Des Moines Art Center

“Topographies: Mapping Being and Belonging” Exhibition Tour
2026-08-15 13:00 - 14:00, 2026-09-19 13:00 - 14:00 (America/Chicago) | Des Moines Art Center, 4700 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA, 50312, United States
Join us for a free guided tour of the exhibition “Topographies: Mapping Being and Belonging” on view in the Anna K. Meredith Gallery through September 20, 2026. Topography (drawn from the Ancient Greek words topos, meaning place, and graphia, meaning writing) is the creation of a visual map that describes the natural or human-made features of a place.
Free; no registration required.
Sky Hopinka (Ho-Chunk Nation/Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians, born 1984)
“Mnemonics of Shape and Reason,” 2021 (still)
HD video, stereo, color, 4.2 min
Des Moines Art Center Permanent Collections; Purchased with funds from the Pamela Bass-Bookey and Harry Bookey Moving-Image and Time-Based Art Fund, 2025.1
© Sky Hopinka. Image appears courtesy of the Artist and The Green Gallery, Milwaukee

Museum Shop: Jewelry Sale
2026-08-18 - 2026-08-23 | Des Moines Art Center, 4700 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA, 50312, United States
The Museum Shop is clearing the case! Stop by August 18 – 23 and shop the jewelry sale — all jewelry in the Shop is 15% off all week long. Plus, Art Center members can combine their 10% every day Shop discount with the 15% off, for a total of 25% off all jewelry!
Interested in saving big in the Museum Shop? Become a Member today! Art Center members receive a year-round 10% discount in the Museum Shop and Double Discount sales throughout the year, plus a 20% discount on all studio classes and workshops. Members also enjoy invitations to behind-the-scenes experiences and events.
MUSEUM SHOP HOURS

Creative Aging: Gallery Series (Ages 55+)
2026-08-18 12:00 | Des Moines Art Center, 4700 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA, 50312, United States
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. During this gallery series, an Art Center docent will lead the group in collaborative discussion, focusing on one work of art. Following the gallery talk, guests are invited to an informal social time with coffee and tea.
Creative Aging is a free, monthly program at the Art Center. There are multiple registration times available; each program will last approximately 90 minutes. Registration is required; gallery seating is available.
REGISTER FOR 12 PM
REGISTER FOR 2 PM

Museum Highlights Tour
2026-08-22 13:00 - 14:00, 2026-09-05 13:00 - 14:00, 2026-09-26 13:00 - 14:00, 2026-10-17 13:00 - 14:00 | Des Moines Art Center, 4700 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA, 50312, United States
Discover the vast variety of the Des Moines Art Center’s permanent collection during our Museum Highlights Tour. This tour offers a unique journey through our galleries, featuring a selection of timeless paintings, sculptures, and more. Join our knowledgeable guides to uncover the stories, techniques, and inspirations behind the art on view, and experience the highlights of the Art Center in a fresh and engaging way. This guided tour is perfect for art enthusiasts of all ages!
Public guided tours are offered every Saturday from 1 – 2 pm. Free; no registration required.

Art for Every Body
2026-08-27 17:30 - 19:00 | Des Moines Art Center, 4700 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA, 50312, United States
Art for Every Body is a welcoming creative program designed for adults (ages 18+) of all abilities who are seeking connection, reflection, and community through art. This experience begins with a visit to the Art Center’s galleries, where participants will explore artworks and enjoy a guided conversation about a selected work. After the museum visit, participants will transition to an art making workshop that invites personal expression inspired by the gallery experience.
This program fosters curiosity, connection, and creativity, offering a space where every body can engage with art in ways that are meaningful and empowering. Whether you’re curious about art, seeking creative expression, or hoping to connect with others in a supportive environment, all are welcome. Participants are encouraged to bring support people or companions, and accommodations are available upon request at registration to ensure everyone can fully engage.
Free; registration required.
REGISTER
Contact the Community Access Program Manager at kburr@desmoinesartcenter.org in advance with specific needs so we can prepare appropriate accessibility supports.

