Des Moines Art Center

What Des Moines Art Center does

The Des Moines Art Center is a nonprofit art museum, art school, and sculpture park in Des Moines, Iowa, founded in 1948 and accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. It operates three architecturally significant buildings designed by Eliel Saarinen, I. M. Pei, and Richard Meier integrated into Greenwood Park, alongside the 4.4-acre John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park in downtown Des Moines. The institution maintains one of the strongest regional collections of 20th- and 21st-century art, featuring major works by Georgia O'Keeffe, Edward Hopper, Henri Matisse, Andy Goldsworthy, Wangechi Mutu, Ai Weiwei, and Kara Walker, and offers free admission to galleries, programs, and the sculpture park for ~300,000-350,000 annual visitors.

The Art Center's revenue model blends earned income — venue rentals, the on-site Café and special dinner events ($125/person), the Museum Shop, and fee-based art classes for adults, youth, and teens — with contributed income from individual memberships, donations, and a diversified base of institutional funders including Bravo Greater Des Moines, Prairie Meadows, Henry Luce Foundation, Terra Foundation for American Art, NEA, Nationwide Foundation, Principal Foundation, and EMC Insurance. Community programs include free K-12 school tours serving 8,400+ students across five public school districts, a Community Access Program delivering ~700 workshops per year to 2,300+ individuals via 30+ nonprofit partners, and recurring Social Saturdays and Entirely Kids Day events. The institution is governed under Iowa state law by a Board of Trustees with no parent organization, and its leadership team is led by Director Dr. Kelly Baum, inaugural COO Susan Kloewer, and Director of Installations Jonathan deLima.

Operationally, the Art Center has been undergoing capital reinvestment — the Richard Meier building reopened January 2024 after a renovation, the I. M. Pei building reopened December 2024 after an LED lighting retrofit yielding ~36,715 kWh in annual savings, and a 3-year Pappajohn Sculpture Park revitalization campaign launched in October 2025. Distribution is primarily direct: visitors attend at the campus and sculpture park, programs are promoted via website, email newsletter, and active social channels (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn), and events are co-presented with library, school district, and disability-advocacy partners.

Name

Des Moines Art Center

Legal name

The Des Moines Art Center

Website

https://desmoinesartcenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Des Moines Art Center is a nonprofit AAM-accredited museum, art school, and 4.4-acre sculpture park in Des Moines, Iowa, serving 300,000-350,000 annual visitors with free admission and offering classes, exhibitions, venue rentals, and community-access programs funded by a diversified base of grants and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art Museum and Cultural Institution

NAICS

Museums (71211), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

akta.pro primary industry

Art Museums (THAJADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Museums & Heritage Sites (History, Science, Specialty) (BPAGAHAA), Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC), Performing Arts & Cultural Event Venues (Theaters, Museums) (THAHAAAG), Public Art, Arts Councils & Grantmaking Programs (BPAGAHAH)

Keywords

• Art museum
• Sculpture park
• Art school classes
• Contemporary art exhibits
• Community arts programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Des Moines

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Memberships: The Art Center offers membership programs providing exclusive benefits and discounts to members, including 10-20% discounts at the cafe and shop.
2. Venue Rentals: Rental of museum spaces including lobby, courtyard, Levitt Auditorium, Meier Patio, and Art Center Cafe for weddings, corporate events, and private celebrations. Includes photography packages and preferred caterers.
3. Cafe Events and Private Dining: The Art Center Cafe hosts special dinner events including the 'Dinner With Friends' series with four-course prix fixe menus at $125/person.
4. Art Classes and Workshops: Studio classes for all ages including calligraphy workshops, summer camps for youth, and teen academy programs. Members receive 20% discounts.
5. Donations and Grants: As a nonprofit institution, the Art Center relies heavily on charitable donations and foundation grants to support free admission and operations. Multiple grants from entities including Prairie Meadows, Nationwide Foundation, Henry Luce Foundation, and others support specific programs and capital improvements.
6. Museum Shop: The Art Center operates a Museum Shop offering merchandise connected to art and exhibitions. Members receive 10% discounts on purchases.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Des Moines Art Center operates as a nonprofit museum, art school, and sculpture park offering free admission to its 20th- and 21st-century art collections. It runs exhibitions across three architecturally significant buildings (designed by Eliel Saarinen, I. M. Pei, and Richard Meier), a 4.4-acre outdoor sculpture park featuring 31+ works by internationally acclaimed artists, studio art classes for all ages, and fee-based venue rentals, café dining, and a museum shop.

Product overview

The Des Moines Art Center is a unified museum, art school, and sculpture park that offers free admission to all visitors. The institution operates across three architecturally significant buildings (Eliel Saarinen, I. M. Pei, and Richard Meier) and encompasses core offerings including museum galleries with rotating exhibitions, an art school with classes for all ages (Adult Summer Classes, Kids Summer Camp, Teen Academy), the John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park, Community Access Program, and Virtual Tours. Supporting services include a Museum Shop, Art Center Café, and Venue Rental for events. The institution also hosts the AViD literary program and Social Saturdays community events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pappajohn Sculpture Park: The John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park is a 4.4-acre outdoor sculpture park featuring works by more than two dozen of the world's most celebrated artists, situated in downtown Des Moines.
• Art Center Café
• Museum Shop
• Social Saturdays
• Entirely Kids Day
• AViD (Authors Visiting in Des Moines)

