This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Des Moines Art Festival, an annual street party celebrating local art of all kinds. During the festivities, Western Gateway Park is bustling with live music, dancing, and street vendors. The event is a crucial time for local art workers to gain exposure and rub elbows with the community. In 2019, I found a summer job as a stage manager for a dance studio by mingling among tents. A lot is to be gained in those few days.
Although the outdoor stages and tents are taken down, the marks the creatives leave behind are sprinkled all across the city. It is through many of the organizations and artists involved with the event, that more permanent public art is created. On any given day, the artwork is everywhere to be seen. Des Moines, IA is one of the most gorge
ous cities in the country. Granted, I am a little bias due to the fact that I grew up there, but it is undeniable that its artwork helps to shape its beauty. From the murals on building sides to the Papa John’s Sculpture Park, Des Moines is a city of creative expression.
I wanted to capture this aspect of the city in the form of a theatre set design. Although there are a few musicals and plays about the city written, manly by Robert John Ford. I did not design for one in particular. My goal was to take existing artworks and use them on the stage.
In the top left is the iconic red industrial beams of the T8 (1987) sculpture by Mark di Suvero located in Papa John’s Sculpture Park. In the same park can be found the Panoramic Awareness pavilion (2013) by Olafur Eliasson in which inspired the colored glass panels used as flats. The fly-in ‘Des Moines’ sign to the left is meant to resemble the many murals in the area. 
Most installations in the city use the same sky blue, gold, red, and green pallet to give it all a cohesive and vibrant look. Finally, I added the bicycle wheels to represent one of the most common pastimes of the residences. The metro area has unlimited pathways and trails that are lined with paintings. All of these pieces are set against a painted brick (very common on renovated buildings) backdrop.
If I was in the position to make this concept a reality. I would want those who are from Des Moines to say, “Ope! That’s Des Moines,” and those visiting think, “I want to go there!” My home is filled with lively art and artist that can only be found in our little city.