“Artists Around a Table: Artmaking and Merrymaking, 1927-1952” Exhibition Tour
2026-08-29 13:00 - 14:00 | Des Moines Art Center, 4700 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA, 50312, United States
Join us for a free guided tour of the exhibition in the John Brady Print Gallery, “Artists Around a Table: Artmaking and Merrymaking, 1927-1952.” This exhibition presents works on paper made by a vibrant social network of artist-printmakers who moved between New York City, Woodstock, Paris, and beyond in the first decades of the 20th century.
“Artists Around a Table” explores a group of artists, friends, and lovers who constructed figurative works of art inflected with humor and merrymaking. They depicted scenes from their own lives as well as those illustrating the various locales in which they lived and worked.
Public guided tours are offered every Saturday from 1 – 2 pm. Free; no registration required.
John Carroll (American, 1892 – 1959)
“Artists Around a Table” (detail), 1928
Lithograph on paper
Des Moines Art Center Permanent Collections; Gift of Carl Weeks, 1954.109

Creative Aging: Gallery Series (Ages 55+)
2026-09-01 12:00, 2026-09-15 12:00 | Des Moines Art Center, 4700 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA, 50312, United States
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. During this gallery series, an Art Center docent will lead the group in collaborative discussion, focusing on one work of art. Following the gallery talk, guests are invited to an informal social time with coffee and tea.
Creative Aging is a free, monthly program at the Art Center. There are multiple registration times available; each program will last approximately 90 minutes. Registration is required; gallery seating is available.
REGISTER

Art for Brunch!
2026-09-06 11:00 - 12:00 | Des Moines Art Center, 4700 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA, 50312, United States
We invite you to join us at Art for Brunch! Come hang out with us at this monthly meetup for adults of all ages and enjoy thoughtful conversation as we unpack a different work of art each month. A docent will guide the dialogue with questions and prompts, but each discussion will be as unique and varied as those who attend. We’ll go where the conversation leads us. No art background needed. Just bring your curiosity and a willingness to look a little longer.
While brunch is not provided as part of this free program, we encourage you to make it a date and pair this event with a visit to the Art Center Café for coffee drinks, teas, and irresistible la mie pastries before or after.
Art for Brunch! is held on the first Sunday of each month. Free; registration required.
REGISTER

Topographies over Time: A Hike Series with Wander Women Midwest
2026-09-09 18:00 - 20:00 | Jester Park, 12130 Northwest 128th Street, Granger, IA, 50109, United States
Join the Des Moines Art Center and Wander Women Midwest for a three-part guided hiking series that invites you to experience the same landscape across changing seasons. Centered on connection, reflection, and time outdoors, each hike offers space to notice how the environment—and your relationship to it—shifts over time. Inspired by exhibition, “Topographies: Mapping Being and Belonging,” the series considers how movement through place shapes memory and meaning, with a simple, optional creative reflection following each walk.
For each hike, we’ll gather as a group at Jester Park in Polk County to wander the park’s trails and discuss the different art pieces featured in the park’s prairie, before wandering individually for an independent phenology practice meant to encourage reflection and observation. The practice of phenology, returning to a place at different times of year to notice the changes in the landscape, is a grounding exercise meant to connect yourself to the landscape and hone skills of observation. You’ll find a special-to-you location and have time for whichever form of reflection you prefer, like drawing, journaling, photography or sensory intake.
REGISTER
$12 registration per session, attendance at all sessions not required; need-based scholarships available. All genders are welcome.
September 9 is the third and final hike event in this series.

Museum Shop: Sip ‘n’ Shop
2026-09-10 16:00 - 18:00 | Des Moines Art Center, 4700 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA, 50312, United States
Join the Museum Shop for an evening of wine and shopping at this special customer appreciation event! Bring a friend and enjoy complimentary wine and light snacks. Shoppers will get a unique opportunity to purchase artwork by local multi-media collage artist, Kristen Nassif. Her work layers drawing and painting with nostalgic ephemera to conjure intriguing characters and fanciful scenarios. Art Center members receive double discounts on regularly priced merchandise.
Interested in saving 20% in the Museum Shop during Double Discount sales? Become a Member today! Art Center members receive a year-round 10% discount in the Museum Shop, plus a 20% discount to all studio classes and workshops. Members also enjoy invitations to behind-the-scenes experiences and events.
MUSEUM SHOP

