This exhibit will open on May 4th and continue until July 3rd and consists of hammered botanical prints, many of the specimens collected in Larry’s gardens.  Hammered botanical printing is an exciting new method of producing art prints developed by Larry, co-owner, with wife Wilma, of Cottage-in-the-Meadow Gardens in South Amana.  Live plant material from the garden is hammered into a special watercolor paper to produce unique and beautiful images.

Dates: December 3, from 10am-4pm

 

            December 4...

Amana - The Amana Arts Guild, 1210 G Street, High Amana, located in one of the seven Amana historic villages of the Amana Colony, will sponsor a Fall Fiber Art Show and Sale on Saturday November 5 and Sunday November 6.  The show and sale is a sp...

The Amana Arts Guild will sponsor its Festival of the Arts on Saturday August 6 from 10 AM – 5 PM at the Middle Amana Park in Middle Aman...

The Amana Arts Guild, 1210 G Street, High Amana, located in one of the seven Amana historic villages of the Amana Colony, will sponsor a Spring Fiber Art Show and Sale on Saturday April 30 from 9am to 6pm.  The show and sale is a special shop...

The Amana Arts Guild will sponsor its annual authentic old fashioned Amana communal meal on Saturday, April 16, ‘Gemutlichkeit’ (social hour) at 5 pm and dinner at 6 pm at the Amana Arts Guild Center in High Amana.  A traditional Amana menu ...

AMANA, Iowa- Amana Arts Guild

Christmas Haus Tour 2015

Dates: December 5, from 10am-4pm

December 6, from 1pm-5pm

$10 per person

Amana Arts Guild will host the Christmas Haus Tour again this year.  It's an event filled with lovely traditions and whimsical surprises.  During this festive season the Amana Arts Guild welcomes visitors to its 10th annual Christmas Tour of homes.  Progress has not eradicated the town's treasured traditions and quaint customs.  Amana's cedar sided, limestone and time bleached brick buildings have weathered well over a century.  Tour private home decorated for the holidays and take part in the ambience of Christmas in the Amana Colonies.  Visit with homeowners and get to know the colonies in a whole new way while you visit homes with stories as remarkable and varied as the colonies themselves.

While in the area visit the Tannebaum Forest open November 27th to December 20th, this enchanted forest at the Festhalle Barn is created by local businesses, artists and volunteers.  Live Christmas trees inspire holiday wishes while you visit with Santa and see the 17 foot tall handcrafted Weihnacht's Pyramid.  Also enjoy Prelude to Christmas December 4-6, the Colonies advent celebration.  Shop on candlelit streets in the village of Amana and visit the Amana Church Bazaar and Cookie Walk.  The Amana Heritage Museum will offer a glimpse of the Amana Colonies Christmas from the communal era with a special exhibit.

The Dawn Rutledge Haus        730--47th Ave    Amana

This home, built in 1857, was once occupied by the William Graichen family.  Much later it housed businesses and was a duplex.  Over the past few years it was remodeled by David and Yana Cutler taking the property from a side by side duplex to a retail shop on the main floor and a two bedroom apartment upstairs.  Dawn Rutledge is honored to be the current inhabitant of both spaces opening her shop "A Neu Dawn" in May of this year and residing upstairs since the previous August.  In the remodeling beams were exposed where possible and old world charm has been mixed with the modern convenience of a Great Room concept home. Dawn's residence features mostly family antiques and items purchased on her trips to France, England and the Czech Republic.

The Lynn and Lothar Beyer House        4529--220th Street       Amana

We bought our house in 2008 to open a book and music store (German Sense) on the first floor while living on the second floor. Later we moved the store into the remodeled garage building behind the house and used both floors as living area.

We do not know much about the early history of our house. A photo of an ox wagon from the late 1890 or early 1900 shows our house in the background without the entrance door on the east side. In July of 2013 we removed the old cement shingle siding and replaced it with new cedar siding revealing the original location and sizes of the windows. Where you currently see double windows (south and east side) there used to be two single windows about 1 to 2 feet apart. And where you can see smaller windows today (west and north side) we could find the standard sized larger ones (9 over 6).

