Press Room
CHADEN HALFHILL:
ARTIST, DESIGNER, ENTREPRENEUR
HOW IT BEGAN
Des Moines native artist, Chaden Halfhill began his life in a house on Cottage Grove Avenue. Oddly enough, Metro Arts' past president, Ben Allen, purchased that house from Halfhill's mother right around to the time when he became actively involved in Metro Arts. Hmmm…we wonder, is there any relationship there?
Halfhill became an artist at an early age, entering youth drawing competitions during elementary and junior high. He went away to high school to Phillips Exeter Academy (New Hampshire), and focused on painting and photography, which gave him the freedom to create his own curriculum centered on art. He continued his education at Wesleyan University, which offered him a full-ride scholarship to attend. It was a great opportunity to attend such a dynamic and progressive liberal arts college where he studied architecture and completed a thesis in sculpture before returning home to Des Moines.
With art degree in tow, Halfhill looked for work, but found the broad nature of his degree didn’t support a working career or a pay scale that would cover student loans, something many artists have encountered. So what does an artist do? Between picking up many odd jobs, he joined the artist roster at Metro Arts and the Iowa Arts Council. These organizations got him involved in programs to help him engage the community as an artist and earn supplemental income. He also helped start an alternative gallery in Sherman Hill, called The Furnace, during which time he began to focus on installation art, bridging the realm of architecture and sculpture.
From an environmental perspective, Halfhill's work began to thematically focus on sustainability. He was captivated by the interdependent relationship between nature and civic form, which is often in tension. He is greatly concerned about our environment, and believes that we need to take swift action to avert ecological collapse. He continues to impress this vital position in his artwork, as well as in his career as a builder and remodeling contractor with Silent Rivers, Inc. As an effort to facilitate change, he co-founded Center On Sustainable Communities to help encourage and foster green building throughout Iowa. This organization has been extremely effective in training the trades and helping to initiate awareness among the shelter industry as well as among homeowners. "The precarious state between our dependence upon natural resources and the denial of our ecological impact needs immediate attention, and the greatest impact takes place at the individual level," says Halfhill. "I hope that my efforts as an artist and designer help prompt others to evaluate their personal impact in the world."
INSPIRATION
"As an artist, I have never figured this question out. I have always been driven to create, passionately pushing new ideas forward. I believe that everyone is creative, and their creativity should be encouraged wherever possible. In a sense, I am inspired by the ongoing discovery of how to direct and apply creative energy, which manifests in so many ways. Creativity is an incredible force to tap, and teaching people to embrace this inspirational source is imperative to a healthy and vibrant community."
METRO ARTS AND PROGRAMS
Halfhill has been a rostered artist for Metro Arts since the early 90's teaching hands-on workshops in architecture and sculpture to kids in schools and community centers. He teaches basic design principals through the use of geometric shapes and gives students the opportunity to create buildings with casting molds. Recently, Halfhill worked in collaboration with Metro Waste Authority to present a session on waste reduction and recycling at the Metro Arts Going Green professional development workshop. In this workshop he focused on teaching the importance of incorporating waste reduction in artists' work, not only with the materials used but also in the presentation itself. Halfhill is also an avid supporter of Metro Arts Jazz in July and Metro Arts Two Rivers Expo.
Halfhill is also an active member in the following programs/organizations:
Clive Public Arts Commission
pARTners Unlimited – Current Board President
Center on Sustainable Communities – Current Board President
Home Builders Association of Greater Des Moines – Board of Directors
Greater Des Moines Remodelors’ Council – Vice Chair
Habitat For Humanity - Volunteer
Along with having applied for consideration on a couple public art pieces, Halfhill currently has a sculpture on display in the southern entry of 300 East Locust Street in the East Village. He is also hoping to start construction on L.E.E.D rated mixed-use renovation in Sherman Hill that will integrate art, architecture and
sustainability. The process will begin this spring, and last 10-12 months. The building will serve as a demonstration site for green building and renovation, and will also be the site for the launch of The City of Des Moines’ Annual Report on April 10.
For more information on Chaden Halfhill and his work contact:
Chaden Halfhill
C/O Silent Rivers Design + Build
9205 Swanson Boulevard
Clive, Iowa 50325
515-266-6702
chaden@silentrivers.com