WATERLOO - Vincent Van Gogh painted "A Pair of Shoes."

We bet he never painted a pair of pumps!

Eleven of Iowa's best artists, including Gary Kelley, Paco Rosic, Tatiana Ivaschenko Jackson and Mary Snyder Behrens were asked to donate their talent and time to create "Pumps With Purpose," a new project for the Courier's annual Women's Event, April 21 at Park Place Event Centre in Cedar Falls.

"Walking Tall" is the theme for the event, which features seminars, exhibitors, shopping, a sit-down dinner and a fashion show provided by Crossroads Center.

"Pumps With Purpose," a project of Courier Communications, Image magazine and Dillards, is a fundraiser for Seeds of Hope, the domestic abuse prevention and assistance organization that serves three counties.

Raspberry pink high-heeled shoes were donated by BCB Girls through Dillards, to be transformed into the still-life stilettos. Julie McLaughlin, Crit Streed, Roy Behrens, Penny Franke, Marie Camille Lentsch, Julie Petersen and Darrell Taylor also are featured artists.

Some of the shoes are wearable; others are not. Some don't even look like shoes anymore.

The artworks will be sold at auction online at wcfcourier.com beginning at 9 a.m. April 6. Bids will continue being accepted during a silent auction at the Women's Event.

The artwork will be on display at Dillards for the next two weeks.

Playing Footsie

Acrylic and oil on shoe leather

"The human image is a favorite subject of mine so I transformed a pair of sexy pink pumps into a flirtatious couple. "

Gary Kelley

Internationally-known illustrator/artist

Tagging

Spray paint on patent leather

"This was the first time that I have painted a "real" pair of shoes. Because the shoe was too small to do an actual painting, I first started by using five different colors of spray paint to cover the shoe. Then I used markers to put tags all over the shoe. Tagging is a part of graffiti art. It is where the graffiti artist signs his name to his finished piece. The more tags a person gets on the streets, the more known they are in the graffiti world. I chose to tag the shoes because graffiti is a part of my background."

Paco Rosic

Spray-paint artist, creator of the spray-painted scale painting of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel at Galleria de Paco

Wild Thing

Owl feathers, Swarovski crystals and glass paint on crushed berry patent leather

"Shoes, wonderful shoes!" is a familiar tune in every woman's heart. We take our shoes seriously …. Leo Tolstoy's main character from 'War and Peace,' Pier Bezuhov contemplated how much pain he endured in captivity during Napolean's invasion of Moscow. He finalized that the agony of constant fear of death, hunger and cold did not diminish his most painful memories of youth when he wore a 'too tight' pair of new dancing shoes to a ball. … The letter specifically said 'use it as a canvas; they don't have to be wearable.' Just one look at the pair, when I opened the shoe box, was enough to stir the powers of my womanhood. I put them on, and my mind went through my closet analyzing the multiple choices of dresses, silk scarves, purses and jewelry. The final design is a wearable pair. After all, when it comes to our dress style, we are all artists.

Tatiana Ivanschenko Jackson

Artist, oils

Flight

Mixed media

"Seeds of Hope makes prominent on its web homepage the phrase, "A nurturing world free from violence." This is precisely the world I want to live in, but I never kid myself into feeling too comfortable. As a gay man, I am always alert to the smile that is too calculating. I know that a joyful laugh can precede an epithet and a friendly handshake can become a chokehold.

The piece I have created for is my vision of the dexterity, power and authority of flight. In this case, the sculpture invokes the alert posture prior to takeoff, that moment before movement, and the exhilaration of feeling boundless. The colors, patterns and textures are deliberate. To me, they represent the bounty of life and the colossal will of nature to be shamelessly brilliant.

This composition resonates with me and helps tell my own story. It is also an image that makes me happy and hopeful.

Darrell Taylor

Mixed media artist, University of Northern Iowa Gallery of Art director

Hope

"When I was asked to create a piece of art for an auction to benefit the Seeds of Hope, I had many thoughts in mind, including the trauma and heart-breaking brokenness and emptiness of the individuals who benefit from the Seeds of Hope. On May 25, 2008, I experienced these feelings when everything I owned was blown away in the EF-5 tornado. As my life was ripped apart at the seams, one of my most vivid memories of the aftermath in Parkersburg were the remnants of the trees that were destroyed. The inspiration for my work comes from life coming apart at the seams, and the representation of hope, strength and protection that is signified by trees. "

Julie R. Petersen

Artist

Funky fun

Mixed media

"I approached this project the same way I approach a majority of my jewelry creations: Make it funky, make it unique and add some sparkle. Unfortunately (or fortunately), I liked the shoes so much to begin with, that I didn't want to alter the look of them too much. I also wanted to keep them functional - they look very cute on."

Penny Franke

Owner of Bead Happy

Two Lead Pumps for Lew and Paul

Mixed media

"For 'Pumps with Purpose,' I have covered my pumps with pencils. I am dedicating these to Lewis Snyder, my late father-in-law, and my friend Dr. Paul Whitson, emeritus professor of biology at the University of Northern Iowa.

When I think of shoes, I am reminded of my father-in-law, who was never late before he died, because he had 'lead feet' as a driver, especially when driving home on family vacations.

And when I think of lead, I think of pencils, and am thus reminded of my former colleague Paul, who is a manic collector of pencils and pencil sharpeners."

Roy Behrens

Artist and UNI professor of art

Memories

Mixed media

"High heeled shoes. Patent leather shoes. Open toes, buckles and straps. Some of my earliest memories are those of kneeling in church, watching the parade of Sunday shoes pass by my pew. Barbie's skimpy high-heeled sandals that would not stay on even with a foot perfectly formed for them. Fashions come and fashions go. The obsession with shoes never seems to wane. These 'pumps' are not sturdy shoes. They are not comfortable shoes. I can't imagine working, much less, walking in them. I see pain. The same pain that women have endured throughout the ages for the sake of desirability. Corsets, implants, facelifts, footbinding … elective abuse. "

Mary Snyder Behrens

Mixed media artist

Queen's BeeBop

Mixed media

"Fanciful flowers support the diva that wears these heels. Charmed fuchsia heels can be released from the ribbons and bows when it is time to dance outside the cubicles. Or take along the party dice that were hand-designed in the image of the Bee's flight dance. Even the flowers come out, if the Queen wants to give a flower to someone special. … The shoes are each tied onto a flower with ribbons and the spike of the heel is sitting freely in its cup-shaped flower. … The shoe is … well, I just couldn't paint it, it was so beautiful in its original beauty."

Marie Camille Lentsch

Artist, sculptor and metal sculptor

Natural beauty

Flax and abaca fiber handmade paper on leather

"I am an artist/papermaker dealing primarily with the three dimensional form. Consequently, when I received my pumps to re-cover it seemed quite natural to use my handmade papers to transform them into a work of art. These shoes are covered with a montage of my handmade papers created from flax and abaca fibers. These fibers endure a lot during the papermaking process as they are soaked, cooked and beaten before being made into sheets of paper; yet they emerge into something quite beautiful in the end."

Julie McLaughlin

Artist/papermaker

Prancing Shoes

Mixed media

"I wanted to tell a tale … a ponytail. Created by hand knotting waxed cord directly on each shoe, this pair is high-stepping, spirited and snappy.

Crit Streed

Artist/UNI Professor of Art