This week, Legion Arts will be closing out its 20th anniversary extravaganza with a series of unique performances that are sure to spark the interest of both art fans and passive observers.

Legion Arts is an arts organization created to bring new developments in art, mainly performance art, to Iowa.

For those who don’t know, performance art is just what it sounds like, art that is performed. Performance artists basic mission is to make those who view their work think.

John Herbert, Executive Director of Legion Arts, says, “performance art is the most exciting development in the second half of the 20th century; it brought the work out of the gallery.”

Legion Arts has been bringing exciting and innovative performance art to central Iowa for 20 years. The group originally grew out of a Mel Andringa’s performance art company, the Drawing Legion. Originally, the organization was located in Iowa City, but in 1991 it was relocated to Cedar Rapids, where the group is currently located.

The 20th Anniversary celebration is being called “an intense survey of the state of performance art today.” There are 11 artists from around the country performing.

Some of the artists that are featured are Julie Laffin, who walked through downtown Cedar Rapids, and the campuses of Coe and Mount Mercy Colleges, wearing a formal dress with a sixty-foot train. And there’s Billy Curmano, whose piece entitled “Adventures with Billy”, will be a recounting of the artists many performances, including his swimming of the Mississippi River, in stages.

In addition to the performance art, there will also be an accompanying exhibit of work by other performance artists designed to demonstrate the diversity of performance art.

The Legion Arts extravaganza began Oct. 16, and will last until Friday in Cedar Rapids. The accompanying exhibit began Oct. 19 and will run through Nov. 19.

Herbert would also like to stress that the Legion Arts tries to bring art to all of Iowa, and appreciates everyone’s support.