Ann Royer is a painter and sculptor living and working in
Cedar Rapids, IowaCedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city...
. Her work consists mostly of abstract nudes and horses. She was born in
Sioux City, IowaSioux City is a city in Plymouth and Woodbury counties in the western part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 82,684 in the 2010 census, a decline from 85,013 in the 2000 census, which makes it currently the fourth largest city in the state....
in 1933.
Education and work
Royer graduated from the School of Art at
Colorado CollegeThe Colorado College is a private liberal arts college in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. It was founded in 1874 by Thomas Nelson Haskell...
. She later attended the University of Minnesota, Duluth. Royer studied art against her family's initial wishes.
Ann credits a 1975
Chinese ArtChinese art is visual art that, whether ancient or modern, originated in or is practiced in China or by Chinese artists or performers. Early so-called "stone age art" dates back to 10,000 BC, mostly consisting of simple pottery and sculptures. This early period was followed by a series of art...
Exposition as her greatest source of inspiration. In 1966, Ann found herself as one of the first US civilians to set foot in the USSR as part of the Congress of Infectious Diseases.
In 2008, Ann Royer was the subject of a short documentary by writer/filmmaker Brett Edward Stout. The documentary was shown at the
Cedar Rapids Independent Film FestivalThe Cedar Rapids Independent Film Festival was founded in 2001 to provide a venue for Iowa filmmakers to show their work and for the general public to view the best of the state’s filmmaking industry...
and on
KCRGKCRG-TV, channel 9, is a television station, operating as the ABC affiliate for the Cedar Rapids, Iowa metropolitan area, and the nearby cities of Waterloo, Iowa City and Dubuque....
TV9.
Exhibitions
Royer's work is prominently featured in the Cornerhouse Art Gallery. Between 1975 and 1997, her work was exhibited at the
Sioux City Art CenterThe Sioux City Art Center began as a Works Progress Administration project in 1937 when the Art Center Association of Sioux City, the Sioux City Junior League, as well as other community supporters, received a grant of $3,000 to create the first art center...
, the
Museum of Art Cedar RapidsThe Cedar Rapids Museum of Art is a museum in downtown Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA. The museum is privately owned and was established in 1905 The museum acquired the old Cedar Rapids Public Library building after the library moved into a new location in 1980...
, the
Jewish Community CenterA Jewish Community Center or Jewish Community Centre is a general recreational, social and fraternal organization serving the Jewish community in a number of cities...
Houston, Engel Gallery Jerusalem, the Zoma Gallery New York, the Ice House Dallas, and the Osburne Gallery in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Public Sculptures
Royer was commissioned by the city to create several large
bronzeBronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
public sculptures in downtown
Cedar Rapids, IowaCedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city...
. Her large sculptures include “Pas De Deux” on the corner of 1st Avenue and 3rd Street, “Between Friends” on the corner of 3rd Avenue and 3rd Street, and a recently revealed sculpture at
Mount Mercy CollegeMount Mercy University is a four-year, co-educational Catholic liberal arts university located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The school was founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1928.-Mount Mercy University:...
.