Grant William Thye exhibits his vibrant oil color paintings at the State Library

The artwork of Iowa native Grant William Thye will be on exhibit during the month of July at the Main Library located in the Miller Building at the corner of E. 12th and Grand Ave. in Des Moines. Hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. For more information call our information professionals at 515-281-4102, 800-248-4483, or email is@lib.state.ia.us.

Thye was born in Cedar Rapids, grew up in Grundy County and did his undergraduate work at Central College in Pella.  He worked for the Pella Corporation for a number of years, during which time he lived in various parts of the country.  He decided to pursue art full time in May of 2007 and moved back to the Midwest to do that and also to farm with his father in Grundy Center.

Most of his subject matter comes from his everyday life; views on the farm, trips he's taken and various places he's lived.

He is happy to have the chance to share his artwork with others by exhibiting it at the State Library.

Thye says about his work, "Although I have been working primarily with oil colors for the past few years, I also practice printmaking (woodcut and etching), pottery and various forms of drawing. Recently, between making larger paintings, I have started creating smaller paper cut outs by gluing cut up, colored paper shapes together. I originally started this just to practice composition, but people liked them so much I began selling them, as well."

 "I am currently involved in a show taking place at the Wright Museum in Beloit, WI. One of the jurors for the show, Julie Ganser from the University of Wisconsin, described my style as a 'rollicking composition with a graphic color sensibility'. I think it is an interesting mix from the various styles of my artistic influences which, at the moment, are Van Gogh, Matisse, Kandinski and Picasso."