Many of the Christmas decorations in the house including an advent wrath, a pyramid and several ornaments come from Germany.

Please use the entrance on the east side of the house.

Bruce and Deborah Kimm Haus        3172--121st Street       Amana

This Old Chicago brick and western red cedar home was designed by Deborah and built by her father, James Hicks of Sarasota Florida over a period of three extended summers in the early eighties.  The floor plan was originally intended for steep hillside acreage but Deborah fell in love with the small wooded development north of Amana known as Waldenburg, German for 'home in the woods.'  In order to accommodate the new terrain the plan was flipped so the front of the house actually faces the backyard!  Guests are invited to climb the Rainbow Boardwalk on the east side to enter the residence.  This lower level, which was originally utilized as a dance exercise studio, has been converted into the Deborah Kimm Gallery displaying an eclectic collection of art and Bruce's baseball memorabilia.  Guests are then invited to tour the main floor.  The wooden cathedral ceiling of Canadian Hemlock and the natural stone fireplace in the great room were brought in from the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina.  Several Amana artisans and craftsmen contributed to the current look of the kitchen and great room. Guests will enjoy viewing many antiques throughout the home as well as traditional and whimsical Christmas decor.

The Eric and Marsha Reihman Haus       709--13th Ave      High Amana

The Reihmann Haus was originally built as the Wendler Haus with original wood siding built in 1869.  The Henry Bendorf family purchased the home sometime in the early thirty's, 1932-35.   While doing the renovations of the kitchen newspaper articles dating January 1935 were found in walls.  In the 1950's the living room was remodeled adding the natural pine car siding which the Reihmann's worked into their new theme.

The Bendorfs were voted post master of the village of High in 1949 and President Truman appointed Henry Bendorf as postmaster in August of 1949.  A small porch was built on north side of the house for customers.   They ran the post office until the Government halted the offices in the homes.  The High Amana post office in the Bendorf home was closed in 1968.

Another Wendler family member, Stuart Wendler, bought the home and later sold it to Eric Reihmann in 1985.  Eric and Marsha along with their 3 children live in the home and have remodeled the kitchen staying with a rustic theme throughout the home because Eric and the kids Caleb, Adam, and Miranda are avid hunters and fishermen.

Eric and Marsha added wood floors and concrete counter tops to add to the rustic look. Eric, having his own concrete business, thought it would be neat to have concrete countertops.  The small porch built on the north side of the building for the post office has been converted into a pantry for the kitchen.  Marsha has tried to keep the "Hunters Dream" real to go along with the roots of hunting and fishing that Eric grew up with here in Amana.  Eric is a taxidermist as well so his work is prominent throughout the home. It is decorated with nature and the blessing of God's abundance of the rich land that He created, Amana.   Marsha keeps nature as the focal point for the home as the kids were raised with the same roots of living off the land.  It's a humble natural décor.

TROY RICHARD THOMAS HAUS & ART STUDIO      4412 V Street           Homestead

This historic Amana brick home was built in 1864 and was designed as a communal kitchen for the Amana village of Homestead.  It is currently the home and art studio for Troy Richard Thomas.  Mr. Thomas will show seven antique and art filled rooms with decorated Christmas trees throughout.  The art studio and historic kitchen will also be available for viewing.   Parking is in the rear with a side entrance to the home.

AMANA ARTS GUILD CENTER     1210 G Street     High Amana

This former church building was built in 1858. Today this charming sandstone structure serves as the Amana's community arts and folk-life center. The attic gallery offers visitors during the warmer months an opportunity to experience wonderful art exhibits from regional and local artists and serves as the sales headquarters for handmade Amana Colony arts and crafts. During the Christmas Haus Tour, visitors will enjoy complementary treats and warm drinks, an opportunity to sit and visit for awhile, and are encouraged to browse through the" Khristmasmarkt" in the warmer lower level.