For Immediate Release
Contact: Amy Day
Tel: 515.271.0344 (o)
515.612.0775 (c)
aday@desmoinesartcenter.org
DES MOINES, IOWA (July 2023) – The Des Moines Art Center recently received two Community Betterment grants from Prairie Meadows supporting education programs: a $15,000 award supporting the School Tours Program and a $5,000 award supporting Community Access. Prairie Meadows is a nonprofit organization dedicated to lessening the burden of government by promoting economic development, jobs, agriculture, and tourism in the state of Iowa.
“At Prairie Meadows, we are dedicated to transforming the lives of central Iowans. We are proud to support the Des Moines Art Center and many other projects in our community,” said Julie Stewart, Prairie Meadows Vice President of Community Relations.
For more than 25 years, the Art Center has offered school tours to students in the Greater Des Moines area; adding tours to rural school districts in the state in 2017. With education at the core of the museum’s mission, the school tours program is the longest running program in the Art Center’s array of educational offerings. The Art Center is proud to provide guided tours to all 4th grade students in eight school districts in central Iowa
With the support of committed funders like Prairie Meadows—and the Art Center’s dedication to offering quality educational programming to populations facing social, cultural, environmental, and economic barriers—the Art Center’s Community Access program has grown exponentially since 2000, responding to an ever-growing need to create a safe, respectful environment where everyone’s art is valued as an outlet for self-expression.
For additional information about Prairie Meadow’s community impact, visit prairiemeadows.com/community or contact Director of External Affairs Amy Day at 515.271.0344 or aday@desmoinesartcenter.org for information about the Art Center’s School Tours and Community Access programs.
About Prairie Meadows
Prairie Meadows began operations as a nonprofit organization in 1989, with the goal of promoting economic development, jobs, agriculture, and tourism in the state of Iowa. Through taxes, grants, and charitable donations, Prairie Meadows has given $2.1 billion to the state of Iowa. Prairie Meadows offers slot machines, table games, live and simulcast racing, sports wagering, hotel accommodation, entertainment, and more.
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 270,000 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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