Octagon Center For the Arts

Great Art Center! Wonderful classes year round, great galleries and prominant leader for promoting the arts from all over! Go see their gift shop full of handmade artwork on sale!

My friend and I have Autism and with that brings a special interest in elevators of any kind. When we arrived to check out the elevator in the Octagon space, the studios upstairs had closed for the day, but the staff couldn't have been more supportive of our hobby. They welcomed us to videotape their very unique elevator and were super interested in our hobby. This place has friendly people all around and for that reason I recommend supporting them.

A wonderful community treasure! Heather and her team always have engaging and inclusive art programming, exhibitions, along with a wonderful selection of artful gifts in the shop. Miss Beth's educational programming is helping to foster new generations of Ames area youth that are confident, supportive, and supported in their artist journeys. Stop in and make your day an art-filled adventure, you won't be disappointed. Support what they do, and the artists they serve, by becoming a member, and finding your next favorite artist in their store.

A great gallery. Friendly and knowledgeable staff! I always love visiting, and the works they carry in the shop are some of the best. A wonderful place to visit, and a fantastic place to go for arts information and art business opportunities in Iowa.

The shop was beautiful and clean, and the young lady who helped us was very friendly and polite! This was a great place to find pieces made by local artists!! I ordered one piece for pickup and ended up purchasing more once we were there, and it was our first visit.

The octagon is one of the only galleries of it's kind in central Iowa. Great local art shows and workshops for kids and adults. You can find handmade art items in the shop from lots of different local artists, including Ames and Iowa swag. They also have quality art materials for sale in the shop including Strathmore paper, watercolors, water brushes, micron pens, and Windsor and Newton oil paint sets - things the local box craft store no longer carries.

A great exhibition center/store/ public art space. This is a great location to admire and purchase artwork from local artists to take an art class. I took the pottery class and I can highly recommend it thanks to the enthusiastic instructor.