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Here's the latest news from Mel Andringa and John Herbert, of CSPS, the innovative community arts organzation in Cedar Rapids, just 3 blocks from the Cedar River and smack dab in the heart of the worst flooding:

 "The good news is that today we gained access to CSPS. We can now tell you that the upper floors, where Legion Arts is located, suffered very little damage from the flood. The building as

Remember the floods of 1993? I had just bought a house in the country north of Fairfield, and that spring after what seemed like 40 days and 40 nights of rain, I watched water cascading down the basement walls, a beautiful trickling waterfall. Lucky for me, the basement never flooded—whatever drainage system had been installed in 80 years ago still worked perfectly.

Now Iowa City gears up for

Traditionally, Indian women wear their wealth in the form of gold necklaces, bejeweled nose rings, dazzling bracelets, bejangling anklets. Now you can get a glimpse of a gorgeous assortment of Southern Indian gold jewelry—including hair pendants and jeweled crowns—at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport. “When Gold Blossoms: Indian Jewelry from the Susan L. Beningson Collection," organized by the

Iowa City artist Marcia Wegman traveled to Lithuania and Latvia with Heifer International, the organization that helps galvanize communities by providing livestock for a sustainable source of food and income. The so-called “study tour” inspired Marcia to create a series of pastel paintings, which will be on exhibit at Iowa Artisans Gallery, beginning June 6, during the Iowa City Gallery Walk.

The

Does Iowa have more film festivals per capita that any other state? Sure seems like it. A deadline is fast approaching for submissions to Iowa’s first independent film festival, the 2008 Hardacre Film & Cinema Festival, August 1-2, in Tipton, Iowa. Filmmakers—your features, documentaries, animations, music videos, and shorts are due by Sunday, June 1.

Last year’s “Best Iowa” film award went to