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

DES MOINES, IOWA (March 2025) – The Des Moines Art Center invites families and kids of all ages to experience a day of artistic magic during Entirely Kids Day: Art of Illusions on Saturday, March 15 from 11 am to 3 pm.

Entirely Kids Day is a free event designed to ignite the imagination of children and adults alike through interactive activities, engaging performances, and hands-on experiences throughout the museum and studios. This year’s event is inspired by the Art Center’s exhibition, Op Art: Abstract Illusion which is on view through April 13, 2025. Op Art: Abstract Illusion explores how artists use color, pattern, and form to create mesmerizing perceptual effects. Throughout the event, families will experience the wonder of optical illusions firsthand, creating art that is both interactive and unforgettable.

“The Des Moines Art Center is proving that art isn’t just something you look at, it’s something you experience, wonder about, and maybe even say, ‘How did they do that?’ Just like a magic trick!” – Mikayla Oz, Magician

Enjoy a day full of creative activities and performances:

  • Magic Show with Mikayla Oz | 11:30 am and 1 pm
    A highly interactive 30-minute magic show starring the audience. Hilarious and mind-bending tricks will entertain both kids and adults.
  • Your Brain on OP(tical Illusions) | 12:30 pm and 2:30 pm
    Discover how optical illusions trick our brains in this kid-friendly, 30-minute demonstration led by Xander Toftness, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Coe College.

  • Interactive Illusion Play Space
    Hands-on motion, perception, and creativity activities hosted by the Des Moines Children’s Museum.
  • Photo Op
    Step inside the art with a funky and immersive photo backdrop.
  • Perception Quest Scavenger Hunt
    Explore the museum galleries and search for hidden visual illusions.
  • Art Making Activities
    Create your own magic arcs, thaumatropes, and optical Illusions to take home.

Part of the Principal® Foundation Youth Learning and Engagement Initiative, Entirely Kids Day is a perennial community favorite offered twice every year – during Spring Break and the weekend following Thanksgiving.

For more information, contact Senior Director of Communications and Marketing Amy Day at aday@desmoinesartcenter.org. Visit desmoinesartcenter.org for additional events and programs.

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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