(L to R) Mary Giese, executive director, Marshall County Arts & Culture Alliance; Julie Bousum; Phyllis Lane; Kirk Niehouse.
Marshalltown High School art educators Kirk Niehouse and Julie Bousum were two of three recipients of the 2012 Friends of the Arts award given by the Marshall County Arts & Culture Alliance.
Niehouse, Bousum and Phyllis Lane were honored at the Alliance annual meeting Jan. 26, held in the community building at Riverview Park. Mary Giese, executive director for the Alliance, presented the awards.
A Marshalltown native, Niehouse attended Marshalltown Community College, where he studied under Ray Frederick. He graduated from the University of Northern Iowa and student taught under Don Lovell. He owns Marshalltown Pottery Company and has been a regular award winner at the Iowa State Fair since 2009.
Bousum is a native of Benton County who attended Iowa State University. She originally came to Marshalltown to teach English, speech, drama and language arts. For the past 20 years she has taught summer classes for children through Marshalltown Parks & Recreation. She also teaches pottery through Iowa Valley Continuing Education and the Amana Art Guild. She has work displayed at Wolfe Clinic and in Dysart, Iowa.
Both Niehouse and Bousum also support the annual Art & Compassion Soup Lunch, donating handmade ceramic soup bowls created by themselves and students in the MHS Art Department.
“We want to honor the many ways you have motivated, inspired and supported students of all ages in developing their love of art, and their skill in creating art,” Giese said.
Lane began singing in her choir at First United Methodist Church when she was 16 years old. She played flute in high school and later the municipal band. She helped create the community symphonic band and studied piano under Ellie Chandler. She was the first co-president of the Community Concert Association, a member of the Early American Glass Club and serves on the board for Binford House.
Her sons are also both musical. Nick is a professional trombonist, arranger and composer in Los Angeles and Lex is an organist in his church in Illinois.
