“What comes first, lasts.”

David Dahlquist is a storyteller who uses many different materials to draw people into a complete intellectual and emotional experience. Like the poet and filmmaker, he creates images, objects, and moments they cannot forget. He is a translator, making connections for others searching for a deeper experience in their own lives.  Whether for a given location, an individual sculpture, or piece of pottery, the desire and intent are the same, they must first be understood and deeply felt by the artist. David is sensitive to the environments that bring us together.  He is able to strip the veil of familiarity from a particular landscape and welcome the viewer to experience home with new eyes. In both his personal and professional life David is first and last a “rememberer,” and as such he encourages others to remember, artist and viewer "drill down," as it were until they reach the river of collective memory. To give the viewer such a complete experience in a work of art is a tall order, but Dahlquist is always willing to play for high stakes.

David's work has received numerous awards and been featured in exhibitions nationwide. He is a popular speaker, panelist, and workshop leader. In 2016, David was awarded the State of Iowa Excellence & Innovation in the Arts Governors’ Award for career achievement.  He currently serves as Principal Emeritus and Creative Consultant of RDG Planning and Design and public-art collaborator with the RDG Art Studio, which he led for the past 16 years.

One of his most recognized public-art installations, “From Here to There” for the High Trestle Trail Bridge, has become a well-known destination and cultural landmark for the state.