Brick Street Gallery Show on Friday

Former West Liberty teacher to show art

Jewelry, monster art also on display

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The Brick Street Gallery, located at 104 West Third Street in West Liberty, will feature former West Liberty High School art teacher and gallery coordinator Deborah Weiss this Friday evening for their monthly First Friday event.

The reception with light refreshments will be held from 5-7 p.m. that evening and will also feature a pop-up gallery featuring a unique vision by Derek Diouhy and unique jewelry by Kara Diouhy.

Weiss has resided with her husband Rick on a farm west of Atalissa for nearly 50 years, meeting at Iowa State University. Rick graduated first and proposed, then convinced Deb she could finish her education at the University of Iowa, coming to West Liberty as a student teacher.

She was hired as an art teacher and started her career in January, 1976 instructing art to fifth through eighth grade students in the middle school. She taught until 1983 before taking 12 years off to raise her three children, returning to the art room in 1998 and working until retiring in 2021 as a teacher in the high school.

She is the chairperson for the Brick Street Gallery committee, is training to become a docent for the University of Iowa's Stanley Art Museum when it opens next fall, and is a mentor in the local Dream Catcher's program. Proudly, she is grandmother to one adorable grandchild.

Weiss' artistic vision varies, but she particularly likes to work on art that makes her “happy,” such as flowers and landscapes and interesting buildings. She likes to try a variety of media and has yet to settle for just one, perhaps a bit of a "Jill of all trades, master of none," she says.

Kara and Derek Diouhy hail from the Quad Cities but they have many local West Liberty connections. Derek is the brother of local resident Lisa Wertzbaugher. Kara has been selling her jewelry, much of which uses a resin-poured technique, in Brick Street Gallery since 2021.

Derek has a unique artistic vision which may remind attendees a bit of the gallery’s own associate Christopher McMahon as they both like to use monster themes. Weiss invites all to “come check out Kara's and Derek's work in our first ‘Pop-up’ Gallery, which is open in the space (formerly the apartment above) up the stairs from the gallery.

There is no admission charge and anyone is welcome to attend.

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