Des Moines Arts Festival

About the Event

One of the world's most respected festivals, hosting 190 of the nation's top artists in a beautiful urban street setting surrounding the 4.4 acres John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park and the Krause Gateway Center designed by Renzo Piano Workshop. Fourteen-time winner of the coveted Grand Pinnacle Award from the International Festivals and Events Association, the outdoor festival celebrating arts and culture attracts more than 200,000 people each year to its downtown location in Iowa's capital city and largest metropolitan area.

G. David Hurd Innovator in the Arts

Dave Hurd
G. David “Dave” Hurd was an extraordinary man with an extraordinary heart. He loved his city of Des Moines. He loved the Arts Festival and was passionate about its success. Dave was an innovator. He was the person in the room who always asked, “Why not?”

The Des Moines Arts Festival proudly presents the G. David Hurd Innovator in the Arts to honor Dave's legacy. This annual recognition to an individual or organization honors Dave’s passion for making our community a better place to live and his passion that drives innovation, community-building and opportunity.

Juried Art Fair
The centerpiece of the Des Moines Arts Festival is the highly competitive Juried Art Fair presented by Nationwide. Artists apply through ZAPPlication, the universal online application hosted by WESTAF (Western States Arts Federation), a regional nonprofit arts service organization. After the application window closes in January. artists are selected through a rigorous, industry-acclaimed blind jury process that takes place over multiple days in February. The process is completed by five jurors who are privy to images of the artwork with associated pricing, booth images, and an artist statement. No other information is provided to them. This intensive process results in a collection of vibrant, innovative, and masterful original works of art. The wide array of art in every medium is what attracts Festival guests year after year, who annually spend more than one million dollars on art at the Festival.

Interactive

Throughout the Festival, guests of all ages have the opportunity to get creative and hands-on with art, music, dance and more! These activities can be found throughout the Festival site and in the Creative Zone.

BOOM Art!
Suspended 30 feet high from their all-electric bucket truck, MidAmerican Energy Company presents BOOM ART, an Interactive Mural Project. Taking our fascination with doodling to a whole new level, join other festival guests as you illustrate our unique pattern design and watch as the finished mural rises above the streets during the three-day festival.

Spin Art
Join Prairie Meadows and the Altoona Lions Club to create your newest masterpiece from everyone’s favorite art pastime.

Live Music & Entertainment
With live music on two stages and pop-up performances across the Festival site, you never know what you'll discover at the Des Moines Arts Festival.

Schedule:

St. Paul and The Broken Bones
Hy-Vee Main Stage - 8:30 p.m.

The Deslondes
Roots Stage - 8:00 p.m.

Halfloves
Hy-Vee Main Stage - 6:45 p.m.

Weary Ramblers
Roots Stage - 6:30 p.m.

Sharane Calister and The Feel Right Band
Hy-Vee Main Stage - 5:00 p.m.

Chip Albright
Roots Stage - 5:00 p.m

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