Des Moines Art Center NEWS: May to August 2023

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 Contemporary Art. On May 1, right around the time you are reading this, I will have assumed the title of John and Mary Pappajohn Director. My arrival coincides with the Art Center’s 75th Anniversary, an auspicious moment equally suited to reflecting on the past and pondering the future. There is immense promise and possibility at the Art Center. Thanks to excellent leadership, exceptional staff, and committed trustees, donors, and members, the institution’s potential is limitless. As the Art Center’s twelfth director, I follow a storied line of visionaries, most recently my distinguished predecessor, Jeff Fleming, each of whom made unique contributions to the institution. I aim for my own impact on the Art Center to be as distinctive and meaningful as theirs. – Dr. Kelly Baum, appointed John and Mary Pappajohn Director May 2023

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