Experience More at the Art Center!
Get involved at the Des Moines Art Center. We offer many ongoing programs, workshops, membership activities, and volunteer opportunities. We’d love to see you here!
Art & Activism
The Art Centers holds multiple Art & Activism workshops each year in correlation with major exhibitions and featured artists. These multi-day free workshops for teens allow students to explore and experience ways of artmaking in the studios while also learning from practicing artists and their peers.
Keep an eye on the events calendar to stay up-to-date on Art & Activism workshops.
Art Spectrums
Art Spectrums is a free program for children and teens on the autism spectrum. Art Spectrums provides an opportunity for participants to exercise their creativity and build their self-esteem through sensory experiences that aid in the development of cognition, communication, and motor skills. Registration is required.
Creative Aging (55+)
Creative Aging is a program designed for adults age 55+ to gather at the Art Center and learn about art while making community connections and fostering cognitive health. An Art Center docent will lead the group in collaborative discussion, focusing on one work of art.
The Creative Aging program occurs multiple times each month; registration is required. Keep an eye on the events calendar to stay up-to-date on upcoming programs.
Connecting Through Art
The Des Moines Art Center partners with the American Parkinson Disease Association to offer free, monthly classes specifically for adults impacted by Parkinson’s Disease. Connecting Through Art uses creativity to help improve motor skills, boost emotional well-being, and enhance cognitive function.
Keep an eye on the events calendar to stay up-to-date on upcoming programs.
Deaf Community Art Gatherings
Presented by the Art Center’s Community Access Program, we invite members of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community to join us for gatherings to embrace art and art-making together. The program is free to attend, and is taught by artists Julia Phillips and Sarah Young Bear-Brown.
Drop In Tours
Experience the Art Center with friends, family, and fellow art lovers while learning more about the works on view in the galleries during weekly drop in tours. An Art Center docent will guide you through our permanent collections as well as thought-provoking exhibitions, sparking discussions about the artwork. All ages are welcome; no registration required. Gather in the Macomber Lobby on Saturdays at 1 pm.
DSM Speaks
DSM Speaks is a program that offers opportunities for multiple interpretations of artwork and reinforces the idea that there is no wrong way to experience art. Community members write and record brief audio reflections on artwork in the permanent collections that inspired them. Visitors can access these recordings in the museum by the QR code found on selected artwork labels. Recordings can also be found through the DSM Speaks playlist.
If you are interested in creating your own DSM Speaks audio response, please contact Museum Educator Mia Buch at mbuch@desmoinesartcenter.org
LGBTQIA+ Community Art Gatherings
The Art Center, in partnership with the Des Moines Queer Youth Resource Center, hosts free drop-in art gatherings every month for both teens and adults in the LGBTQIA+ community. All supplies are provided, and the classes are free to attend with no registration required.
Teen Academy
Join us in the studio for a nine-month program designed to assist motivated high school students in the development of a college art portfolio. The Teen Academy curriculum includes instructor-led classes, independent work days, class critiques, museum discussions, and guest artist sessions.