Madison County in July

Roseman, one of Madison County’s famous covered bridges.

If you’re a paid subscriber to “Reporting from Quiltropolis” or the Substack column of any of the over 70 journalists and creatives that make up the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative, your’e invited to Winterset July 26 for a special event.

We’ll gather at The Iowa, the fully restored jewel box of a theater on the northeast corner of Winterset’s town square for a private screening of Storm Lake, the award-winning documentary about Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Art Cullen and his family’s fight to keep local news alive in small-town Iowa.

The Iowa Theater underwent a $1.2 million renovation in 2015-2017. It has 150 seats (counting the balcony) and state-of-the-art digital projection

Art Cullen will take the stage after the screening for a Q & A with Julie Gammack, founder and ramrod of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative.

After the movie, we’ll walk around the square to The Winterset Livery for snacks and continued conversation with writers and subscribers.

Here’s the schedule.

🎥 3 p.m.
Storm Lake (2021; 1 hour 25 minutes)
The story of a scrappy newsroom, a small town, and why local journalism still matters.

🍿Popcorn and More
Iowa-grown popcorn (served with real butter), local beer, wine, hard cider, Coke products, Pammel Park coffee, and a lineup of old-school theater candy are all available for purchase.

🎤After the film:
Stick around for a conversation with the man himself, Art Cullen, moderated by IWC founder and veteran journalist Julie Gammack.

🍷 5:30 p.m.
The day wraps up with appetizers and a cash bar at a unique event space just off the square—your chance to mingle, chat, meet other Iowa Writers’ Collaborative members and their subscribers, and toast the power of storytelling.

🛣️ Make a Day of It
Come early to wander Winterset’s charming square, visit the Iowa Quilt Museum, or take a scenic drive to the Covered Bridges of Madison County.

🎟️ Free for all paid subscribers.
Would you like to bring a plus-one? They’re warmly welcome to join us for the film and the after-party for just $20. Or better yet, tell them to become a paid subscriber to “Reporting From Quiltropolis” (or any other newsletter in the IWC), and they’ll be invited for free.

Use this form to RSVP.

I’m looking forward to welcoming you to my small town.

I helped scrub the storefront of the Iowa Quilt Museum before opening in 2016.