Des Moines Art Center

02/23/2020

In Karla Black: 20 Years, fifteen of Black’s sculptures are installed alongside paintings and sculptures selected by the artist from the Art Center’s permanent collections. Black’s work is deeply influenced by the history of art, particularly 20th-century American art. The dialogue among the works of art here not only invites new encounters with the familiar, but also makes space for improvisation and questions.⠀
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In conjunction with the exhibition, Floor Drawing #19 (Sentences III) is on view in the Anna K. Meredith Gallery through May 17. Exemplifying a common theme in Tuttle’s art, Floor Drawing #19 investigates the interaction between a work of art and its surrounding space. A part of the Postmodernist tradition, Tuttle’s work uses a wide assortment of found materials, such as light bulbs and plywood, to explore and enhance the relationship between art and everyday existence. This taste for commonplace materials, coupled with an appreciation for handmade, modest structures, has proved influential to a large number of younger artists. #KarlaBlackDMAC

Richard Tuttle
Floor Drawing #19 (Sentences III), 1989
Acrylic paint, wood, ceramic light fixtures, natural canvas
72 x 42 x 35 in.
Credit Line: Purchased with funds from the Coffin Fine Arts Trust; Nathan Emory Coffin Collection of the Des Moines Art Center, 2000.16

02/19/2020

Baby + Me Drop-in Tour - Des Moines Art Center

Oh baby! 👶 It's time once again for Baby + Me Wednesday, February 19 at 11 am, beginning in the Art Center Lobby. Adults are encouraged to bring their infants to an informal tour led by an Art Center docent.

Adults are encouraged to bring their infants (pre-walkers) to an informal tour led by an Art Center docent. While conversation is geared for adults, babies love the visual stimulation of artwork. Strollers and front-carrying baby carriers are permitted.

02/18/2020

In celebration of #BlackHistoryMonth, we are excited to highlight a number of works by Black artists in the Art Center's collections.⠀⠀

Julie Mehretu is an American contemporary visual artist, well known for her dynamic images which contain elements of maps, data charts, mechanical diagrams, and colorful abstract painting. Mehretu’s Entropia is about interconnectedness, be it between individuals, nations, or civilizations. Her dynamic images contain elements of maps, data charts, mechanical diagrams, and colorful abstract painting.

This work was partially inspired by a digital community created by an online game. Her technique, which includes both hand and digital drawing, alludes to the various ways our lives intersect with technology and other large societal and cultural forces. See this piece in the exhibition Researchers: Women Artists Inspired by Science on view in the John Brady Print Gallery through May 10.

Julie Mehretu (American, born Ethiopia, born 1970)
Entropia (review), 2004
Color lithograph and screenprint (32 colors) on paper
Des Moines Art Center Permanent Collections; Gift of the Des Moines Art Center Print Club in memory of John Holms and Suellen Chance Tone, 2005.7

02/17/2020

Introducing Cub Scout Day at the Art Center! Scouts will spend the afternoon earning their exclusive Des Moines Art Center badge. Construct a paint brush, contribute to a mural, sculpt a mini bust and take a tour of the museum.

Registration by Cub Scout pack is encouraged, although individual registrations will be accepted for this event on Sunday, March 1 at 12 pm. Learn more: bit.ly/2SvddU1

02/16/2020

My Little Artist + Me - Des Moines Art Center

Explore the studio together with your budding artist! 👩‍🎨👨‍🎨 Creativity stations allow your child to experiment with a variety of activities as they develop motor, cognitive, and social skills. My Little Artist + Me sessions are offered February 21 and 22, register today!

Friday, February 21: bit.ly/2vxy8g7
Saturday, February 22: bit.ly/2Sscjrh

Discover and explore the studio together with your budding artist! Multiple creativity stations will allow your child to experiment with a variety of activities and art materials at their own pace as they develop motor skills, cognitive skills, and social skills. Each class provides your child with....

02/14/2020

{Exhibition Open} Researchers: Women Artists Inspired by Science is open in the John Brady Print Gallery. This exhibition bridges nearly 400 years of woman’s creative investigations: from Maria Sybilla Merian’s biological insect studies to Mary Mattingly’s poetic collages based on geology and environmentalism.

