"PrintMaking Change: An Artful Show of Unity" Exhibition Opens at Polk County Heritage Gallery
Iowa artists and community members gathered late last week at the Polk County Heritage Gallery for the opening reception of "PrintMaking Change: An Artful Show of Unity," a powerful exhibition featuring message-driven artwork addressing the issues that matter most to Iowans.
The show, which runs through April 30, 2026, transforms personal and political concerns into visual calls for action, with all art sale proceeds benefiting the Supply Hive, a Des Moines–based community food distribution network.
The exhibition addresses urgent policy issues including tariffs and corporate tax breaks, the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid, immigration, reproductive rights, factory farms, SNAP cuts, clean water protections, and more. Each piece reflects the lived experiences of Iowans facing the consequences of congressional decisions made in the Iowa Statehouse and Washington, D.C..
"Iowa families are struggling with policies that prioritize billionaires over working people," Jen Sinkler, Creative Director at Progress Iowa said. "When our representatives vote to cut Medicaid and SNAP while passing tax breaks for the wealthiest, artists respond by making visible what those decisions cost real people. This exhibition proves that when we come together, we can create something beautiful from our shared frustration and turn that beauty into material support for our communities."
The show was co-curated by Progress Iowa, the Fairness for Iowa Coalition, and award-winning poet and artist Michaela Mullin. Mullin's work bridges poetry, visual art and community engagement.
"Art has always been a tool for making movement and movements," Mullin said. "What you'll find in this exhibition are Iowans making art and objects that document and demand justice; a timely and communal declaration of truth to power. These are individuals and collectives shedding light on the high stakes when Congress votes to strip healthcare from millions of Americans or cut food assistance from hundreds of thousands of Iowans. Every work in the gallery, visual or textual, or both, says clearly and loudly: 'We see and feel what's happening, and we won't be silent.'"
The exhibition comes at a critical moment for Iowa families. In July 2025, Iowa's entire congressional delegation — Representatives Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Zach Nunn, Randy Feenstra and Ashley Hinson — voted to support a budget bill that made historic cuts to Medicaid and SNAP to fund tax cuts for billionaires.