ArtSplash Gears Up for Another Exciting Year
Art will once again fill the streets of downtown Sioux City as ArtSplash celebrates its 31st year Sept. 13-14, 2025.
Hosted by the Sioux City Art Center, this community favorite is shifting from its traditional Labor Day weekend slot to a new fall date. The change offers visitors a fresh way to enjoy art, live music, food and family-friendly fun while supporting one of Sioux City’s most important cultural institutions.
The Gilchrist Foundation is proud to help make this possible. In 2024, the Foundation awarded the Art Center a $30,000 project grant to help grow the festival and keep the arts accessible to everyone. Because proceeds from ArtSplash fund education programs and exhibitions, the event directly supports the Art Center’s mission to remain free and open to the public.
What to Expect in 2025
This year’s ArtSplash promises something for everyone. The festival will feature dozens of artists, live entertainment, food vendors and hands-on activities for kids and adults alike.
Extended Saturday hours will create a more relaxed, evening atmosphere with plenty of opportunities to explore art, music, and food under the lights. Festival hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 14.
The event will again take place downtown on the Art Center campus, with activities spread throughout the galleries, Atrium, and the Gilchrist Learning Center studios, another example of how the Foundation’s support continues to shape Sioux City’s vibrant arts scene.
Featured Artist: Hanna Piepel
Each year, ArtSplash highlights a featured artist, and for 2025 that honor goes to Hanna Piepel.
Piepel is an interdisciplinary artist whose work blends illustration and design with ceramics. Her porcelain pieces often stir memories of gatherings and home life, brought to life with colorful, hand-drawn patterns and screen-printed illustrations. Her work has been exhibited at juried art festivals and galleries across the country, and her illustrations can also be found in several children’s books.
“Most of my ceramic work is thrown on the wheel or slab built,” Piepel said. “I prefer porcelain, due to its color and responsiveness on the wheel. Each piece is fired two to three times and reflects the thought I put into design, form, and function.”
About the Gilchrist Foundation
ArtSplash is one of many projects supported by the Gilchrist Foundation, established by Jocelyn Gilchrist, a lifelong supporter of the arts and film, and continued on today in her memory.
The Foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations that further its focus areas: arts, wildlife and conservation and disaster relief. While most grants are awarded through an annual cycle, micro-grants of up to $5,000 are available year-round for tax-exempt organizations promoting these causes.
By supporting events like ArtSplash, the Gilchrist Foundation helps ensure that Sioux City continues to thrive as a place where creativity and community come together.
For more information about the Foundation’s work, visit thegilchristfoundation.org.