An exhibition of illustrations created by Iowa artist Kettle made its exhibition debut at the Dubuque Museum of Art. Entitled Nomi’s Rainbow Family, the exhibition included 29 original paintings accompanied by the text for a children’s book by the same name.
This project was conceived of by Kent Shankle who worked in collaboration with his two daughters, Kethe and Naomi Shankle, to develop a fictional story based upon some of the real-life experiences that they encountered living in a non-traditional family situation. Naomi, whose nickname is “Nomi”, became the central character of the narrative. As she prepares to attend a family event at her school, she must come to terms with the fact that her family might be somewhat different from other families. The book attempts to address issues of divorce, alternative lifestyles and step-parenting in a light-hearted, yet straight-forward way, embracing and celebrating the diverse nature of contemporary families.

Images: Kettle, Nomi’s Rainbow Family, pp. 28-29, 2007, 4×6 in. ea., courtesy of the artist and Kent Shankle