Des Moines Art Center

Homeschool Day
2026-01-22 10:30 - 12:00 (America/Chicago) | Des Moines Art Center, 4700 Grand Ave, Des Moines, IA, 50312, United States
Make art a family adventure this winter! Each week for the month of January, homeschool students and parents are welcome to explore new ways of looking at art through guided gallery experiences, fun activities, and hands-on art projects. Each week will have a different theme!
Programs are offered separately for:

Ages 5 – 8
Ages 9 – 12
Parents/guardians

Infants are welcome to attend with parents. Currently, we are unable to accommodate children ages 2 – 4 (we hope to offer this in the future). Class size is limited to 12 students per age group.
Join us in this session: “Connect – Talking Through Art.” What stories can art tell? Students and parents will separately practice observation and storytelling through guided gallery activities, then express their ideas through creative projects such as mini comics or collaborative writing prompts.
REGISTER
Free; registration required.

Museum Highlights Tour
2026-01-24 13:00 - 14:00
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.
Photo: Erik Brockmeyer

Creative Aging: Studio Series (Ages 55+)
2026-01-27 14:00 - 15:30
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. In addition to our monthly Creative Aging gallery series, these studio series 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. Projects like leaf printings inspired by nature, wreath design, candle making, handmade jewelry, or painted flowerpots are just some of the programs to look forward to.
Materials, tools, and guidance will be provided. Cost of the class is $30 ($24 for Art Center members).
register

Sculpture + Flow - Candlelit Yoga
2026-01-28 17:30
Connect art with mind, body, and soul under the gentle glow of candlelight at Sculpture + Flow — a serene, slow-paced yoga class in the Cowles Sculpture Court in the I. M. Pei Building. Certified yoga instructor, Lily Allen-Duenas will lead art enthusiasts and yogis through an all-levels flow artfully inspired by works in the gallery.
After mindfully moving through a flowing sequence of poses, we’ll practice stillness among the sculptures in a guided meditation under soft illumination.
Guests must bring their own yoga mats. Food and drinks are not allowed in the museum galleries.? Water will be provided after the class.
Schedule:
5:30 pm l Check-in
6 – 7 pm l Candlelit Yoga Class
• 45-minute Slow Flow
• 15-minute Guided Meditation
Art Center Member Ticket: $25
Non-Member Ticket: $35
Registration required by January 20.
Art Center members, login at the top left of the registration page to sign into your member account and receive your discount. Not a member? Join today!
QUESTIONS? Contact Jess Lane, Gala and Development Events Coordinator at jlane@desmoinesartcenter.org.

Homeschool Day
2026-01-29 10:30 - 12:00
Make art a family adventure this winter! Each week for the month of January, homeschool students and parents are welcome to explore new ways of looking at art through guided gallery experiences, fun activities, and hands-on art projects. Each week will have a different theme!
Programs are offered separately for:

Ages 5 – 8
Ages 9 – 12
Parents/guardians

Infants are welcome to attend with parents. Currently, we are unable to accommodate children ages 2 – 4 (we hope to offer this in the future). Class size is limited to 12 students per age group.
Join us in this session: “Inspire – Exploring Ideas and Mediums.” Students will explore how artists develop ideas and experiment with materials to create their own expressive works. Parents will reflect on the creative process and try new approaches for inspiring artistic exploration at home.
REGISTER
Free; registration required.

“Bill Owens: Work and Leisure” Gallery Talk with Senior Curator Laura Burkhalter
2026-02-01 13:30
Join Senior Curator Laura Burkhalter for a gallery talk about the exhibition “Bill Owens: Work and Leisure,” on view in the John Brady Print Gallery through April 19. Take a trip down memory lane appreciating Owens’ photographs from the 1970s and early ‘80s.
Free; no registration required.
Bill Owens (American, born 1938)
“Hornets football, Tri-Valley area, Northern California,” from the “Leisure” series, ca. 1975, printed later
Gelatin silver print
Des Moines Art Center Permanent Collections; Gift of Dr. Steven and Yasemin Miller, 2022.55

Art Workshop: Valentines Day Cards (Ages 7 - 11)
2026-02-08 12:30 - 14:30
Show the people in your life how much you care about them with a hand-crafted valentine! This one-day workshop will show students methods of making pop-up Valentine’s Day cards using materials often used for scrapbooking: fancy paper, decorative scissors and hole punches, stamps, and stencils.
Students will bring home their finished valentines. Scholarships for classes and materials are available on our website.
register for ages 7-8
register for ages 9-11

"Iowa Artists 2026: Henry Payer" Gallery Talk with Associate Curator Beth Gollnick
2026-02-08 13:30
Join Associate Curator Beth Gollnick for a gallery talk about the exhibition “Iowa Artists 2026: Henry Payer: Aagakinąk Haciwi: We Live Opposite Each Other” on view in the A. H. Blank Gallery and Kyle J. and Sharon Krause Atrium in the Richard Meier building. A member of the Ho Chunk people, whose ancestral territory spans areas in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, and Iowa, Payer explores his history and identity as an Indigenous American.
Free; no registration required.
Henry Payer, Ho-Chunk (b. 1986)
“Superman Moving the Winnebago Back to Nebraska,” 2025
Flashe and acrylic on BFK Rives paper
Courtesy of the artist
