Naomi Friend is a professional artist in Central Iowa. She makes art about the land and life based on farming, or “agrarian” art. She is most interested in the intersection of wild, urban, and rural environments and the work of humans as caretakers of creation.

Her work has been shown in solo shows in Iowa, California, and Nebraska, and other group shows. It is recognized in local radio, newspaper, published in Diffusion magazine, and resides in public and private art collections. It has received awards in national juried art exhibits. She exhibits in a variety outdoor public art events including the Des Moines Arts Festival.

She earned a Masters of Fine Art in Integrated Visual Arts at Iowa State University in 2013 and grew up in the community of Sioux Center, Iowa. Her undergraduate degree is from Dordt College where she studied fine art and graphic design. Naomi worked for three years at the Octagon Center for the Arts in Ames, Iowa as the Exhibits Director. Naomi operates a small 3 acre farm, Friend’s Flowers, where she grows flowers for local markets.

“Artists and scientists are both asking questions about the world, they’re just doing it in different ways”
Alex Braidwood
Director, Iowa Lakeside Lab Artists-in-Residence Program

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