"Artists on Fire" Gallery Talk with Senior Curator Laura Burkhalter
2026-09-10 17:30 | Des Moines Art Center, 4700 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA, 50312, United States
Join the Des Moines Art Center’s Senior Curator Laura Burkhalter for a gallery talk of the exhibition “Artists on Fire,” on view in the John Brady Print Gallery September 5, 2026 – January 10, 2027. This selection of prints, drawings, and photographs from the permanent collection explores the element of fire, both literal and conceptual. Images of flames, smoke, and steam sit alongside depictions of Greek gods and visions of hell.
Free; no registration required.
Todd Hido (American, born 1968)
#11176-7589, 2014
Archival pigment print on Hahnemuhle Photorag Baryta paper
Des Moines Art Center Permanent Collections; Gift of the Pilara Family Foundation, 2025.17

Social Saturday: Great Outdoors
2026-09-12 11:00 - 14:00 | Des Moines Art Center, 4700 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA, 50312, United States
Join the Des Moines Art Center’s September Social Saturday event: Great Outdoors! Enjoy crafts in the Art School studios, a scavenger hunt, a guided tour, storytime, treats in the Art Center Café, and so much more.
Schedule of Events:
11 am, 12 pm, and 1 pm | CEO Gallery Talk
Join at the top of the hour for a chat and Q&A about the Art Center’s newest acquisition to the collection, “nashoba holba / wayaha / coyote / they are witty and transform themselves in order to guide us,” (2025) by artist Jeffery Gibson, led by John and Mary Pappajohn Director and CEO Kelly Baum.
Lower Richard Meier Gallery, Kyle and Sharon Krause Atrium
11:15 – 11:30 am | Storytime
Levitt Auditorium
1:30 pm | Conversation with Artist Elle Pérez and Associate Curator Ashton Cooper
Join artist Elle Pérez in conversation with Ashton Cooper; the two will discuss and dive into the body of photographs presented in the exhibition “Elle Pérez: La Despedida.” Registration required.
Levitt Auditorium
Drop-in Activities (11 am – 2 pm):
Museum Galleries

Find the Social Saturday interactive Art Cart in the galleries.
Complete a scavenger hunt in the galleries and return your findings to the front desk for a small prize.

Macomber Lobby

Enjoy the Art Center’s Paint-n-Play station.

Art School Studios

Explore creativity and your inner artist! Free drawing available in the studio space, as well as a unique Social Saturday: Great Outdoors activity, both a printing making activity in the studios and sun-bleached prints outside (weather dependent).

Art Center Café

Stop by for a sit-down lunch, a delicious pastry, and a full coffee and tea menu. Art Center members receive a 10% discount in the café. Package up a picnic to-go and enjoy your meal on the grounds of the Art Center or in Greenwood Park.

Museum Shop

Browse the Museum Shop to find gifts and souvenirs. Art Center members receive a 10% discount in the Museum Shop. Visit the $10 and under section for kids toys!

See our special exhibitions!

“Topographies: Mapping Being and Belonging” (Anna K. Meredith Gallery)
“Elle Pérez: La Despedida” (A. H. Blank Gallery)
“Artists on Fire” (Pamela Bass-Bookey and Harry Bookey Gallery)
“Valentin Noujaïm: La Défense” (John Brady Print Gallery)

Social Saturdays occur at the Des Moines Art Center on the second Saturday of the month. This event is free to attend, and no registration is required. Social Saturdays will be documented with photography.
For programs in Levitt Auditorium:
We strive to provide live captioning for all events offered in Levitt Auditorium. Due to interpreter shortages throughout Iowa, American Sign Language interpretation is only available upon request. ASL and other accommodation requests can be made by emailing jfeatherstone@desmoinesartcenter.org.
Generous support provided by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program.

Support is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Iowa Arts Council, which exists within the Iowa Economic Development Authority.

