Des Moines Art Center

Recognized by international art critics as a world-class museum in the heart of the Midwest, the Des Moines Art Center has amassed an important collection with a major emphasis on contemporary art. The collections overriding principle is a representation of artists from the nineteenth century to the present, each through a seminal work. This accounts for an impressive collection that ranges from Edward Hoppers Automat to Jasper Johns Tennyson, Henri Matisses Woman in White, Georgia OKeeffes From the Lake No. 1, Francis Bacons Study after Velasquezs Portrait of Pope Innocent X, Bill Violas Ascension, and Cecily Browns Half-Bind. The Art Centers physical complex marries with the collection for a totally integrated experience. The collection is housed in three major buildings, each designed by a world-renowned architectEliel Saarinen, I. M. Pei, and Richard Meier. With the exception of special events, admission to the museum is free. In September 2009, the John and Mary Pappajohn Scu...