Creating an Art Land in the Heartland

June 18, 2025

By April Pearson

Nestled among rows of corn in Worth County, Art Farm Iowa is a source of inspiration for art lovers and country lifers alike. Featuring an art gallery, events center, mural garden, walking path with sculptures, and ceramics and glass center, it’s become an international destination for world-renowned artists, as well as a community hub for locals. 

How and why did this immersive cultural experience — complete with a 1,000-piece art collection featuring works by Grant Wood, Andy Warhol and Lucy Sparrow — come into creation on a family farm outside a small town in rural Iowa? 

The Idea

“I grew up on this farm,” says Steve Hanson, who founded Art Farm Iowa in 2022. “I was living in Arizona when my dad was looking to retire and sell the farm, which had been in our family for 80 years, and I thought, ‘Well shoot, I would really hate to see the farm go out of the family.’” 

He wanted to create something that would honor Iowa’s rich agricultural heritage while providing cultural development for the region. He pitched the idea of Art Farm Iowa to his dad, who loved it. “My parents have been supportive since day one,” he says. “My dad and my mom are the co-founders with me.” 

Hanson moved back to Iowa and purchased the farmstead from his dad, who had bought it from his dad back in the day. Then they got to work. They began by removing old farm buildings, reengineering existing structures and constructing a massive new events center. 

It was a lot of change in a short amount of time, but change is something Hanson embraces. “The landscape, the farm, the art exhibits — they’re constantly changing,” he says. “We don’t want to be stagnant; we want to evolve.”

Hanson’s journey from Iowa to Arizona and back again was driven by his intrinsic desire to evolve. 

The Provenance

After graduating from the College of Agriculture at Iowa State, Hanson worked for The Meyocks Group, an ad agency in West Des Moines. The owner of Meyocks at the time was involved with an art gallery in Des Moines and asked Hanson to help with its marketing materials. “I’d always had an interest in the arts, but that's when it started to flourish,” he says.

Hanson left Meyocks for Kemin Industries, a global ingredient supplier, in a high-level marketing role that required international travel. “During my downtime, I found myself going to museums, learning about art and networking with people,” he says. “All of those connections eventually led back here to Iowa, in starting Art Farm Iowa.” 

But first, Hanson would move to Phoenix, Arizona, for 22 years, leading marketing efforts for numerous international health and nutrition brands. All these experiences offered him a chance to cultivate his love for art and agriculture. “Throughout my professional journey, the arts have always been alongside it,” he says. “I've had this agricultural food track, and I've had this arts track. I’ve made friends with people who’ve ended up doing some amazing things, and I kept those connections.” 

The Artists

Those connections have led to collaborations with Art Farm Iowa, where resident artists live in the 1900 farmhouse while working on a project. Whether they stay for a week or a month, they assist with day-to-day operations, tour local communities and create a piece for the permanent collection. 

Art Farm Iowa has already hosted seven artists since 2023, but there’s no shortage of interest. “We have more artists who want to come here and do projects than we have available resources,” says Hanson. “These are not artists who just dabble. These are well-known artists who are exhibiting globally, who have an excellent reputation for sculpting, painting, writing — whatever they do.” 

What’s the appeal of coming to Iowa? 

The Inspiration

“There are lots of reasons artists want to come here,” Hanson says. “First of all, just the landscape. Most of our resident artists have never been to Iowa, and I think we often take the beauty of our landscape for granted. It’s picturesque.”

Hanson also sees a counter trend to urbanization — people wanting to escape into country life and feel more connected to the land. Art Farm Iowa artist residents come from cities far and wide, seeking an authentic rural experience, which is growing more and more challenging to come by. 

Art Farm Iowa sits on 10 acres of beautiful Iowa prairie surrounded by lush Iowa fields, which Hanson’s family still owns. A longtime family friend rents the land and grows corn and soybeans, so it’s a real working farm. 

“The resident artists see how our reverence for the land impacts our work ethic,” he says. “Iowans have this psychology where we wake up, have breakfast, and then start our workday. And we basically keep working until the job is done. A lot of artists feel very productive here; they feel inspired to create because of this work ethic that's truly Iowan.”

Hanson says that some visitors have even considered moving to Iowa for its pastoral splendor, pace of life and one other very important factor: “A lot of creative people are getting displaced from traditionally artistic urban areas like New York City, Los Angeles and even Phoenix, because it’s too expensive to live and work there,” he says. “Iowa’s advantageous in that creative people can afford to truly pursue their craft.”

The Patrons

From June 1 through November 15, Art Farm Iowa is open to visitors seeking live music, creative workshops, or simply quiet contemplation. Businesses, schools, and community organizations are welcome to host meetings on site, and the space is also available for events. “We've had special events, with an incredible turnout of people all from across the country,” Hanson says. “We had an event with Iowa State University where we revealed a new sculpture that 15 students had concepted in a class, and then another seven students built it. More than 80 people came to that event, and most were not from Iowa.”

Art Farm Iowa also hosts a farm-to-fork dinner and art show every year, catered by Chef Jessica Baldus of Taste in Osage, who sources fresh ingredients from local farmers and producers. Each dinner has a theme that’s unique to Iowa, like last year’s “Green Plants and SPAM.” The four-course meal included vegetable greens and pork products to complement artwork inspired by SPAM. “The reason for that is because we're literally only 25 miles from Hormel, which produces SPAM,” says Hanson. “It’s a significant employer in the region.” At one time, Hormel bought pigs raised on the Hanson family farm, so it was truly a one-of-a-kind experience that could only happen in Iowa. 

Community support has also been outstanding. “You wonder how a small town would warm up to an idea like this,” Hanson says. “It’s been heartwarming to see the people of Northwood getting involved and embracing the idea. It’s great partnering with various organizations in the community, and for them to witness how Art Farm Iowa can continue the economic and cultural growth of our area.”