Nancy Polster, who was honored in the Plaza of Heroines in 1995, is leaving another mark on the City of Ames.

Polster, who worked for the Ames public arts commission, donated three works of art to the Ames public art collection: a piece by Janice Shotwell, “Plains State,” and an untitled batik, or wax on fabric by Indian artist Bihari and one of her own, “The Heartbreak of America.”

“I thought it would be nice to have something of my own in the collection,” she said.

Polster donated the Shotwell piece because it is a regional piece and the Bihari piece because of the subject matter and the display of women and ethnic minorities.

Polster is moving to Tucson, Ariz. in August.

Mayor Ted Tedesco, who appointed Polster to the commission, said she has been a great voice for public art and also very good about appeasing the varied opinions around town about public art.

“This will be a great loss for the art community,” Tedesco said, “but [the council] wishes her the best of luck in Tucson.”

Tedesco appointed Polster with the approval of the City Council five and a half years ago.

Polster has lived in Ames for 38 years, she told the Ames City Council July 22.

“I have spent 38 years of my life here, so Ames is like a hometown to me,” Polster said.

Polster said if her four years of undergraduate work at Iowa State are included, she has lived in Ames for 42 years.

“I have an affinity for Ames, it seems,” Polster said.

Polster received her bachelor’s in applied arts from Iowa State in 1960, she said. Polster came back in 1965 to teach and continued until 2000.

One of her colleagues in the College of Design, Councilman Riad Mahayni, said she will be missed.

“[Polster] was quite active in donating her time and resources to the city of Ames,” Mahayni said.

Polster predicts she will visit Ames occasionally, especially when it gets too hot in Tucson.