, Oxford, Iowa.
Attendees must register and pay a fee per car by Saturday, Aug. 29, at AgArts.org or LandAllianceFolk.com.
Rain date for the event is Monday, Aug. 31, at 7 p.m. Check AgArts or Land Alliance Folk School on Facebook for rain-related announcements.
For more information, see AgArts.org, contact Mary Swander at 319.936.0187, swandermary@gmail.com or contact Anna Geyer at 319.325.6609, info@landalliancefolk.com.