As part of the Des Moines Art Center’s My Museum Monday program, each month an Art Center member is invited to spend time in the museum when the building is normally closed to the public. We continue to receive several applications to take part in this experience and are excited to share them with you.
Molaan Mosell had a lot of ideas when they applied to My Museum Monday. There are many different things you can do when you have the museum all to yourself – how do you choose just one? The answer: You don’t have to! Molaan chose to focus on two different things during their experience.
First, Molaan spent time in the “Images Unbound” exhibition in the Anna K. Meredith Gallery. They used a handheld camera to pan over different artworks, recording images for a personal creative project. Although no other visitors were around, the galleries were filled with sound. Molaan played music on a handheld speaker to add to the recordings. They listened to Philip Glass’s Etudes No. 5 and No. 6 while spending time with Jordan Weber’s Hy-Breeds and Lyle Ashton Harris’ Herald. “[My Museum Monday] re-enforced what I have suspected all along,” said Molaan, “Music and Art go very well together.” Molaan then continued in Blank and Krause galleries while listening to the very appropriate song “Monday Monday” by The Mamas & The Pappas.
Next, Molaan entered the Pei building. Art Center staff had removed the artwork on the upper floor for the 2022 Gala, so the impressive architecture felt extra open and light. This is where Molaan decided to practice Tai Chi; sounds of the Heart Sutra filled the air. “If I were to describe it in three words, I would say it was FUN, Nurturing, and Revelatory”.
We are very thankful that Molaan chooses to be a member of the Art Center and decided to participate in this program. Members are an instrumental part of the Art Center, and we love to see them experiencing the gallery and studio spaces in new ways. Molaan shared with us this special insight, “[My Museum Monday] also revealed something exciting for me; it made me reflect on OWNERSHIP of things. And how an institution can spend thousands, maybe even millions of dollars on squared pieces of images, and yet, not feel they exclusively OWN them. It gives one hope.”
