For Immediate Release
Contact: Amy Day
515.271.0344 (o)
515.612.0775 (m)
aday@desmoinesartcenter.org
DES MOINES, IOWA (October 15, 2026) – The Des Moines Art Center invites the community for a free, family-friendly day of Día de los Muertos activities on Sunday, November 1 from 11 am – 3 pm.
Rooted in Mexican tradition, Día de los Muertos is a time to gather in remembrance, honoring loved ones who have died through joy, ritual, storytelling, food, art, and celebration. Enjoy live music and dance performances, food and art vendors, hands-on art activities, a festive Catrina photo opportunity, and free hot cocoa and samples of pan de muerto while supplies last.
This year’s theme, ¡Sí Se Puede! (“Yes, we can”), was influenced by Dorothy Huerta, co-founder of the National Farm Workers Association, who coined the phrase in 1972. Today, the Des Moines Art Center celebrates the tireless pursuit of civil and human rights for all by partnering with Progress Iowa and other organizations to recognize local leadership and the collective work of building stronger communities.
In honor of the theme, ¡Sí Se Puede! and those who have supported it, an ofrenda will be on display at the Art Center’s Harriet S. and J. Locke Macomber Lobby through November 8. With input from local and regional artists, activists, and organizers, this year’s ofrenda was designed by Michaela Mullin as a tribute to her mother, Felicia Timotea Leon Mullin. The elder Mullin, a second-generation American citizen, was the inspiration for spotlighting the work of resistance and hope through literature, visual art, education, and protest and is also the subject of a short documentary film that will air at 12 pm and 2 pm in the Art Center’s Levitt Auditorium.
A complimentary shuttle will run to and from Merrill Middle School for easy parking throughout the duration of the event. Visit the Des Moines Art Center’s website for more details including a complete schedule of activities, a description of the exhibitions currently on view, and information on volunteer spots that are still available.
Inspired in part by the exhibition, “Let Us Gather in a Flourishing Way: Contemporary Latinx Painting,” this year’s event reflects belonging and how communities care for one another. “Let Us Gather in a Flourishing Way” is curated by Dr. Andrea Alvarez and organized by the Buffalo AKG Museum of Art in Buffalo, New York, where it first debuted. The Des Moines presentation of the exhibition opens on Saturday, October 24, featuring 58 works by Latin American artists living and working in the United States.
Support for the Des Moines Art Center’s Day of the Dead event is provided by Art Bridges Access for All.
For more information or to request images of the celebration, contact Senior Director of Communications and Marketing Amy Day at aday@desmoinesartcenter.org.
About the Des Moines Art Center
The Des Moines Art Center is a vibrant, AAM-accredited (American Association of Museums) institution located in the capital city of Iowa that welcomes over 300,000 visitors annually from across the country and around the globe. Its 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 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. In 2025, as part of its strategic plan, the Art Center adopted the values of equity, respect, integrity, continuous reflection, and collaboration.
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