This exhibition of drawings, photographs, and prints explores the work of women artists from the 17th century forward who use research into biology, physics, engineering, astronomy, and other fields as fertile ground for aesthetic inspiration. Researchers is on view through May 10 and is organized by Curator Laura Burkhalter.

02/14/2020

50 romantic dates in all 50 states | Orbitz

If frigid temperatures 🥶 make a walk in the Pappajohn Sculpture Park impossible, take your date for an outing at the Art Center! 💕

Romance is alive in all 50 states!

02/13/2020

Artist Talk: In Conversation with Karla Black

Art created by Turner-prize nominated Scottish artist Karla Black is confounding to first-time viewers by virtue of the materials she uses and the color palette she employs—predominantly light blue, pink, and pale yellow pastels. This webcast is an excellent prelude to her exhibition Karla Black: 20 Years.

Art created by Turner-prize nominated Scottish artist Karla Black is confounding to first-time viewers by virtue of the materials she uses and the color pale...

02/12/2020

Spend spring break at the Art Center exploring the museum and making memories! Art camps provide students with opportunities to connect, explore, and create.

Camps include:
🎸Build Your Own Rock Band
👕Create Your Own Merch
🎧Digital Jams for Teens
🍶Clay Creations

Spring break camps are offered Monday, March 16 through Friday, March 20. Classes are offered for kids ages 5 to 15. Register for a half day or a full day experience. Additional child care options are available for purchase.

Learn more: bit.ly/SB2020Classes

02/11/2020

In celebration of #BlackHistoryMonth, we are excited to highlight a number of works by Black artists in the Art Center's collections.⠀

Wangechi Mutu is a contemporary artist whose work features recurring mysterious leitmotifs such as masked women and snake-like tendrils. Her work, Water Woman, is a stylized, black bronze sculpture of a nguva, a water-woman of East African folklore that blends human characteristics with those of the dugong, an endangered relative of the manatee. The artist has said the nguva represents a "bewitching female aquatic being with powers to entrance and drown susceptible mortals."

In contrast to the ubiquitous Western iconography rooted in Hellenic, Nordic, and Anglo-Saxon depictions of silken-haired women with pale skin, here the siren is represented by the luminous, charcoal colored female body, which is a vein if inquiry central to Mutu's work.

Wangechi Mutu
Water Woman, 2017
Bronze
36 × 65 × 70 inches
Credit Line: Des Moines Art Center Permanent Collections; Purchased with funds from the Edmundson Art Foundation, Inc., 2017.25

02/10/2020

Jump into family learning together! In Family Workshop: Sculpting in Space, explore the museum then experiment with new techniques in the studio. Get inspired by Karla Black’s use of everyday materials — toothpaste, makeup, and lotion — to create sculptural installations.

Register now: bit.ly/2SaajUq

02/09/2020

Thanks to all who came out and celebrated the exhibition opening of Karla Black: 20 Years. Experience the works of Karla Black through May 17 in the Anna K. Meredith Gallery and I.M. Galleries. #KarlaBlackDMAC

Photo credit: Christopher Maharry, Maharry Photography

02/07/2020

Catch it before it’s gone! Susan Rothenberg as Printmaker, located in the John Brady Print Gallery, closes this Sunday, February 9.

The exhibition features more than two dozen prints by Susan Rothenberg from the Des Moines Art Center’s permanent collections. The works provide an excellent example of the artist’s skill as a printmaker and showcase her steadfast dedication to the medium.

02/06/2020

Art Spectrums is a free program for children with varying cognitive and sensory abilities and their families. Come explore the museum, create art, and get inspired together! RSVP: bit.ly/385wzV6

02/05/2020

Ho-Hum Week for Foodies? Nope

Ho-hum week for foodies? Not when Tangerine at the Art Center is open for dinner Thursday, February 6!

