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    Des Moines Art Center

    4.6 (90 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

    Des Moines Art Center Photos

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    Emily B.

    Staff located all throughout is very friendly. Quiet relaxed atmosphere. So much to look at! They host events, & have a little art shop you can check out on the way out or in. Beautifully selected art pieces to admire.

    Amy J.

    A lot of construction going on right now, cafe is closed. Super friendly host who checks you in and gives you a map. Rather unimpressive art throughout but a couple Warhols, a Hopper, didn't find a Picasso I thought I saw online. Free admission!

    Alexander Archipenko; Seated Figure; 1916; bronze
    Paul L.

    If you can visit only one art museum in Iowa, this is the one. It has a stellar collection, admission is free, and there is an incredible emphasis on art education. There is a full calendar of art classes in painting, ceramics, photography, print making, metals, and calligraphy. This a very cozy complex to spend hours looking at art. I'm always drawn to works by Brancusi, Giacometti, and Diebenkorn. It's a reverential experience when I see anything they've created. A giant Alex Katz painting that almost sucks the viewer into it was a pleasant surprise. There is a riveting and well-known Francis Bacon painting on display. The architecture is another reason I enjoyed it here. Eliel Saarinen designed the original building. I.M. Pei added a cavernous Brutalist space that is my favorite. Richard Meier completed the last addition and some of galleries are a bit challenging to display the collection but the curators have done a good job. The exhibition of works by Alison Elizabeth Taylor is incredible. While a student at Columbia in NYC, she was inspired by the Metropolitan Museum's Studiolo from the Ducal Palace in Gubbio, circa 1478-82, an entire room of highly sophisticated marquetry. I used to spend a lot of time in that room, too, as there is nothing like it in any US museum. She has mastered the art of wood inlay. Some works are simple and show off her skill. Others include paint and even glitter. Subject matter ranges from trees to people on the margins of society. There is such detail down to reflections in mirrors and people in small frames within a work. While many artists create with a level of abandon, precision is Taylor's mindset. It's all so lovely. The exhibition ends in mid-January. See it if you can.

    Outside
    Zach H.

    Great place to check out if you're in the Des Moines area. I believe the parking and entrance was free. A lot of cool stuff to look at and indulge in as well. I really liked the egg illusion thing that was outside.

    Free admission
    Rohan D.

    Excellent and unique art museum, the museum itself is a work of art. Three different famous architects designed three different parts, the medium sized collection is varied and well presented. Their strongest suit might be modern and contemporary but the high point for me was the Edward Hoppers. Amazing sculptures. The workers are great, the price is great, I enjoyed every minute of my two and a half hours here. I would say this museum and the Iowa Cubs game were the high points of my visit. I was attending a conference downtown and took a bus here, but the bus doesn't quite come all the way so I had to walk about a mile. Most of that was uphill and it was hot. I took an Uber back, the Uber driver didn't even know Des Moines had an art museum. Remember, the great little gift shop does not sell charging cords so you need to make sure your phone is fully charged before you head over here. You do want to spend a little time walking around the outside just to take the building in.

    Christina W.

    Our Art Center is something to be proud of here in Des Moines. It may seem small compared to other big cities but it's the perfect size to experience great art and be educated in some most influential artists. The ANNA K. MEREDITH GALLERY is the area where the art center rotates different art the most. This is the main gallery that gets new artists and projects. There are 3 additions to the art center. There is a restaurant and gift shop. You can easily spend 3 hours at this art center learning and observing all the exhibitions. There are many permanent collections that I love and have loved showing my kids. We visit once a year to compliment what we learn in art. Overall it is a wonderful museum and we always look forward to coming back. Des Moines has a beautiful art culture not only at the art center but around the city. I'm so proud of our art here!! I highly recommend visiting and exploring. Perfect date day idea as well. Fun with older kids, not younger kids.

    Ralphie S.

    I saw a t-shirt that said Des Moines: The Major League of the Minor Leagues. That pretty much sums it up for The Des Moines Art Center; a very impressive collection for such a small market "fly over" city. I must have said; "Damn, I can't believe they have a________" over 20 times during my visit. From Picasso to Lipshutz and Cave to Bacon. It was truly a greatest hits collection of my favorite modern artists under the roof of 2 connected buildings. The price is free and during the Covid they have a counter clock wise rotation to journey through the museum. I actually like this method; you are sure not to skip anything and you are not jostling for viewing with other visitors going against flow. This museum is completely worth a 3 hour drive from Kansas City or anywhere else in the surrounding Mid-west. Consider me impressed.

    This might be the best artwork or it might be the worst, you have to go and decide for yourself.
    John M.

    I thoroughly enjoyed this place. The architecture alone is astounding. Simply put the building is so perfectly constructed and aesthetically pleasing that I would love to go even if the whole gallery were empty. The art pieces and sculptures are super interesting to view. I am not an art connoisseur but they post captions next to most works of art. These are extremely helpful and point out the importance of the art and what to look for. Lastly, yo this place really has a real Picasso! Insane! Great place and it is typically free admission.

    John O.

    Got in for a buck Worth every cent of it Lots of funky stuff Wasn't really planning on checking this place out. Stopped by the Sculpture Park just outside of downtown earlier in the day and saw some signage advertising this place. Looked at the Yelp reviews and saw that it is free! Sold. Drove straight out Grand Avenue from the Sculpture Park to the museum through a tonier part of town. Lots of nice houses and apartments along the way. The building will definitely jump out to you when you come across it. They don't make too many like it in Iowa. Walked in with a wink and a smile, but did drop a buck in the donation bucket. It was the only cash on me at the time. Would have gladly paid ten. They have got Warhol. They have got Basquiat. Lots of really cool stuff.

    Interior of I. M. Pei section, note the ceiling

    Must-See! The collection is very nice, and I say that after attending when several portions were closed for renovation. We put it on our itinerary without reading much about it, so we had no idea what to expect and had no idea that we would be doubly (triply?) pleased by the art and the architecture. (If I had bothered to read the reviews, I guess I would have known.) As soon as we arrived, my friend noted the new white portion of the museum, trying to figure out where we had seen a similar design (the Getty in Los Angeles). I am not a great fan of Richard Meier's exteriors, but the interior was incredibly light and inviting. We decided we could just move in and live there. But it was the blocky second addition I found truly captivating. I really am no fan of heavy concrete blocks or chunky massive structures, but I was stunned by the airy influx of light and outdoors into the space. The docent noticed my attention swinging from the sculptures to the room, and explained that it was designed by I. M. Pei, who I generally associate with the glass pyramid at the Louvre or the Rock-n-Roll Hall of fame. Look at my pictures, especially the one that shows the ceiling - massive concrete slabs floating in the air. Absolutely worth driving from the Chicago area to see!

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    Beautiful place to go to, especially when the flowers bloom! Staff is always nice and professional.

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    Ask the Community - Des Moines Art Center

    Do you have watercolor or acrylic classes for adults?

    They have in the past. You can follow current course offerings here: https://desmoinesartcenter.org/classes/

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    Review Highlights - Des Moines Art Center

    The world class architecture is split into three structures done by renowned architects Eliel Saarinen, I.

    Mentioned in 5 reviews

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