Conversation with Artist Elle Pérez and Associate Curator Ashton Cooper
2026-09-12 13:30 | Levitt Auditorium, 4700 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA, 50312, United States
The Des Moines Art Center invites visitors to join artist Elle Pérez in conversation with Associate Curator Ashton Cooper. The two will discuss and dive into the body of photographs presented in the exhibition “Elle Pérez: La Despedida,” on view in the A. H. Blank Gallery through November 29, 2026.
Elle Pérez is an artist working across photography, collage, and moving image. Their work depicts intimate moments, emotional exchanges, and visceral details within the love and violence of everyday life. Pérez’s photographs balance casual observation with conceptual and formalist considerations: intentionally sequenced installations, collages that act as mind maps, and structuralist films that highlight the tension between image and text, description and embodiment. Their work celebrates the ambiguity inherent to photography and queerness — a photograph is not an illustration, it can both resist discursive limitations and hold meaning beyond language. Pérez made their first photographs as a teenager while attending punk shows in the Bronx. They have continued making artwork made for the audience it grows out of, rather than simply being about them.
The artist’s 2025 series “La Despedida (the world is always ending, the world is always again beginning)” encompasses photographs taken in the gardens of two very different sites: Pérez’s grandfather’s backyard in Puerto Real, Puerto Rico, and Impressionist painter Claude Monet’s home in Giverny, France. In the eleven photographs on view, Pérez deploys close cropping, zooming in on expanses of blooming flowers, lace curtains, and breaking waves.
REGISTER
Free; registration required.
Image: Artist Elle Pérez. Photo: KL Mays.

Art Spectrums
2026-09-13 13:00 - 15:00 | Des Moines Art Center, 4700 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA, 50312, United States
The purpose of Art Spectrums is to enable children and teens with autism, along with their families, to enjoy the Des Moines Art Center and make memories with art. In this program, kids, ages 5 – 18, on the autism spectrum and their family members explore and make art together. Participants will visit and discuss a work of art in the museum for inspiration. Next, attendees make their own artwork in the studio, inspired by what they discovered in the Art Center galleries.
Art Spectrums is a free, monthly program, and registration is required.
REGISTER

Art Center Café, Dinner with Friends: Jordan Mix and Hanna Howard
2026-09-17 | The Art Center Café, 4700 Grand Ave., Des Moines, IA, 50312, United States
We are excited to continue the Art Center Café’s signature culinary experience: Dinner with Friends. Be our guest as we gather around the table with friends for a lighthearted evening of laughter, conversation, and live music in the cozy setting of the café. Each dinner features a unique menu inspired by our special guest hosts and prepared by the Art Center Café’s Executive Chef Stephanie Williams.
For the first installment of our fall dinner series, we’re welcoming Jordan Mix and Hanna Howard! Jordan Mix is the Associate Executive Director at Iowa Safe Schools. Hanna Howard is the Iowa State Historical Museum Curator and is the first woman to serve in this role. Jordan and Hanna’s menu, “Recipes from the Resistance,” asks us to consider food differently: not simply as something we eat, but as a tool for resistance, connection, and care. Through the menu created in collaboration with Chef Williams, they explore how sharing a meal can nourish more than our bodies—it can offer dignity, build community, preserve culture, and help people endure and resist difficult circumstances. Join us for an evening that brings together food, community, and the stories that connect us. The event will also include live music by Terry Luthers and Erich Gaukel.
Upcoming Dates:
October 1: Deidre and Marvin DeJear
October 15: Tar and Erika Macias
$125/person; all-inclusive.
Reservations are required; payment will be taken on the night of the event. Tickets include a four-course meal and beverages. First seating begins at 5 pm and seating ends at 6:15 pm. Please share any dietary restrictions when making your reservation. Limited capacity. Tables seat six; smaller parties will be seated together for a festive evening of community and togetherness.
RESERVATIONS
For questions or to join the waitlist call 515.271.0313 or email cafe@desmoinesartcenter.org.

