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

DES MOINES, IOWA (August 2024) – The Des Moines Art Center has received a $50,000 grant from The Fred Maytag Family Foundation to significantly expand its collection of sculptures. This grant will provide visitors with free access to a broader range of ground-breaking and thought-provoking sculptures, building upon a legacy of innovative works that the Maytag family has helped bring to the Art Center over the past three decades. 

The Des Moines Art Center has amassed a critical and important collection of modern and contemporary sculpture, totaling over 300 works, many of which are on view both inside the museum and across the Art Center’s multi-site campus, including the John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park in downtown Des Moines. The Maytag family has made possible 25 of those sculptures, which include some of the most important sculptures in our collection – such as “Piggybank” by Juan Munoz, “Survivor” by Hew Locke, and “Fountain” by Ibrahim Said — a number that will grow with this new grant award. 

Thousands of visitors from across the state and around the world learn from and engage with the Art Center’s collections every year, including 5,300 fourth-grade students from every public school in the Greater Des Moines area and three rural school districts who participate in docent-led tours. With the Maytag family’s support, these students will have access to even more sculptures to fuel their learning and growth. 

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. 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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