Community Access Program
The Des Moines Art Center’s Community Access Program expands access to art by partnering directly with other community organizations.
Established in 2000, the Community Access Program now collaborates with dozens of community partners to broaden access to meaningful art experiences.
The Des Moines Art Center’s Community Access Program (CAP) expands access to art by partnering directly with community organizations, such as schools, nonprofits, and social service organizations, to offer thoughtfully designed creative experiences, including classes, workshops, and more.
CAP provides free artmaking opportunities for children and adults who face one or more barriers to the arts. Participants include students from low-income communities, children with autism, veterans, refugees, people navigating addiction or the criminal justice system, and those grieving the loss of a loved one. Many participants also experience economic hardship, disabilities, or other circumstances that limit opportunities for connection and creative expression. Through accessible art experiences, CAP fosters self-expression, confidence, connection, and well-being.
Classes are facilitated by a diverse group of teaching artists working in various mediums and are held both in the community and at the Art Center. Using a student-centered method, CAP teaching artists create a safe, respectful environment where everyone’s art is valued as an outlet for self-expression and where collaborative learning is encouraged.
Programs meet participants where they are, and no prior art experience is needed. Projects are adapted to interests, abilities, and comfort levels so everyone can engage and explore their own creativity.
Visiting the Art Center? Learn more about accessibility accommodations and services.
Ongoing Programs
The Community Access Program offers several ongoing, monthly programs. All CAP programs are free to attend. For the program schedule, sign up for the CAP newsletter by emailing kburr@desmoinesartcenter.org. Call 515.277.4405 for cancellations due to weather.
Art Spectrums
A free program for children and teens (ages 5 – 18) on the autism spectrum. Participants 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.
Please register on the Art Center’s Event Calendar.
Art for Every Body
A welcoming creative program designed for adults (ages 18+) of all abilities who are seeking connection, reflection, and community. Participants first explore artworks and participate in a guided conversation about a selected work in the museum. Then guests gather in the studios for an art making workshop inspired by their gallery experience.
Please register on the Art Center’s Event Calendar.
Deaf & Hard of Hearing Community Art Gatherings
Members of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community are invited to join us for gatherings to embrace art and artmaking together. Participants gather in the Art School and take inspiration from the Art Center’s museum to make their own projects.
Free; no registration required.
LGBTQIA+ Adult Community Art Gatherings
These welcoming art gatherings blend inspiration and creativity. During the first hour, participants take a guided tour through the Art Center museum to explore and discuss selected artworks. In the second hour, attendees join in the studio to create their own art piece inspired by one of the works. This program offers a supportive space to connect, reflect, and express creativity together.
Free; no registration required.
Veterans Art Club
Veterans and caregivers are invited to the Art Center for afternoons of artmaking and community. Explore a variety of artistic mediums while receiving structured guidance and art lessons. Prefer a more independent approach? Participants are welcome to work on their own creative projects. All experience levels are encouraged to join.
Free; no registration required.
Community Impact
Art has the power to foster connection, confidence, healing, and self-expression — but not everyone has equal access to those opportunities. The Community Access Program works alongside community partners to remove barriers to participation, bringing free, inclusive art experiences to individuals and communities throughout Central Iowa.
By the Numbers
40+ Community Partners
500 Free Workshops Each Year
30+ Teaching Artists
Expanding Access to the Arts Since 2000
Together, these partnerships create opportunities for thousands of individuals to experience the joy and benefits of creative expression each year.
Stories in Action
Finding Healing Through Creativity
Art of Mortality
Developed in partnership with UnityPoint Health’s Bereavement Program and teaching artist Sage Love, Art of Mortality invited participants to explore grief through journaling, mindfulness, and artmaking. Over four weeks, participants honored loved ones, shared personal stories, and discovered how creativity can support healing and connection during times of loss.
Exploring Art and Social Justice
Woodward Academy
After visiting the exhibition at the Art Center, “Robert Rauschenberg, Currents, 1970,” students from Woodward Academy worked with teaching artist Siricasso Garcia to experiment with printmaking and collage. Inspired by Rauschenberg’s belief that art can engage with social issues, students created artwork reflecting their own identities, experiences, and ideas about social justice.
Building Healthy Coping Skills
The Beacon
CAP partnered with The Beacon to provide free art workshops for women navigating substance use recovery, homelessness, and involvement in the criminal justice system. Through artmaking, participants explored healthy coping strategies, strengthened relationships, and found new ways to express themselves in a supportive environment.
“The Creative Careers program has created an exceptional opportunity for students with disabilities at North High School to learn in an authentic studio environment with guidance, encouragement, and high expectations. Having access to free, individualized, professional materials and the freedom to be their authentic selves in this creative space has been transformative for our students.”
– Work Experience Coordinator at North High School
Interested in CAP participation?
If you are an individual interested in CAP programming, or a local nonprofit/community organization looking to include meaningful and accessible art experiences in your organization’s programming, find frequently asked questions and more information below.
Frequently Asked Questions for Individuals
Interested in participating in CAP programming as a student? Learn more about public programs, art gatherings, and creative opportunities for community connection.
Frequently Asked Questions for Partners
Interested in partnering with the Community Access Program through your nonprofit, school, healthcare provider, or community group? Learn more about how we can work together to bring meaningful, accessible art experiences to your community.
Your Support Makes It Possible
Gifts from donors, community partners, and grants help ensure that financial barriers never prevent someone from experiencing the benefits of art.
Support for CAP helps provide:
- Free community art workshops
- Art supplies and adaptive art materials
- Compensation for teaching artists
- Support for partnerships with schools, nonprofits, and healthcare organizations to bring no-cost classes and artmaking to them
- Accessible programming for people of all ages and abilities