2026 Art Center Gala
2026-09-19 18:00 - 23:00 | Val Air Ballroom, 301 Ashworth Rd, West Des Moines, IA, 50265, United States
You’re invited to experience a night of art, music, and celebration at the 2026 Des Moines Art Center Gala, an extraordinary event to support the Art Center in style! Join us at the legendary Val Air Ballroom, where jazz syncopation meets punk disruption, elegance meets edge, and rhythm sparks connection. This is a night where art doesn’t simply hang on the walls—it moves, grooves, and gathers us together.
Cocktail Hour | 6 pm
Dinner and Dessert | 7:30 pm
Dancing and Music | 9 – 11 pm
Black tie optional. Creative attire encouraged. Break a fashion rule.
Your support of this dynamic event ensures the Des Moines Art Center remains free and accessible to everyone, every day. With your help, we will continue to offer engaging exhibitions and exciting educational programs, building an inclusive space that stimulates creative, critical, and empathetic thinking.
2026 Gala Sponsorships are available now. Guarantee tickets to the event and maximize your brand by becoming a sponsor today.
Presenting Sponsor | $20,000
Signature Sponsor | $10,000
Table Sponsor | $7,500
Supporting Sponsor | $4,000
To pledge your support, please email Caleb Hegna at chegna@desmoinesartcenter.org or 515.271.0338.
purchase tickets
Patron Pair | $2,700 | Seating for two and patron recognition
Individual Patron | $1,350 | Seating for one and patron recognition
Individual Gala Ticket | $300 | Seating for one
Artist Ticket | $300 | Sponsor seating for one artist
Young Professional Ticket | $200 | Seating for one
For more information, purchasing tickets, or questions about the gala, please contact Gala and Development Events Coordinator Jess Lane at jlane@desmoinesartcenter.org or 515.271.0336.

Artist Lecture: Valentin Noujaïm – “What Caïn saw, and other variations on the desire to destroy"
2026-09-22 18:00 | Levitt Auditorium, 4700 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA, 50312, United States
The Des Moines Art Center invites you to join us for a free artist lecture with Valentin Noujaïm – “What Caïn saw, and other variations on the desire to destroy.” This lecture is presented alongside the Art Center’s exhibition, “Valentin Noujaïm: La Défense,” on view in the Pamela Bass-Bookey and Harry Bookey Gallery September 10 – December 6, 2026.
Noujaïm is a French-Lebanese artist and filmmaker based between Paris, France and Athens, Greece. His work explores how individuals and territories navigate forms of collapse, treating contemporary architecture as spaces charged with narratives, tensions, and latent imaginaries. Through film and video, he examines how power, memory, and collective imaginaries are inscribed in built environments and what survives when they unravel. Moving between documentary and fiction, he weaves together personal histories, political landscapes, and the silent weight of spaces to construct layered works.
REGISTER
Free; registration required.
Image: Valentin Noujaïm; photo by Boris Camaca

Creative Aging: Studio Series (Ages 55+)
2026-09-24 14:00 - 15:30 | Des Moines Art Center, 4700 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA, 50312, United States
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. These sessions will offer a social atmosphere and a variety of exploratory projects to try out materials and techniques with the support of an experienced teaching artist.
In this session, students will create their own greeting cards. Materials, tools, and instructor guidance will be provided.
Cost of the class is $30 ($24 for Art Center members).
REGISTER

Art for Every Body
2026-09-24 17:30 - 19:00 | Des Moines Art Center, 4700 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA, 50312, United States
Art for Every Body is a welcoming creative program designed for adults (ages 18+) of all abilities who are seeking connection, reflection, and community through art. This experience begins with a visit to the Des Moines Art Center’s galleries, where participants will explore artworks and participate in a guided conversation about a selected work. After the museum visit, participants will transition to an art making workshop that invites personal expression inspired by the gallery experience.
This program fosters curiosity, connection, and creativity, offering a space where every body can engage with art in ways that are meaningful and empowering. Whether you’re curious about art, seeking creative expression, or hoping to connect with others in a supportive environment, all are welcome. Participants are encouraged to bring support people or companions, and accommodations are available upon request at registration to ensure everyone can fully engage.
Free; registration required.
REGISTER
Contact the Community Access Program Manager at kburr@desmoinesartcenter.org in advance with specific needs so we can prepare appropriate accessibility supports.

