“Frank Hansen openings always flirt with lawlessness,” reads a description of the Des Moines artist’s work from 2009. “This year his show will feature a painting that needs to be driven like a car.” At that point, Hansen was well on his way to carving out a niche in the Des Moines art scene. Twenty-five […]
Des Moines art
Posted inFood & Drink
LV Recommends: Daisy Chain Coffee in the East Village boasts delicious drinks and curious decor
I don’t normally write reviews at the place I’m reviewing, but I’m glad I decided to write in Daisy Chain Coffee today. Owner Daniel Bosman greets customers as they pop in, showing them his new coffee grinder. The fig tree behind me rustles as a breeze comes through the open door, and I hear the […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Queer history, pop culture and computers helped Iowa artist Ben Millett cover a gallery in quilts
Ben Millett’s quilts are tactile records, coded with color, memory and meaning. They look soft because they are, but their softness doesn’t dull their message. Instead, it amplifies it. On July 26, 2025, the Des Moines Art Center will open its first-ever quilt-based solo exhibition, “Iowa Artists 2025: Ben Millett,” a showcase of about 20 […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
The pair of artists behind Des Moines’ Pride murals, Cat Rocketship and Dani Awesome, have a colorful love story
Artists Cat Rocketship and Dani Awesome have created some big, head-turning work together: massive rainbow murals in the East Village and Historic Valley Junction; human-sized Iowa wildlife painted along a bike trail in West Des Moines; pop-up art markets and a pair of Etsy shops with over 7,000 sales of original prints, stickers, jewelry and […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Review: Mainframe’s earth-centric First Friday centered stark realities and real reptiles
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 […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Yearlong legal battle over Des Moines’ historic Greenwood Pond art installation ends with $900,000 settlement for artist
On Tuesday, the Des Moines Art Center and artist Mary Miss announced a settlement in their legal dispute over the fate of Greenwood Pond: Double Site, a land art installation Miss created for the center. It’s considered a major and pioneering work of American land art, and has been part of Des Moines’ Greenwood Park […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
An online collection of ‘outsider art’ enters the real world for the first time in Des Moines
What does it look like when a social media feed jumps onto the walls of an art gallery? Visitors to the Fitch Building in Des Moines from Nov. 8-30 will find out during “Faces in the Crowd,” showcasing the work of 14 artists you’ve probably never heard of (but probably should). The exhibition was curated […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Vietnamese-American painter Teo Nguyen reimagines battlefield photos without the soldiers, violence and ‘machinery of war’
Teo Nguyen, “The Politics of Worthiness” Opening reception, Moberg Gallery, Friday, Sept. 13, 5-8 p.m. Artist reception and discussion, Moberg Gallery, Saturday, Oct. 5, 1-3 p.m. Teo Nguyen is a painter’s painter. His parents were a poet and glass painter, and he applies their attention to detail to his canvas. Moberg Gallery in Des Moines […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
This Des Moines food stylist can get any dish ready for its close-up
Cellphone cameras and social media have made amateur food photographers of us all. In any high-end restaurant on any given night, you’ll see diners snapping pics of their plates. Of course, the quality of those images varies. Try as we might, most of us don’t have the skills or know-how to capture photos as drool-worthy […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Contact Buzz: The Toon’d In pop-up art show returns to Des Moines with some nerdy new themes
Toon’d In Art Show: 50th Anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons, The Fremont, Des Moines, Saturday, July 13, 6-10 p.m., Free A golden age for small indie art shows flourished from 2008 to 2021, when the now-defunct Des Moines Social Club was bursting with activity. It was an epicenter for all arts disciplines, including several small, […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
What can ten artists do with ten pianos?
The Mainframe Studios lobby filled with decorated keys Friday as City Sounds debuted 10 pianos designed by ten local artists. A donation buys community members a ballot to vote for their favorite transformed piano. Soon, each piano will be scattered about the city for a scavenger hunt. Those locations will be revealed at Mainframe Studios’ […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
AViD 2023 is bringing authors to Des Moines, including R.F. Kuang and Emily St. John Mandel
The Des Moines Book Festival is over, but even more authors are headed to Iowa in the coming weeks as part of Authors Visiting in Des Moines (AViD). The first of these visitors will be New York Times bestselling author R.F. Kuang, who is scheduled to speak at the Central Library in Des Moines on […]
