The Des Moines Art Center Goes Virtual

For the Des Moines Art Center, closing the physical doors of the museum and school in the face of COVID-19 has been a launching point — a challenge to teams across the organization — for moving connections to audiences in Greater Des Moines (DSM) and beyond online.

Discover, Think + Create Virtually

The curatorial team has been hard at work with museum education and creating opportunities to view and interpret artwork across the Art Center’s extensive collections. Studio education, still striving to teach, is developing at-home activities for audiences of all ages, while the development team is maintaining connections with our members across the region. The results of these initiatives can be found at the Art Center’s virtual resource page. Highlights include:

• Virtual tours of the permanent collections and special exhibitions launched in March 2020. The tours allow visitors to click through the extensive collections as if they were at the museum walking through the galleries. Des Moines Art Center virtual tours are presented in partnership with EMC Insurance Companies.
• The Art Center’s permanent collections are always available to view online. With more than 5,000 works of art, there is always something new to discover and learn.
• The John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park is a great location for social distancing outside. The park features 31 sculptures across 4.4 acres and is a place where everyone in the family can find their favorite work of art. The Sculpture Park Exploration Guide extends the fun and learning for all ages.

Additional opportunities will be launched in the coming weeks! Special tours with curators are in the works, as well as several collections-based activities and art activities for families. Keep an eye on the Des Moines Art Center online and on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for more information. While we cannot wait to open our doors to welcome visitors and students back to the Art Center, we are excited to connect with audiences in these new and virtual ways. Our mission, during this time, and always, is to continue to provide opportunities for transformational art experiences for all — we hope you’ll join us!

You can count on The Partnership to continue to share accurate and fact-based updates as well. See more on COVID-19 here.

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