Products and services

• Museum Galleries AAM-accredited museum featuring 20th- and 21st-century art with rotating exhibitions housed in three historic buildings designed by Eliel Saarinen, I. M. Pei, and Richard Meier. Free admission for all visitors.
• John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park A 4.4-acre outdoor sculpture park in downtown Des Moines featuring works by more than two dozen internationally acclaimed artists including Martin Puryear, Louise Bourgeois, Willem de Kooning, and Keith Haring. Free admission.
• Art School Studio art classes for all ages including adult summer classes, Kids Summer Camp for ages 5–14 with weekly themes, and Teen Academy programs. Members receive 20% discount; scholarships are available for classes and materials.
• Community Access Program (CAP) Free art classes and workshops for individuals facing social, cultural, economic, or physical barriers to arts participation, delivered through partnerships with over 30 local nonprofit organizations serving approximately 2,300 individuals annually through 700+ workshops.
• Venue Rental Event rental spaces including Lobby & Courtyard, Café & Courtyard, Levitt Auditorium (220-seat capacity), and Meier Patio for weddings, corporate events, and private celebrations. Preferred caterers include Tangerine Food Company, Taste! To Go, and Gateway Market.
• Museum Shop Retail shop offering merchandise connected to exhibitions and art experiences, available both on-site at the museum and online at desmoinesartcentershop.org. Members receive 10% discount on purchases.
• Art Center Café On-site restaurant operated by the Art Center offering cafe fare and special dinner events including the 'Dinner With Friends' series with four-course prix fixe menus at $125 per person. Members receive 10% discount on cafe purchases.
• Rights & Reproduction Image permissions service providing high-resolution digital photography and color transparencies for educational presentations, professional research, print and electronic publications, and media projects.
• Social Saturdays Program Free monthly all-ages events with different themes, activities, performances, and community engagement, held on the second Saturday of every month at the Art Center. Supported by Art Bridges Access for All and Principal Foundation.
• AViD (Authors Visiting in Des Moines) Literary Program Free literary program featuring author events held in partnership with Des Moines Public Library and Des Moines Arts Festival. The 2026 25th anniversary season features six events with authors including Julia Quinn, Tayari Jones, Shannon Chakraborty, Maria Semple, and Patrick Bringley.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 350,000 visitors served annually with free admission
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, preferred and minor.

• The Harkin InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presenter of ReelAbilities Film Festival with support from Principal Foundation. The Harkin Institute focuses on disability policy and is located at Drake University.
• By Degrees FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in 'My Voice' pilot program at three participating Des Moines schools supporting student voice and creative expression.
• Tangerine Food CompanypreferredChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive caterer for Art Center events. Contacts: Susan Madorsky or Pernilla Werninger.
• Taste! To Go Catering & EventspreferredChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive caterer for Art Center events. Contact: Emily Gross.
• Gateway Market CateringpreferredChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive caterer for Art Center events. Contact: Kelly Crosby.
• Des Moines Public LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint program for AViD (Authors Visiting in Des Moines) 25th anniversary season, including joint event on June 27.
• The Varsity CinemaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKick-off event presenter for ReelAbilities Film Festival, showing related film on November 5.
• Des Moines Public Schools DistrictscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Des Moines, Indianola, Southeast Polk, Waukee, and West Des Moines Public School Districts for school tours program serving more than 8,400 K-12 students annually.
• 30+ Local Nonprofit OrganizationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with over 30 local nonprofit organizations for Community Art Access Program, providing approximately 700 workshops to more than 2,300 individuals each year.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Walker Art Center: Major Midwestern contemporary art museum with comparable scope (modern/contemporary collection, educational programming, performance). Highly comparable on free/low-cost public access model and free-admission sculpture garden, though located in a larger metro (Minneapolis).
• Milwaukee Art Museum: AAM-accredited free-admission art museum with an iconic architect-designed building (Santiago Calatrava), 20th-/21st-century collection focus, and active educational programming. Directly comparable on the architecturally iconic campus angle.
• Minneapolis Institute of Art: AAM-accredited, free-admission art museum in the Upper Midwest with comparable educational programming, school tour scale, and 20th-/21st-century collection focus. Similar operating model with broad community access mission.
• Speed Art Museum: Free-admission (with some ticketed exhibitions) regional art museum in Louisville with comparable 20th-/21st-century collection emphasis, school tour programming, and AAM accreditation. Closely comparable in operating budget scale and visitor mix.
• Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields: Midwestern AAM-accredited art museum with major architectural campus, free general admission (with special exhibitions ticketed), extensive grounds, and comparable K-12/community programs. Similar institutional scale and revenue mix.
• Joslyn Art Museum: Free-admission AAM-accredited regional art museum in Omaha with comparable collection focus on 19th-20th century art, robust K-12 school tour program, and community programming. Closest comparable in operating model and Midwestern regional scope.
• Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art: Free-admission AAM-accredited Midwestern art museum with comparable collection scope (modern/contemporary), active educational programming, and a major outdoor sculpture component. Operates at similar institutional scale in Kansas City.
• Figge Art Museum: Iowa-adjacent (Davenport) AAM-accredited art museum with architecturally significant building, free general admission, and strong K-12 programming. Highly comparable as a smaller-market Midwestern free-admission museum.

Broad incumbents

• Art Institute of Chicago: One of the largest and most prestigious art museums in the U.S., located in the broader Midwest. While at a much larger scale, it sets the regional benchmark for curatorial credibility, AAM standards, and educational programming that the Des Moines Art Center aspires to.

Regional players

• Cedar Rapids Museum of Art: Iowa-based art museum operating in a smaller market than Des Moines, with comparable educational programming and grant-funded operations. Directly comparable as a same-state peer for funding competition and program benchmarks.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/DesMoinesArtCenter
• Facebookfacebook.com/DesMoinesArtCenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/des-moines-art-center
• Instagraminstagram.com/desmoinesartcenter
• TikToktiktok.com/@desmoinesartcenter

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Des Moines Art Center