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Art Route DSM Paint Installations Taking Place in DSM USA

August 10, 2017

GREATER DES MOINES, IA (Aug. 10, 2017) — Installations are taking place on the regional Art Route DSM in Greater Des Moines (DSM), with locations in Downtown Des Moines (DSM) and West Des Moines. Installations of thermoplastic paint in multiple crosswalks of intersections on the Art Route DSM path in Downtown DSM are taking place this week and throughout the month. The completion of this project will make it the first known trail of its kind in the nation and possibly the world: a trail connecting public art that includes a painted connector path and painted crosswalks.

Art Route DSM in Downtown DSM leads patrons and visitors to 87 pieces of public art via a 6-mile trail. Art Route DSM is a collaborative project, led by a dedicated committee of volunteers through the Greater Des Moines Public Art Foundation.

Thermoplastic paint is a heavy duty, sustainable product intended to last a longer period of time than traditional road paint. Installation of the thermoplastic paint will primarily take place at night in Downtown DSM.

  • Installation is taking place this week at crosswalks on Grand Avenue and Sixth Avenue. The installation is ongoing and scheduled to be completed by Saturday, Aug. 12.
  • Installation at the crosswalks at East Locust Street and East Fifth Street will begin following the Grand and Sixth installation, and is scheduled to be completed by Aug. 19.
  • Installations have been completed at crosswalks on the west side of the street at Locust Street and Third Street and the west side of the street on Court Avenue and Third Street.
  • The crosswalks at Locust Street and 10th Street will be painted when road construction is complete.

To schedule interviews and ensure the best times to take photos or video on location, contact Kyle Oppenhuizen, Communications Manager at the Greater Des Moines Partnership.

Art Route DSM in Downtown DSM stretches from the Iowa State Capitol Building on the east to Meredith Corporation on the west. Bright colored circles painted on the sidewalks connect the route and Downtown DSM intersections are painted with artistic designs by Canadian street artist Peter Gibson, also known as “Roadsworth.” Art Route DSM and public art along the route are free for all to enjoy. Click here to see a map of Art Route DSM in Downtown DSM or download the Greater Des Moines Public Art Foundation’s app directing users to public art on the Downtown DSM route.

Additionally, Art Route DSM is extending regionally as West Des Moines plans to install an Art Route Pocket by the end of September. The route will connect 13 works of art that are part of West Des Moines’ annual Art on the Campus temporary exhibit located around the City Campus pond near City Hall. The route also connects to one of the five sculptures that make up the West Des Moines Public Arts Advisory Commission’s first permanent commissioned work of art, Art on the Trail “Surrounds,” installed in 2015. The 1-mile route will include brightly-colored circles and one crosswalk located at the intersection of S. 35th Street and Mills Civic Parkway. Click here to see a map of the Art Route Pocket in West Des Moines.

Sponsors for Art Route DSM in Downtown DSM are Wells Fargo, the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines, Bravo Greater Des Moines, Principal, Kum & Go, Bankers Trust, MidAmerican Energy Company, the Downtown Community Alliance, the Greater Des Moines Partnership, Prairie Meadows, the Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, the Des Moines Arts Festival®, the Greg and Suzie Glazer Burt Foundation, the Downtown Neighborhood Association and members of the Art Route DSM Committee. 

Partner and supporting organizations for Art Route DSM include the City of Des Moines, the City of West Des Moines, the Greater Des Moines Public Art Foundation, the Downtown Community Alliance, the Greater Des Moines Partnership, Catch Des Moines, Neumann Monson Architects, Substance Architecture, Grimes Asphalt and Paving Corporation, the Des Moines Arts Festival® and Art Week Des Moines, the Des Moines Police Department, Des Moines Public Schools and the Iowa Healthiest State Initiative. 

About Art Route DSM

Art Route DSM is a regional project launched in 2016 that unites 87 pieces of public art with a 6-mile-long path painted on Downtown DSM sidewalks and intersections, plus an additional art pocket in West Des Moines. Think, “Follow the Yellow Brick Road,” where vibrant-colored circles and chevrons lead to world-renowned sculpture, murals and architecture — free for all to enjoy. Follow the conversation on social media with the hashtag #artrouteDSM and learn more at artrouteDSM.com.