Hot chocolate with homemade marshmallows at the Wallace House, site of a “Gal-entine’s Brunch” Saturday, Feb. 8.By Wini Moranville Next week is Valentine’s Day week, which comes w…

02/05/2020

Stop by the Shop at the Art Center for gifts that say “I love you!” ❤️️ From I.O.U.s to cutting boards to vases, you're sure to find the perfect present for your grandparent, best friend, or spouse. Members always receive 10% off and the Shop is open during regular museum hours.

02/04/2020

In celebration of #BlackHistoryMonth, we are excited to highlight a number of works by Black artists in the Art Center's collections.

Henry Ossawa Tanner was born on June 21, 1859, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The oldest of nine children, Tanner was the son of an Episcopal minister and a schoolteacher. Tanner favored religious subjects, in part because of his family’s strong spiritual convictions and professional ties to the church.

In The Disciples See Christ Walking on the Water, rather than making Jesus the focus of the composition, Tanner highlights both the mystical atmosphere and the Apostles’ startled reactions to the scene. The arrangement is cropped below the horizon line which allows for the entire event to happen in the monochromatic expanse of the water, enhancing the uncanny tone of the work. Interestingly, Tanner portrays the sea as calm, although the Gospel describes it as “tossed with waves” because he preferred meditative scenes.

The painting is one the strongest examples of Tanner’s masterful use of color. The scene plays out in endless variations of blue. The thick layers of paint add a rich texture to the surface, and add even more depth and shading to the water, sky, and figures. In addition to this work, Tanner’s Christ Learning to Read, Le Touquet, and Near East Scene are also currently on view at the Art Center.

Henry Ossawa Tanner
The Disciples See Christ Walking on the Water, c. 1907
Oil on canvas
49 3/4 × 39 7/8 in.
Credit Line: Des Moines Art Center Permanent Collections; Gift of the Des Moines Association of Fine Arts, 1921.1

02/02/2020

Do art and football go together? The evidence is all over town for Super Bowl weekend

While football fans might not be traveling to Miami for the art, it will be hard to miss. Tourists will experience many styles — and forms — of art this week in the Magic City, starting when they arrive at Miami International Airport through the moment they present their ticket at the gates.

While Super Bowl 54 fans might not be traveling to Miami for the art, it will be hard to miss. Especially when it’s going up on walls.

02/02/2020

Artist Statement Writing Workshop - Des Moines Art Center

An effective artist statement gives an audience insight into your work. In this workshop, Curator Laura Burkhalter and artist Larassa Kabel will offer valuable insight and feedback to take your writing to the next level.

Register today: bit.ly/2GFqjXV

Learn the practical how's and why's of writing about your art with curator Laura Burkhalter and artist Larassa Kabel. An effective artist statement helps an audience gain understanding of a work or body of work when the artist isn't present to offer insight or answer questions. This workshop will pr...

01/31/2020

Yoga + Gallery Dialogue - Des Moines Art Center

Come for the Downward-Facing Dog, stay for Dame à la Robe Blanche! Join Ben Spellman for a yoga practice at the Art Center on Saturday, February 8 at 8:45 am. 🧘‍♂️ Yogis will have the option to stick around for a brief guided tour of the museum. Register today!

8:45 am / Yoga (60 minutes)10 am / Gallery dialogue with Art Center staff or docent (20 minutes)Participants should bring their own yoga mats

01/31/2020

Just when you thought story time couldn’t get any better, we added art! 🖼 Book it to the Art Center for Books + Blankets on Thursday, February 6 at 11 am.

01/30/2020

Which dessert, on the menu at Tangerine at the Art Center, are you indulging in?

1️⃣ Lemon Pudding Cake with vanilla wafers, poached quince compote, and lemon honey syrup

2️⃣ Black Tea Crème Brûlée with roasted chestnut crumble, fresh orange, and dried fruits

3️⃣ Chocolate Hazelnut Dacquoise with coffee buttercream, chocolate ganache, and rum sauce

01/29/2020

Stop in for a conversational, docent-led exploration of the Art Center’s world-renowned collection and award-winning architecture on Saturday, February 1 or Sunday, February 2 at 1 pm. Saturday's tour includes Spanish-language interpretation.

