A mannequin painted by artist Joni Pierson stands among other art pieces, all for sale at the Badd Bones Gallery & Studio in Bagley. PARKER JONES | JEFFERSON HERALDOwner and artist Dan Badding stands in his woodworking shop at the Badd Bones Gallery & Studio in Bagley. PARKER JONES | JEFFERSON HERALD

Badd Bones: An art gallery in a most unlikely place

By PARKER JONES For The Jefferson Herald

BAGLEY — With a population of 291, the town of Bagley might not seem like the first choice for an art gallery. However, for retired contractor Dan Badding, the location was obvious.

Located on the side of Highway 141 on the western edge of town, the Badd Bones Gallery & Studio is hard to miss. With the bright-red round signage hanging from a pole, and the multicolored painted school bus that reads “Partridge Family,” the gallery makes itself known. 

Badding, who has been creating abstract art for more than 20 years, said he was drawn to the location after driving past and seeing the building’s large windows, as well as the amount of highway traffic.

“I bought the place four years ago. I would drive by quite often, and it was always for sale, and the highway traffic is really good — 2,500 vehicles per day go by here according to DOT,” Badding said. “It was a good fit for me.” 

Badding is originally from Carroll, but now lives at Lake Panorama with his wife Sue, who manages the business side of the endeavor. After retiring at the end of 2020, Badding began renovating the space, and the couple officially opened the gallery in May. 

The art gallery showcases a mixture of artistic styles from a variety of artists, which leaves a plethora of unique pieces to browse through. There is also a full art studio and woodworking shop in the back, where Badding often creates his own art using recycled materials and colorful abstract patterns. 

Currently, Badding said, there are 12 different artists he works with from all over Iowa, and beyond. He noted that one of his main goals when opening the gallery was to help artists who have no outlet to sell or display their work at a fair price. 

“Every other gallery I’ve ever worked with charges the artist 40 percent plus for selling their work,” Badding said. “I decided if I ever had the opportunity I would cut the commission to 20 percent, which is where we’re at.” 

In addition to the professional artists Badding showcases, he also displays the work of his 12 grandchildren. On a unique display Badding calls the “Cedar Fridge,” a floor-to-ceiling wall of wooden cedar boards, each child can hang one recent piece of art they created. 

Besides displaying and selling art, the gallery also hosts fundraising events. 

So far, two charity events have been held for the nonprofit organization Tori’s Angels — a Panora-based group that raises funds to support the families of children who have life-threatening medical conditions — which Badding noted were very successful, and hopes to host similar events again in the future. 

Those interested in purchasing art, attending future events, or learning more about the Badd Bones Gallery & Studio can visit facebook.com/baddbonesgallery. 

Ultimately, Badding said that the Bagley area has been extremely positive about the addition of the gallery. 

“Quite a few people from town came out to the events,” Badding said. “There are a lot of people happy to see something going on.”

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