Sculpture + Flow Yoga in the Courtyard
2026-09-29 17:30 - 19:00 | Des Moines Art Center, 4700 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA, 50312, United States
As daylight fades into evening, connect art with mind and body at Sculpture + Flow – a candlelit yoga class in the Bookey Family Courtyard surrounded by the striking architecture of I. M. Pei, Eliel Saarinen, and Richard Meier. This unique experience invites you to flow in the glow of candlelight alongside “Man and Pegasus” (1949) by Carl Milles, creating space to let your day fall away.
Inspired by the harmony of art, water, light, and space, certified yoga instructor Lily Allen-Duenas will guide art enthusiasts and yogis through a mindful, all-levels practice beside the Maytag Reflecting Pool and beneath softly lit trees. The evening will close with a guided meditation inviting you to slow down, turn inward, and experience the museum in a new light.
*Guests must bring their own yoga mats.
REGISTER

Art Center Café, Dinner with Friends: Deidre and Marvin Dejear
2026-10-01 | The Art Center Café, 4700 Grand Ave., Des Moines, IA, 50312, United States
We are excited to continue the Art Center Café’s signature culinary experience: Dinner with Friends. Be our guest as we gather around the table with friends for a lighthearted evening of laughter, conversation, and live music in the cozy setting of the café. Each dinner features a unique menu inspired by our special guest hosts and prepared by the Art Center Café’s Executive Chef Stephanie Williams.
For the second installment of our fall dinner series, we’re welcoming Deidre and Marvin DeJear. Deidre is the President and CEO of Oakridge Neighborhood Services and Marvin is a local entrepreneur, advocate, and mentor. Their dinner draws inspiration from the couple’s travels across coastal regions – from the Gulf to Asia and the Hawaiian Islands – unified through the creative vision of Chef Williams. Join us for an evening that brings together food, community, and the stories that connect us. The event will also include live music by Napoleon Douglas.
Upcoming Dates:
October 15: Tar and Erika Macias
$125/person; all-inclusive.
Reservations are required; payment will be taken on the night of the event. Tickets include a four-course meal and beverages. First seating begins at 5 pm and seating ends at 6:15 pm. Please share any dietary restrictions when making your reservation. Limited capacity. Tables seat six; smaller parties will be seated together for a festive evening of community and togetherness.
RESERVATIONS
For questions or to join the waitlist call 515.271.0313 or email cafe@desmoinesartcenter.org.

“Artists on Fire” Exhibition Tour
2026-10-03 13:00 - 14:00 | Des Moines Art Center, 4700 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA, 50312, United States
Join us for a free guided tour of the exhibition “Artists on Fire,” on view in the John Brady Print Gallery September 5, 2026 – January 10, 2027. This selection of prints, drawings, and photographs from the permanent collection explores the element of fire, both literal and conceptual. Images of flames, smoke, and steam sit alongside depictions of Greek gods and visions of hell.
Free; no registration required.
Todd Hido (American, born 1968)
#11176-7589, 2014
Archival pigment print on Hahnemuhle Photorag Baryta paper
Des Moines Art Center Permanent Collections; Gift of the Pilara Family Foundation, 2025.17

2026 Fingerman Lecture: Alison Saar
2026-10-04 13:30 - 15:00 | Levitt Auditorium, 4700 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA, 50312, United States
We invite you to join the Des Moines Art Center in welcoming artist Alison Saar as the featured speaker of our annual Fingerman Lecture series. Saar’s work examines the place of the female body in the realms of politics and spirituality. She explores Black female identity, and the powerful, multifaceted roles women play — from everyday life to timeless, legendary figures.
Saar has exhibited artworks at many galleries and museums throughout the United States. Her art is represented in the collections of the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Baltimore Art Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Her 1997 piece, “Sweeping Beauty” was added to the Des Moines Art Center’s permanent collection in 2003.
REGISTER
The Fingerman Lecture series is made possible through generous gifts by Lois and the late Dr. Louis Fingerman. Alison Saar is the 36th installment in the series.
Free; registration required.
Photo: Alison Saar

