Welcome to ArtForce Iowa’s Summer Series featuring different community members from Iowa. Each will be featured during the months of June, July, and August. Each Artist were able to feature their own unique art styles, from graphite, to painting, and even tea. Learn more about each community member below!
Keezeng Lee
Meet Keezeng Lee, a current RISE Americorps Member serving with ArtForce Iowa, graphic designer, and artist. Originally from Minnesota, he moved to Iowa in 2015 and has always enjoyed doing art. Taking his art to the next step, he will be showcasing his first series of artworks. His exhibit in June, called Digital Symbiosis, will be focused on the relationship between humanity and technology. This exhibit will feature his vision with graphite on paper. With this being his first exhibit, he is excited for the future of his artwork and the evolution of his art style.
Anousone Coffee
Meet the owner Phouthasack Keopraseuth, former Artforce Iowa board member, community organizer, and activist. Phouthasack’s family immigrated from Laos and he was raised in Des Moines, Iowa. As a coffee and tea artist, he will be showcasing his drinks for sample. All the coffee beans used are imported from Laotian farmers. His mission is to have his proceeds go towards removing unexploded bombs in Laos. With his exhibit in July, he is excited to you his story and how his drinks are made.
Youth Artists
ArtForce Iowa will be featuring two talented youth artist. With different medias of art, they were able to spread their message and showcase their amazing talents. Their exhibit, Lost in Crisis, was hosted in August 2023.
Digital Symbiosis
June featured an upcoming artist Keezeng Lee to showcase his first exhibit, Digital Symbiosis.
Symbiosis, a biology term meaning the interaction between two organisms that depend on each other. A fitting name for his exhibit, he choose to humanize technology as its own being and show how this relationship is evolving.
Artist Statement:
“I wanted to focus on the relationship between human and technology. Since COVID began, our reliance on the digital world has increased drastically. Technology is always evolving and showing us new pathways for the future. At the same time, it has evolved to a point that AI and human work are crossing each other. This is seen in the rise of A.I as it has been used to create new pieces of artworks, music, and writings. I created these artworks with a traditional artstyle, graphite, to showcase the evolution of human and technology. Each of my pieces show how technology is evolving with humans until they both become a singular being.”
Watch Keezeng’s interview and
checkout his exhibit set up!
Check out more of his art here!
Anousone Coffee
July featured Anousone Coffee showcasing their different drinks and their mission of using the proceeds to go towards removing unexploded bombs in Laos. To help with this mission, consider checking out Anousone Coffee at Creme during his Saturday pop-ups and events around Des Moines.
If you want to provide additional support, check out these other non-profits below
Please consider donating to Legacies of War and We Help War Victims . These two organisations work on removing unexploded bombs in Laos, and support Laotian refugee/immigrant families. These bombs were dropped by American forces from 1960s-1970s, and continue to severely harm communities in Laos today.
Image’s of Anousone coffee at work
Learn More About The story of Anousone Coffee and Phouthasack
Check out here to see what’s going on with Anousone Coffee!
Lost in Crisis
August featured a collection of art revolving around social issues created by Youth Artists Z and G.
Artist Statement:
“Featured Artist Z:
I was born in Thailand and moved to the US in 2011. I had an unstable home, was an immigrant girl who had to mature at a young age and had enough of being in constant crisis. I wanted to become the person I needed when I was little. I create my art in hopes a kid who's at their lowest, can see there is someone who understands being lost in crisis.
Guest Artist G:
My focus for the art I created was not just problems of the world, but also things I have struggled with. All of my works include depictions or reference to issues I've delt with. The human experience is riddled with sorrow and corruption, no matter who you are or what you do. All people cope differently. Some dance, some fight, some sing, some write, I create. These works are the rawest from of my troubles and sorrows. But I'm not the only who has gone through this pain. In fact, many other people have. So my artwork is not only me coping, but also representation for those who share my troubles.”