For Immediate Release
Contact: Amy Day
Tel: 515.271.0344 (o)
515.612.0775 (c)
aday@desmoinesartcenter.org 

DES MOINES, IOWA (December 2025) – The Des Moines Art Center has received a $25,000 grant from EMC Insurance to enhance accessibility at the John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park. This generous gift will help support projects that make the park more inclusive and easier to navigate. Planned improvements include upgrading signage with new braille and higher-mounted display stands, as well as adding accessible paths to sculptures, such as Robert Indiana’s iconic LOVE (1966-1999) sculpture which is a favorite among visitors. 

“We are deeply grateful to EMC Insurance for their ongoing support of the Art Center and their commitment to improving accessibility at the Pappajohn Sculpture Park,” said Dr. Kelly Baum, John and Mary Pappajohn Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Art Center. “The park was always intended to be a welcoming space for everyone. As use of the park continues to evolve and grow, strategic updates are increasingly necessary to ensure all visitors can experience the park and the art within, regardless of ability. This gift directly supports our efforts to strengthen and expand accessibility at the park and complements a broader institution-wide initiative to improve access across our facilities, programs, and digital platforms — helping to create a more enjoyable experience for all.” 

Since its opening in 2009, the Pappajohn Sculpture Park has transformed a once-neglected area in the Western Gateway to downtown Des Moines into one of the nation’s premier outdoor sculpture parks and has welcomed more than 3.2 million visitors. The park is a nationally recognized community treasure and tourist destination, spanning 4.4 acres. Free and open daily, the park features iconic works by some of the world’s most celebrated artists, such as Keith Haring and Yayoi Kusama. It also serves as host to major community festivals and events like the Des Moines Arts Festival and World Food & Music Festival, which bring hundreds of thousands of visitors to the area each year and contribute significantly to regional economic development.  

About the Des Moines Art Center
Founded in 1948, the Des Moines Art Center is a vibrant, AAM-accredited (American Alliance of Museums) institution located in the capital city of Iowa that welcomes nearly 350,000 visitors annually from across the country and around the globe. The Art Center is proud to offer free admission to its galleries, programs, and sculpture park for all visitors. Our historic campus consists of three buildings designed by major architects of the 20th century — Eliel Saarinen, I. M. Pei, and Richard Meier — incorporated into the natural landscape of Greenwood Park. The largest art museum in the Greater Des Moines metro and one of the few in the state, the Art Center is home to one of the strongest collections of 20th- and 21st-century art in the region, and it hosts a series of ground-breaking exhibitions and lectures each year featuring artists known regionally, nationally, and internationally. The experimental art for which the Art Center cares is reflected in its creative offerings, including a celebrated education program that prioritizes access and collaboration, an art school with studio classes for all ages, and the John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park, situated on 4.4 acres in downtown Des Moines.

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