Social Saturday: Monster Mash
2026-10-10 11:00 - 14:00 | Des Moines Art Center, 4700 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA, 50312, United States
Join the Des Moines Art Center’s October Social Saturday event: Monster Mash! Enjoy crafts in the Art School studios, Fright Night with Final Act Ensemble, a scavenger hunt, a guided tour, spooky storytime, treats in the Art Center Café, and so much more.
We invite you to dress for the season and come in costume!
Please dress appropriately for a family friendly event. Consider safety and security when choosing your outfit. Avoid tails, wings, costume props or inflatable elements that could accidentally damage artwork as you walk through the galleries. Costume masks and replica weapons are not allowed. Our security team has the right to refuse any costume entering the museum.
Schedule of Events:
11:15 – 11:30 am | Spooky Storytime (all ages)
Levitt Auditorium
1 pm | Guided Tour (all ages)
Meet in the Macomber Lobby
1:30 pm | Fright Night with Final Act Ensemble
The Des Moines Community Playhouse’s Final Act Ensemble brings ghosts, witches, murder, and mystery to life in a Halloween performance inspired by the golden age of radio. *Please note: This program may not be suitable for younger children.
Levitt Auditorium
Drop-in Activities (11 am – 2 pm):
Museum Galleries

Find the Social Saturday interactive Art Cart in the galleries.
Complete a scavenger hunt in the galleries and return your findings to the front desk for a small prize.

Macomber Lobby

Enjoy the Art Center’s Paint-n-Play station.

Art School Studios

Explore creativity and your inner artist! Free drawing available in the studio space, as well as a unique Social Saturday: Monster Mash activity with jack-o’-lanterns.

Art Center Café

Stop by for a sit-down lunch, a delicious pastry, and a full coffee and tea menu. Art Center members receive a 10% discount in the café. Package up a picnic to-go and enjoy your meal on the grounds of the Art Center or in Greenwood Park.

Museum Shop

Browse the Museum Shop to find gifts and souvenirs. Art Center members receive a 10% discount in the Museum Shop.

See our special exhibitions!

“Elle Pérez: La Despedida” (A. H. Blank Gallery)
“Artists on Fire” (Pamela Bass-Bookey and Harry Bookey Gallery)
“Valentin Noujaïm: La Défense” (John Brady Print Gallery)

Social Saturdays occur at the Des Moines Art Center on the second Saturday of the month. This event is free to attend, and no registration is required. Social Saturdays will be documented with photography.
For programs in Levitt Auditorium:
We strive to provide live captioning for all events offered in Levitt Auditorium. Due to interpreter shortages throughout Iowa, American Sign Language interpretation is only available upon request. ASL and other accommodation requests can be made by emailing jfeatherstone@desmoinesartcenter.org.
Generous support provided by Art Bridges Foundation’s Access for All program.

Support is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Iowa Arts Council, which exists within the Iowa Economic Development Authority.

Art Center Café, Dinner with Friends: Tar and Erika Macias
2026-10-15 | The Art Center Café, 4700 Grand Ave., Des Moines, IA, 50312, United States
We are excited to continue the Art Center Café’s signature culinary experience: Dinner with Friends. Be our guest as we gather around the table with friends for a lighthearted evening of laughter, conversation, and live music in the cozy setting of the café. Each dinner features a unique menu inspired by our special guest hosts and prepared by the Art Center Café’s Executive Chef Stephanie Williams.
For the third installment of our fall dinner series, we’re welcoming Tar and Erika Macias. Together, Tar and Erika run Hola America, a bi-lingual news platform and media group. Their dinner will celebrate the flavors and traditions of Latino cuisine, with a creative twist from Chef Williams. Join us for an evening that brings together food, community, and the stories that connect us. The event will also include live music by Jesse Pace and Steve Tyler.
$125/person; all-inclusive.
Reservations are required; payment will be taken on the night of the event. Tickets include a four-course meal and beverages. First seating begins at 5 pm and seating ends at 6:15 pm. Please share any dietary restrictions when making your reservation. Limited capacity. Tables seat six; smaller parties will be seated together for a festive evening of community and togetherness.
RESERVATIONS
For questions or to join the waitlist call 515.271.0313 or email cafe@desmoinesartcenter.org.
