Welcome to Splendor in the Grass Photo Exhibit.

The exhibit made its debut at Taylor Ball's office in April of 1997. The sponsorship was able to view the exhibit first before it started on its journey through the state of Iowa. So far, for the year of 1997 and 1998 the exhibit has traveled some 2000 miles, has been in two U.S.Fish and Wildlife facilities, Grand View College, one Nature Conservancy event at Smulekoff's Furniture in Cedar Rapids, Kirkendale Public Library, The Principal Financial Group, Lakes Art Center, Plymouth County Historical Museum and now is here at the beautiful University of Northern Iowa Museum. 

At this time, I would like you to try to envision what Iowa must have been like more than 150 years ago. It's early morning, a low-hanging veil of fog drifts silently over the top of a sea of grasses. The early morning sunrise casts its warm glow on colorful, fragrant flowers as far as the eye and mind can envision. Bobolinks and Meadow Larks greet the early morning glow with their wondrous songs. It's a new day in Iowa. Iowa was once covered with this scene …Twenty million acres and today only 1/10 of 1 % of those acres remain.  The Tallgrass Prairie Region is for me a truly endangered species.

I have been exploring and photographing the Tallgrass Prairies for the past 12 years. This exhibit is my way of giving back to what has given me so much excitement, enjoyment, enthusiasm, and peacefulness…and, has asked for nothing in return. 

My hope for this exhibit is that individuals who view it are more intrigued by the subject of nature than by the photographs themselves. Better yet, I hope that this exhibit arouses an awareness and a concern for our beautiful environment here in Iowa.                             

This exhibit is not just about the preservation of our environment through photography, but also is about the quality of people that we have here in Iowa. It's about individuals like you who are here today.  It's about the sponsorship frame. It's about individuals and firms like Jack Taylor, Darrel Ball, and Rich Haas from Taylor Ball of Iowa, Chuck Follet from the KelWelco Stores, Larry and John Pollpetter from Two Rivers Glass, Jim Clark from Clark Glass, Dick Timmerman from Multi Media Inc., the firm that brought to life what I envisioned on the prairies in these high-quality cibachrome prints. It's about Gary Reiners and Dedi Sterling  from the Nature Conservancy. It's about Iowa farm families who have had these prairie lands in their families for generations and have nurtured, protected and preserved them, not asking for anything in return. It's about individuals giving back to their communities, their state, and to their environment here in Iowa.

It's about," TAKING PRIDE IN IOWA, HELPING TO BUILD A STRONG FOUNDATION FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS, and Ladies and Gentlemen, WE ARE ALL PART OF THE SOLUTION"

Thank You

Gary D. Tonhouse

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