Art, science and education have come together beautifully to help Iowa’s youth and their families learn more about the impact that water has on our ecosystem, our landscape and our everyday lives. Two women with Carroll ties have collaborated on an artistic way to support this education in Iowa State University’s traveling learning trailer, the Conservation Station. Ann Staudt, science director for ISU’s Water Rocks! program, is the daughter of Dedham-area native, Patricia (Heithoff) Staudt. She has partnered with Cecilia Comito, who grew up in Carroll and left after law school, recently returning to her hometown and to her sister’s (Laura Comito’s) business, Artworks Studio. She and Staudt worked together to develop a concept, then Comito got to work on murals depicting visions of Iowa in the past, present and future. Comito says her inspiration was Iowa itself.
This inspiration led her to the idea of mixed media for the murals.
On top of that are natural papers that have been stained with watercolors by Comito. She then used these pieces with different textures and colors to “paint” with paper. Staudt says this walk-through learning lab has had posters and computers in the past, but they wanted to do something different this year that visually represents those times in Iowa.
The most important thing they wanted to come out of this was the vision for the future. Staudt says that this mural gave them the most leeway, to plant the seeds, so to speak, about how conservation efforts both in urban and rural areas can impact the future. And they wanted to show the positive outcome.
Fairgoers will be able to use a white board or other methods to share ideas or their artistic visions. This trailer is one of two Conservation Stations that travel to county fairs around the state, and it also includes other Water Rocks! interactive features such as games that let children use common, everyday materials that represent pollutants to layer, and then they make it rain and watch how the water travels, picks up the pollutants and moves them in many different ways. They also have their “Poo Toss,” that teaches about how pet waste impacts water. Kids, and adults too, throw artificial dog poo into trash cans to win prizes and learn how to properly dispose of that type of waste. The Conservation Station and Staudt will be at the Carroll County Fair Friday, July 13 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Comito will be on hand to answer questions and greet visitors for a portion of that time.
