Exhibitions

Bill Owens (American, born 1938) Karate is a highly competitive sport, like tennis or boxing. It’s on one. For $30 a month a kid can get some good mental and physical training. He can learn coordination, balance, timing and self-defense. Livermore, California, from the "Leisure" series, 1974 (printed 1999) Gelatin silver print Des Moines Art Center Permanent Collections: The Jeff Perry Photography Collection given in honor of Myron and Jacqueline Blank, 2024.120
Article

Bill Owens Community Photo Album

The past called—it wants to be in our photo album. VIEW COMMUNITY PHOTO ALBUM You are invited to share personal or found 1970s – 1980s snapshots for the online Community Photo Album. We welcome everyday...

Read More
Ben Millett in his exhibition Iowa Artists 2025
Video

Artist Lecture: Ben Millett

Presented in recognition of LGBTQ+ History Month, Ben Millett, the Des Moines Art Center’s 2025 Iowa Artist (exhibition dates July 26 – November 2, 2025), delivered a public lecture on October 16, 2025. In this...

Watch
Three people standing and smiling, posing for a photo together—From left: Tom Worthen, Dale Jansen, and Amy Worthen at the Inauguration of Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s The Gates, Central Park, New York, 2005. Photo by Maria Worthen.
Video

Amy N. Worthen Lecture

Recorded on June 1, 2025 at the Des Moines Art Center. This lecture was led by Amy N. Worthen, Curator of Prints and Drawings, Emerita, Des Moines Art Center. The talk was inspired by the...

Watch
Samantha Box in Conversation with Luke Williams
Video

Samantha Box in Conversation with Luke Williams

Recorded on December 15, 2024 at the Des Moines Art Center. Luke Williams is a scholar, artist, organizer, and critic of 20th and 21st century Black performance and visual cultures. His work, which spans embodiment,...

Watch