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FAIRFIELD – The Fairfield Cultural Alliance paid tribute to the area’s leading musicians, artists, and performers of all kinds during its Annual Arts & Culture Celebration on Tuesday, Nov. 11 at ICON Gallery.

Apart from recognizing dozens of the town’s most creative and original thinkers, the organization gave special recognition to Barry Ross, bestowing on him the 2025 Fairfield Cultural Achievement Legacy Award. Ross, who was there to accept the award from the FCA’s Denyce Rusch, is best known as a wood sculptor and illustrator. Rusch said his work has been sought after by large corporations such as Exxon, Mobil Oil, Martin Marietta Aerospace and others.

“His specialty was interpreting technology and also sports, and for over 30 years he was a regular contributor to Golf Magazine, Flying Magazine, Scientific American, Sports Illustrated, and many others,” Rusch said.

Rusch noted that Ross had been honored recently for his illustrations in the best-selling sleight-of-hand book called “Now You See It, Now You Don’t,” and that he produced more than 1,500 drawings over six months.

The organization announced a series of Cultural Trust Fund Mini-Grant Awards, and those recipients were:

Fairfield Muse, Tim Britton - to continue donating the resources of Cafe Paradiso and tech experts in service to a steady stream of carefully curated local and internationally acclaimed musicians;

Fairfield First Fridays ArtWalk - Monthly Events expenses;

Thirsty Word, Meredith Siemsen – soon to celebrate its sixth anniversary in 2026, this group is an invaluable monthly outlet for area creative writers to share new and favorite original literary works;

Writing artists and craft supporters Jean Greco and Linda Egenes - for sponsoring the drama “Coop: A Story of a Conscientious Objector” to be performed in Fairfield in April 2026;

Fairfield Art Association - 60th Anniversary Art Education Program;

Golden Magnolia Sanctuary - Sound Bath Project;

Dr. Richard Beall – World Fair Field International Festival;

Fair Field Productions, Dick DAngelis - film tour;

Jenny Sammons - Threads of Ancestry Portrait Series & Community Artist Talk;

Guy Harvey - Fairfield documentary photographs;

Charles Borden – to create an e-book version of “A Fair Field” by Susan Fulton Welty (a 463-page complete history of Fairfield, Iowa, published in 1968)

The organization also handed out several Awards for Cultural Achievement for 2025. Lore Oliver performed as a special musical guest. Many people gave updates on projects they’re working on. Suzan Kessel mentioned that Fairfield Art Association, about to celebrate its 60th anniversary (and which she has been a member for at least 50 years) is undertaking the creation of a 7-foot-tall memorial to the late Mark Shafer, which will consist of colorful tiles representing Shafer’s work and be installed outside the Fairfield Arts & Convention Center.

Ariel Sewall of Fair Field Productions said the film company is putting together the seventh and final film of the Fairfield History Series, which will focus on a history of the area’s artists and musicians. Tim Britton spoke about the great work Eric Schaffer did to renovate the building now known as The Lab, at 408 W. Lowe Ave., turning it into a performance venue.