Literature Department, 11:00 AM

The Iowa Writer’s Collaborative is a group of individual writers who have formed a collaborative approach to writing about and for Iowans. Each writer is independent with their subscriber base. Substack is an American online platform that provides publishing, payment, analytics, and design infrastructure to support subscription newsletters. It allows writers to send digital newsletters directly to subscribers.

Luncheon, 12:00 PM

Baked lasagna, tossed salad with vinaigrette dressing, garlic breadstick, Italian green beans, apple crisp. Vegetarian Option: Vegetable lasagna. Gluten-Free Option: Rice Noodle

Art Department, 1:00 PM

Prior to joining the Greater Des Moines Public Art Foundation, Dr. Alexa McCarthy was most recently a Lecturer in Art History at the University of Southern Maine and a St Leonard’s Postgraduate Fellow at the University of St Andrews. She obtained her PhD from the University of St Andrews in 2022. Her dissertation, “Carta azzurra / blauw papier: Drawing on blue paper in Italy and the Netherlands, ca. 1450-ca. 1660” explores the origins and impetus behind the use of blue paper in the early modern period. She was co-organizer of the international online conference "Venice in Blue: The Use of carta azzurra in the Artist’s Studio and in the Printer’s Workshop, ca. 1500-50," the proceedings of which are currently in preparation for publication. Prior to beginning her PhD program in 2019, Dr. McCarthy held positions at The Leiden Collection, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Christie’s. She has published and lectured on a range of topics from early modern to contemporary art. She holds a BA in Art History from Bowdoin College and an MA in Art History from The Courtauld Institute of Art.