This information was for 2026:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Carroll, Iowa, April 22, 2026
Carroll’s Newest Gathering Place Hosts Local Artists’ Closing Reception
The West End to Welcome Regional Artists on Friday, May 1 from 4–6 p.m.
The West End, Carroll’s newly opened community-centered gathering space at 110 W. 6th Street, will host a free artist closing reception on Friday, May 1, 2026 from 4 to 6 p.m. The event is open to the public and offers a wonderful opportunity to explore the new venue, enjoy refreshments, and meet the talented artists whose work is currently on display there.
Featured artists include Sasha Backhaus Foley, Randy Carrillo, Cecelia Comito, Laura Comito, Luis Guzman Montano, Ted Mallory, Haley McAndrews, Denice Peters, Lee Shiney, Justin Tedford, and Nick Trainer — all Carroll and Crawford County artists who participated in the 2nd Annual West Iowa Art Tour on April 18.
The West End is more than a coffee shop — it is a new kind of community anchor for downtown Carroll. Home to Bosque Alto Coffees & Roastery and Just Kookies, the space offers comfortable seating, WiFi, a conference room, and a stage for live music and presentations. Developed by Renew Covenant Church, The West End was created to give people a welcoming place to gather, work, study, and connect. The building is ADA accessible and open to all.
Art from the West Iowa Art Tour artists will remain on display at The West End through May 1 during regular business hours. The May 1 reception is a chance to meet the artists in person, ask questions about their work, and discover the range of creative talent thriving right here in western Iowa.
The reception is free and open to the public. No registration required.
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Event Details
What: West Iowa Art Tour Artist Closing Reception
When: Friday, May 1, 2026 | 4–6 p.m.
Where: The West End, 110 W. 6th Street, Carroll, Iowa
Cost: Free and open to the public
Info: https://www.westiaart.com and https://www.facebook.com/events/1925429008104612
Media Contact:
Cecelia Comito
Cecelia Comito Art
(773) 351-5743
ceceliacomitoart.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Western Iowa, April 8, 2026
West Iowa Art Tour features Crawford and Carroll county artists
The 2nd Annual West Iowa Art Tour on Saturday, April 18, 2026 offers stops in Carroll, Arcadia, and Denison, where visitors can visit working studios, see recent artwork, talk with the local artists, and see works in progress. The event is one day only, free and open to the public from 10am to 4pm.
This year’s artist lineup is Sasha Backhaus Foley, Randy Carrillo, Cecelia Comito, Laura Comito, Luis Guzman Montano, Ted Mallory, Haley McAndrews, Denice Peters, Lee Shiney, Justin Tedford, and Nick Trainer.
Two special additions this year are group exhibitions of select artworks representing all the artists. Art will be on display at The West End, a new coffee shop and community-focused space in downtown Carroll at 110 W. 6th, and also at The Old Fashioned Cocktail Bar at 1211 Broadway in Denison. The exhibitions continue through the month of April during regular business hours.
Visitors can plan their routes with the group’s website at westiaart.com, featuring a map to all the locations, descriptions of all the artists, links to their own websites, and examples of their work.
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PNG and TIFF files of this graphic:
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previous release:
WEST IOWA ART TOUR
CARROLL, DENISON, ARCADIA, IOWA
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Western Iowa, March 16, 2026
See also www.westiaart.com/press for this release and high resolution photo of the organizers.
West Iowa Art Tour returns to Crawford and Carroll counties
The 2nd Annual West Iowa Art Tour on April 18th will follow up on last year’s success, featuring 11 artists in six different locations. With stops in Carroll, Arcadia, and Denison, visitors will visit working studios, see recent artwork, talk with the artists, and see works in progress. The event is free and open to the public from 10am to 4pm.
Carroll will feature Cecelia Comito and Laura Comito in their downtown Artworks Studio, Sasha Backhaus Foley in her home studio, and Nick Trainer showing at the new West End coffee shop and venue. The old Ar-We-Va school in Arcadia is the studio and residence of Lee Shiney, and parked outside will be Haley McAndrews’ Mobile Art Gallery. Denison includes Denice Peters’ home studio, plus Randy Carrillo, Luis Guzman Montano, Ted Mallory, and Justin Tedford will be at Carrillo’s studio upstairs in the Donna Reed Theatre. A bonus for this year will be two group compilations of all the artists’ works on display at The West End in Carroll, and The Old Fashioned in Denison.
The idea for a tour of art studios was brainstormed in December, 2024 by artists Haley McAndrews, Randy Carrillo, and Lee Shiney. Their desire to make more connections with other local artists, and better connect with the public, led to the first event in 2025.
“This is not just about us sharing our creations, but also the processes behind what we do. There are local artists all around us in their studios working in all kinds of mediums” Shiney said. “and from there they follow different paths. Some are visible through brick-and-mortar storefronts, some are selling online, some are creating the next body of work for a gallery show, and some enjoy sharing their work with family and friends. The common denominator here is we all are working and communicating in our own ways, basically making things with our hands, and I think it results in a positive energy that benefits the local community.”
Plan your tour visits with the group’s website at westiaart.com. There you will find descriptions of all the artists, links to their own websites, examples of their work, and a map to all the locations.
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Contact Information:
Website: https://westiaart.com
Lee Shiney: ,
