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I have always found the end of summer and the beginning of fall to be a particularly bittersweet time of the year. It is a moment of transition, as the weather begins to change and...
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I’m recently back from an exhilarating trip to New York with sixteen of our trustees, members, and guests. We were thrilled to see our masterpiece “Woman in White” (1946), by Henri Matisse, on view in...
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Welcome to 2024! I’m very excited to write to you as I launch my first full year as John and Mary Pappajohn Director of the Des Moines Art Center. Over the last several months, I...
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Non-profits like the Art Center depend on the generosity of people, governments, organizations, foundations, and corporations. However, generosity is never guaranteed—indeed, generosity would not be generosity if it were compelled or mandated. That puts the...
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I write this, my first introduction to the Art Center’s printed newsletter, from New York, where I’m currently finishing my tenure as The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Cynthia Hazen Polsky and Leon Polsky Curator of...
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The staff, board, and community celebrate the Art Center’s 75th anniversary in 2023, and we have many projects in the works to mark this extraordinary milestone. Our three major exhibitions during the year will focus...
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It takes a village to do the work of our museum and school. Everything functions as a collaboration with many talented individuals working behind the scenes to make our operations appear seamless. Through their collective...
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It’s finally spring, and the studio wing of the Art Center is bustling with activity. Summer camps for young people and classes for adults are in full swing. There are other exciting projects in the...
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Transforming the Art Center in the 21st Century, a comprehensive campaign in celebration of the Art Center’s upcoming 75th anniversary in 2023, announced its public phase in the fall of 2021. In July of 2019,...
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After a frenetic and productive summer, the Art Center is gearing up for an adventurous and busy fall. Justin Favela’s exhibition, Central American, continues to enthrall visitors with his take on the traditional Mexican piñata,...
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