Thirty years ago, an idea for an art show featuring ceramic pieces by Iowa artists developed and evolved into an annual exhibit, hosted by the Octagon Center for the Arts.

The exhibit, first conceived by Martha Benson, executive director of the Octagon in 1968, has developed from featuring select art mediums to encompassing all art forms. The result is the “Clay, Fiber, Paper, Glass, Metal and Wood” exhibit.

Since its inception, the exhibit has also begun to break its boundaries by inviting artists nationwide to participate.

“This is a really good showcase for work from beginning artists and emerging artists, as well as established artists,” Linda Swan, octagon administrative and curatorial assistant, said.

For this year’s selection process, artists were asked to submit slides of up to three different pieces to enter in the show. The slides were sent to Kenneth R. Trapp, curator-in-charge of the Renwick Gallery of the National Museum of American Art, Smithsonian Institution and this year’s juror.

Because this year is the 30th annual exhibit, the Octagon staff felt “that it would be fitting to have someone of national stature for a juror,” Swan said. “[Trapp] is a juror of high caliber, and this reflects the caliber of the pieces he chose. We are really honored and pleased to have him.”

Executive Director of the Octagon Patrice Beam contacted someone she knew at the Smithsonian, and through that contact, the Octagon was able to obtain Trapp as a juror.

“It’s quite an honor for us to have someone of his caliber as a juror for our 30th anniversary exhibition,” Beam said.

This year’s exhibit includes 76 pieces of art by 42 different artists. The artists represent a cross-cultural area including Arkansas, California, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, South Dakota and Texas.

Six of the selected artists are from Ames.

Two Iowa State professors, Barbara Bruene with two paper pieces, and Charles Evans with three metal pieces, will be featured at the show.

Martha Benson, a patron of the Octagon, has two jewelry pieces in the exhibit, and Monika Pate, a watercolor instructor at the Octagon, has a watercolor painting in the show.

Ames resident Clemens de Kok is featuring a terra cotta sculpture, and Kerry Whisnant has a photograph in the show.

The exhibit pieces include jewelry, sculptures, prints, photos, paintings and calligraphy work. This exhibit usually emphasizes three-dimensional work, but “viewers will find both three- and two- dimensional artwork this year,” Swan said.

“I think anyone who is interested in contemporary art should come and visit because it’s a wide variety of medium and styles,” Beam said. “Everyone should find something they like in the exhibit.”

The “Clay, Fiber, Paper, Glass, Metal and Wood Exhibition” is on display until April 19th at the Octagon Center for the Arts, 427 Douglas Ave.

The gallery is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. and on Sunday from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m. The exhibit is free and open to the public.