Buena Vista County groups host lakeside painting class at Storm Lake Marina

Storm Lake Marina will turn into an outdoor studio on Saturday, June 20, when the Buena Vista County Conservation Board and Witter Gallery host Nature on Canvas for adults and young adults. The step-by-step painting class will run from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at 207 West Marina Road in Storm Lake, and the fee is $12 to cover supplies.

The class is built to be simple and accessible. Witter Gallery will provide all materials and light refreshments, and participants should bring cash or a check made out to Witter Gallery. Reservations are required by June 18 at 4 p.m. because space is limited.

The program continues a partnership that has already produced similar painting events, including Coffee and Canvas. That repeated collaboration matters because it places arts instruction in public spaces tied to county life, rather than limiting it to a gallery room or a classroom. At the marina, the setting becomes part of the experience, with the lakefront serving as both backdrop and gathering place.

The choice of venue also fits the broader mission of Buena Vista County Conservation Board, which manages 17 areas covering more than 1,200 acres of parks, wildlife refuges, historic sites and natural areas. Boating, fishing, hiking, picnicking and bird watching are part of that network, and the marina has increasingly been treated as more than a launch point. Nature on Canvas adds a cultural use to a public recreation site that already serves residents in multiple ways.

Witter Gallery brings a long local history to the effort. The gallery was founded by Ella Witter, who lived from 1882 to 1970 and studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and with Hans Hofmann and Diego Rivera. That legacy gives the class a direct link to Storm Lake’s arts tradition while keeping the focus on beginner-friendly participation.

The gallery has also been expanding its capacity for hands-on instruction. In 2026, it received a $5,000 grant for a new maker’s space to store art-class materials, a sign that community classes are becoming a larger part of its work. Nature on Canvas follows that path at a low cost and in a setting meant to draw people who may not usually sign up for a gallery class.