Octagon Center for the Arts
427 Douglas Avenue
Ames, IA 50010

Web Site:

www.octagonarts.org

Email:

director@octagonarts.org

Region:

Central

County:

Story

Phone:

515-232-5331

Hours:

Exhibit Gallery Tuesday - Friday 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Saturday and Sunday 1:00 - 5:00 pm Closed Monday Octagon Art Shop Monday - Friday Thursday 10:00 am - 5:30 pm 10:00 am - 8:00 pm Saturday 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Closed Sundays Office Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm

OCTAGON HISTORY

The Octagon Center for the Arts, an outgrowth of the Ames Society for the Arts, is a non-profit organization which began on January 23, 1966. Its original home was in a 100-year-old octagonal house. The center quickly expanded from one floor in the house, to taking over the entire building. The house's location did not lend itself to further expansion and with the help of over 100 volunteers and the Ames Homebuilders Association, the Octagon moved to the second floor of a Main Street business.
 
In 1973, the Octagon once again outgrew its space and purchased the basement and the first two floors of the "Masonic Building," as it was called, on the corner of 5th Street and Douglas Avenue. In 1974, the Octagon Museum Shop was organized to promote and consign the works of local and regional artists. In 1978, when the Masons vacated the third floor of the building, the Octagon purchased the space and the Main Street site was no longer utilized. In 1980, a development campaign raised over $200,000 to help remodel the building. Since 1980, building improvements have been on a smaller scale.