El Art Center comenzará a ofrecer visitas guiadas en español dirigidas por docentes el primer sábado de cada mes. Los recorridos comenzarán a la 1 pm en el lobby y durarán aproximadamente 60 minutos.

01/28/2020

The Des Moines Art Center Print Club 2019 commissioned print by artist Gina Adams is now available in the Shop at the Art Center. Entitled American Progress, the print is a four layer lithograph with embossing. Each print comes with a personal statement from the artist.

Additional past Print Club commissioned prints are also available for purchase. Works by Mary Miss, Laurel Nakadate, and Heeseop Yoon, among others, will add significantly to your art collection. To purchase prints, visit the Shop at the Art Center.

For more information and to view additional available prints, visit desmoinesartcenter.org/ join-give/member-groups/print-club or contact Des Moines Art Center Print Club.

Gina Adams (American Ojibwa/Irish, Lithuanian Descent, born 1965)
American Progress, 2019
Four Silkscreen layers
9 × 12 inches
Des Moines Art Center Permanent Collections;
Gift of the Des Moines Art Center Print Club, 2019.33

01/27/2020

ARTnews

The work of prominent photographer and filmmaker, Laurel Nakadate, born in Ames, Iowa, often focuses on emotional response and interpersonal connection in this age of social media and digital distractions, as seen in her newest Instagram project.

Similarly, in Nakadate’s “365 Days, A Catalogue of Tears" series, the artist photographed herself crying every day for an entire year. The intimate images capture various aspects of Nakadate's life, from private scenes at home to anonymous hotel rooms and various images of travel, including a trip to see her relatives in Iowa. You can view Nakadate’s works in the Art Center collection here: bit.ly/30TrigH

“I’ve long wanted to create a work on the Instagram platform but was waiting for the right moment,” the artist said.

01/26/2020

Reserve your spot today! 💞

01/25/2020

September 2019: Sara Williams - Des Moines Art Center

Art Center member Sara and two friends, Jennifer and Avery, were selected to participate in My Museum Monday, an opportunity for members to spend several hours of time alone in the museum experiencing the galleries in a unique and creative way.

Read more about the #entirelyunexpected way they spent their time! ✏️

01/24/2020

It's time for 6 classes in 60 seconds!

Explore all the studio classes we have to offer at www.desmoinesartcenter.org/education/register-for-classes/.

01/23/2020

Artist Talk: Karla Black

Join us Thursday, January 30 at 7 pm, for an Artist Talk with Karla Black. Hear the artist speak about her work in her own words.🗣 This is an excellent introduction to the exhibition Karla Black: 20 Years which opens Saturday, February 8. RSVP: bit.ly/2um4fyO

Thursday, January 30, 2020

01/20/2020

Google Doodle spotlights Martin Luther King Jr.'s message of unity

Monday's Martin Luther King Jr. Day Google Doodle was created by Atlanta-based artist Fahamu Pecou, who wanted to highlight King's impact on society through his art.🎨

"He reminded us that no man was ever granted a right that he didn't fight for. And that when we come together -- we as a country, as a people, as human beings -- we can overcome anything and make this world a better place," Pecou said.

Doodle honors the slain civil rights leader on national holiday observing his birthday.

01/20/2020

Oscar® nominations have been announced and line-ups are set for our presentation of Academy Award® Nominated Short Films. Have you reserved your seat? A limited number of spots remains, secure yours: bit.ly/2Eht40C

Documentary Program
Friday, January 31 / 1:30 pm
Friday, January 31 / 6:30 pm
🔸Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (if You’re a Girl)
🔸Life Overtakes Me
🔸In the Absence
🔸St. Louis Superman
🔸Walk Run Cha-Cha

Live-Action Program
Saturday, February 1 / 1 pm
Saturday, February 1 / 4:30 pm
🔸Brotherhood
🔸Nefta Football Club
🔸The Neighbors’ Window
🔸Saria
🔸A Sister

Animation Program
Sunday, February 2 / 1 pm
Sunday, February 2 / 4:30 pm
🔸Dcera (Daughter)
🔸Hair Love
🔸Kitbull
🔸Memorable
🔸Sister