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

DES MOINES, IOWA (May 2026) – At a moment when the discussion of boundaries and borders are the subject of critical conversations around the world, “Topographies: Mapping Being and Belonging” offers fresh perspectives on the role of maps and mapmaking in 21st century visual art. More than just a means of translating space into two-dimensional form for the purpose of research and navigation, mapping is a powerful tool used by artists to imaginatively explore the physical world and the social, cultural, economic, and political forces that shape it.

Topography (drawn from the Ancient Greek words topos, meaning place, and graphia, meaning writing) is a form of visual mapping that represents both the natural and human-made features of a place. On view at the Des Moines Art Center from June 13 through September 20, 2026, “Topographies: Mapping Being and Belonging” claims mapping as a deeply human act, one rooted not only in geography, but in memory, identity, and the creative process. Spanning from the postwar period to the present, the exhibition highlights the Art Center’s permanent collection, including infrequently seen works in a wide range of media, from paintings and sculptures to videos and drawings, shown alongside compelling pieces borrowed from local and national lenders. The artists in this show, who hail from Cuba, Ethiopia, Germany, Great Britian, Nigeria, and Taiwan, expand topography beyond a tool for exploring physical space into a method for considering questions of being and belonging.

The exhibition features mixed media pieces including Mark Bradford’s large-scale collage “My Whole Family is from Philly (2014),” a map of Philadelphia composed of thick layers of construction paper, old newsprint, posters, and flyers found in his neighborhood in Los Angeles that the artist sculpts with a power sander. Boston-based artist Yu-Wen Wu will design a mixed media installation specifically for the Art Center that features drawings and delicate porcelain sculptures that evoke her experience as an immigrant from Taiwan and connect with stories of the broader Chinese diaspora. Also on view will be “Dead Reckoning (1980),” a major work by painter Jack Whitten, which is on special loan to the Art Center from Wellabe. A fixture of the Des Moines business community for nearly a century, Wellabe has a longstanding history of supporting the arts. The company’s visionary corporate collection displayed at its iconic headquarters has helped enrich the city’s cultural landscape for decades.

“The Art Center is excited to present ‘Topographies,’ the first major exhibition organized in Des Moines by Associate Curator Beth Gollnick, who brings creativity and rigor to her subject,” says John and Mary Pappajohn Director and CEO, Kelly Baum, “The exhibition will showcase incisive, innovative works from the Art Center’s collection, bringing them into conversation with little-seen loans by exceptional artists from inside and outside of the state. There is no better time for an exhibition that explores the visual culture of place and space. We look forward to providing our guests with a setting in which to ponder, discuss, and reflect on urgent topics that have relevance to them and to the world as a whole.”

An opening celebration with music and remarks by John and Mary Pappajohn Director and CEO Kelly Baum will be held on Thursday, June 25 from 5 – 7 pm, at the Des Moines Art Center. The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments and a cash bar will be offered.

On Saturday, July 11, artist Sky Hopinka’s film “Powwow People” will be screened in Levitt Auditorium at 12 pm with an introduction by Associate Curator Beth Gollnick. Register for this free event at desmoinesartcenter.org. The film screening is part of a larger Social Saturday event taking place from 11 am – 2 pm at the museum.

Gollnick will offer a gallery talk on Sunday, July 19 at 1:30 pm. Guided tours of the exhibition will take place on Saturday, August 15 and Saturday, September 19 from 1 – 2 pm. These events are free and open to the public.

“Topographies: Mapping Being and Belonging” is curated by Associate Curator Elizabeth Gollnick and is accompanied by a richly illustrated gallery guide including an introduction by Gollnick. Support for the exhibition is provided by the Jacqueline and Myron Blank Exhibition Fund, the Harriet S. and J. Locke Macomber Des Moines Art Center Fund, and ASK Architecture.

For more information or to request images from the exhibition, contact Senior Director of Communications and Marketing Amy Day at aday@desmoinesartcenter.org. Visit desmoinesartcenter.org for additional event details and registration information.

Image: 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

About the Des Moines Art Center
The Des Moines Art Center is a vibrant, AAM-accredited 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 spirit of the art for which the Art Center cares for 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. The Art Center is committed to the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion, which are incorporated into every facet of its mission and identity.

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