Iowa Pastel Society Member Show
June 3-30
Closing Reception:
Sunday, June 30
2-4 PM
Art is in the air this month in Des Moines. Stop by the Central Library's Art Gallery all month long to enjoy the work of Iowa's top pastel artists!
The Iowa Pastel Soecity is a group of Iowa artists whos passion for art and the medium of pastel is extraordinary. Help us celebrate the vision and hard work of these artists and their love for pastel.
Don't forget - the Des Moines Art Festival will take place June 28-30 at the Western Gateway Park, right outside of the Central Library!
Learn more: IowaPastelSociety.org
The Central Library Art Gallery is accepting show submissions for 2024 and beyond!
Art Gallery History
In 1916, the Des Moines Public Library, working in partnership with the newly-formed Des Moines Association of Fine Arts, made a gallery space available in order to “purchase and hold title to paintings acquired for the benefit of the public, and to bring exhibitions to the city.” Several exhibitions were shown each year, and works of art were periodically purchased for the association’s permanent collection. After a period of inactivity in the 1930s due to the Depression, the DMAF in 1938 moved their collection to a building on Walnut Street, and, with funding from the Works Progress Administration in the 1940s, provided galleries and studio space. The Des Moines Association of Fine Arts voluntarily dissolved in 1945 and their assets were turned over to the [James] Edmundson Art Foundation. That entity funded construction of the new Des Moines Art Center, which opened at its present location on Grand Avenue in 1948.
The Art Gallery at the Central Library, which opened in May 2016, is located on the second floor and offers an accessible and welcoming environment for encouraging and celebrating Iowa artists. Exhibitions of original artwork will engage, enrich, and be enjoyed by our patrons and enhance our community as a whole. These exhibitions expand the library’s role and bolster creative and expressive energy in the Des Moines community.
We are excited to continue the rich tradition of art at the Des Moines Public Library into a second century. Thank you for your support, and we hope to see you at the gallery!