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

DES MOINES, IOWA (April 2025) – The Des Moines Art Center is excited to announce a new partnership with la mie and its owners, Joe and Christina Logsdon. Together they will launch The Art Center Café presented by la mie, a full-service eatery that will operate out of the Art Center’s distinctive, light-filled café, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Richard Meier in 1985.  

In December 2023, the Art Center closed its café for a menu and design refresh. Now, a year and a half later, with its kitchen enhanced and its dining area beautified, it is preparing to re-open in late spring with la mie at the helm. The Art Center Café will put a unique spin on the delicious, freshly made food and beverages found at its 42nd Street location, offering simple sophistication in a modern setting. The café will feature la mie’s artisan-made patisserie, lunch items, snacks and desserts. Visitors will enjoy hand-crafted sandwiches and salads, fresh pastas, and soups, along with a small menu of curated dishes. Espresso and tea drinks will be offered along with a selection of wine and beer. Marketplace items will be available to enjoy in the café or to take home. Special events, including happy hours on evenings when the Art Center is open late, are also in the works. 

New features include banquet style seating, a community table where diners can eat solo or join in conversation with others, an espresso machine complete with a full menu of specialty coffee and espresso beverages, and a kid-friendly menu for the Art Center’s youngest patrons. Those who dine-in will enjoy all-new furniture, tableware, and glassware, while those who choose to grab and go can select from freshly packaged items offered in newly installed cooler cases. 

“We’re thrilled to work in collaboration with la mie to welcome guests back to our beautiful café and Bookey Family Courtyard, where they can once again dine and relax in comfort and style,” says John and Mary Pappajohn Director and CEO, Kelly Baum. “Joe and Christina bring enormous expertise and creativity to this endeavor. Thanks to their brilliance and dedication, we have been able to reinvent our café and bring the spirit of the much-loved la mie to the Art Center.” 

The Art Center Café will allow guests to extend their visit to one of the state’s premier art museums, home to thousands of works of art from around the world installed in three distinctive buildings nestled in lovely Greenwood Park. The Art Center Café will also be a delightful experience all its own, a place for sustenance, respite, and socializing unmatched elsewhere in the city. 

Future plans include signature events to highlight the best of what the Art Center and la mie have to offer with happy hour specials, themed dinners, and collaborations with other vendors. 

More details on The Art Center Café presented by la mie’s menu, hours, and grand opening celebration will be released in the coming weeks.   

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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