From month to month, Mainframe Studios in Des Moines is always changing. With each First Friday event, the sprawling creative hub sheds one artistic skin to reveal another. April’s energetic and interactive showcase “Diverse by Design” gave way this May to something quieter, deeper and more reflective.
On May 2, 2025, Mainframe welcomed visitors from 5 to 8 p.m. to “The Environment,” a special exhibition curated by Iowa-based artist and educator Diane Kunzler. Known for her pastel landscapes and oil paintings of the natural world, it seems fitting that Kunzler’s exhibition brings a quiet reverence to her work, which permeated the entire collection.
“The Environment” invited artists to explore not just nature itself, but humanity’s complex and often contradictory relationship with it. The result is a gallery experience as multifaceted as the Earth it reflects. From dreamy landscapes and reimagined wilderness to dystopian scenes of ecological decay, the show became a walk-through of the many ways we experience our surroundings, both real and imagined.
Andrew Smith stands next to his painting ‘Rubber’ at Mainframe’s First Friday exhibition “The Environment.” — photo by Trang Luong via Mainframe Studios on Facebook 
Christine A. Curry takes a photo with her pop-up art project featuring a fictitious product, drawing attention to farmers’ impact on water quality. — photo by Trang Luong via Mainframe Studios on Facebook 
Jeff Klisares’ ‘Fire,’ featured in Mainframe Studios’ exhibition “The Environment,” May 2, 2025. — photo by Trang Luong 
Turtles, snakes and other reptiles joined the artists and art fans at Mainframe’s First Friday celebration on May 2, 2025. — photo by Trang Luong via Mainframe Studios on Facebook
My stroll through the gallery led me past hundreds of unique interpretations of the world around. In the atrium, wires are strung between a tree and a speaker. Connecting the natural with the manmade to allow listeners to observe vibrations. In one corner, a photograph of an Iowa field barren after a fall harvest. In another, a sculpture constructed entirely from discarded petroleum waste created by Sarah Spain shows that there is beauty and meaning to be found in the careless trash of others. A physical confrontation with consumer waste.
Some works called upon nostalgia; others issued a warning. Some, a reflection of the simple beauty of nature. All asked the same question: What kind of world are we leaving behind?
Every decision we make, every step we take, shapes our environment. This exhibition showcased how artists process those choices and invited others to reflect alongside them.
More than 180 artist studios opened their doors for the event, offering guests the chance to wander all five floors of the building. The hum of undistinguishable chatter drifts through the corridors, mingling with the scent of food from local vendors. The inviting faces of artists linger in doorways, eager to share their latest work. There are painters, ceramicists, game developers, fashion designers and glassblowers, all part of the vibrant ecosystem Mainframe Studios cultivates.
Though not a part of Kunzler’s curation, a standout exhibit to check out is Momentum, located in Studios 103 and 109 of Mainframe Studios. Momentum, operated by Community Support Advocates, is a free outlet for those identifying with a mental health condition or disability to create and showcase their artwork. Works of every medium — yarn work, sculptures, paintings — line the walls with their artists on standby to share their works. It’s an intimate, small gallery inside the expansive building of Mainframe.
Even with the free shuttle service and expanded parking, I find myself parking a couple of blocks down the road and plugging the meter. It’s clear that what began as an open studio event has grown into something far more: a cultural cornerstone of Des Moines, a space where art not only lives but breathes and evolves.
As anxieties about the state of our environment rise and conversations about sustainability grow louder, “The Environment” felt especially timely. It offered no easy answers, but plenty of mirrors. In the end, Kunzler’s curation wasn’t just about showcasing art, it was a call to pay attention.
With each visit and passing month, the array of themes and artists featured at First Fridays assures a new artwork to see, inviting faces, and a fresh perspective.
First Friday is always free and open to the public. June promises a whole new theme, “The Nonprofits of Mainframe,” and a whole new reason to show up.
