BALLET DES MOINES NAMES OLIVIA VALENTINE THE 25/26 ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE

In collaboration with the Greater Des Moines Public Art Foundation, and in partnership with By Degrees Foundation

Des Moines, IA – Ballet Des Moines and the Greater Des Moines Public Art Foundation are pleased to announce Olivia Valentine as the 25/26 artist-in-residence at Ballet Des Moines.

“Olivia is an accomplished artist whose vast portfolio and unique process make her a great fit for our Artist-in-Residence Program,” said Eric Trope, Artistic Director for Ballet Des Moines. “I’m looking forward to working alongside her and seeing her work accompanied by movement. Cross-disciplinary collaborations of this type are exactly the future I see for Ballet Des Moines and I am looking forward to having Olivia in and around our studios and theater this season.”

The 9-month residency welcomes Valentine into Ballet Des Moines’ downtown studios to work amongst the dancers and artists of the company. The residency will culminate with a new visual artwork by Valentine, to be presented alongside Ballet Des Moines’ program Nothing Holds Still, February 27 & 28, 2026 at Hoyt Sherman Place. In addition to her on-stage installation, Valentine will work alongside BDM dancers in classrooms next spring to engage Des Moines Public Schools’ Findley Elementary students in visual arts programming, through a relationship with By Degrees Foundation.

In addition to in-school engagement, Valentine will provide insight into the resident artist’s process during Assemblé: a Ballet Des Moines collaboration with Winefest Des Moines on February 12. This annual ticketed event offers an intimate celebration of creativity, connection, and the joy of discovery through food, wine, and art. Held at the Ballet Des Moines Lauridsen Campus for Art & Education, and open to the public, tickets will be on sale January 2026 through the Winefest Des Moines website: https://winefestdesmoines.com/event/assemble

“I am thrilled to be working alongside Ballet Des Moines this season,” said Valentine. “Working with and alongside dancers has long been an aspiration of mine and I am delighted to have the opportunity to work with such an excellent company in the city I now call home.”

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Olivia Valentine is a visual artist working in textile construction, drawing, photography, and installation, as well as collaborative projects that span a variety of media and disciplines. Through her work she examines the edges and boundaries of spaces, beginning with the close examination of the edges of fabrics and textiles.

Her work has been exhibited and performed across the US and internationally at museums and galleries including a recent solo exhibition at the Des Moines Art Center (Iowa) and other venues such as The Round Tower (Copenhagen), Museum of Arts and Design (New York), The Kohler Art Center (Wisconsin), The Hyde Park Art Center (Chicago), The American Academy in Rome (Italy), and The Powerhouse Museum (Australia). Awards include a Fulbright Fellowship, A 2020 Iowa Artist Fellowship, the Brandford/Elliott Award, and grants from the Iowa Arts Council.

Olivia is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Art and Visual Culture at Iowa State University.

ABOUT BY DEGREES FOUNDATION

By Degrees partners with whole schools to increase high school graduation and postsecondary readiness rates on Des Moines’ north side. Our work begins in kindergarten and follows students through high school graduation, ensuring they’re immersed in an expansive culture of postsecondary education, career exploration, and future-focused planning throughout their K-12 experience.

Ballet Des Moines has been engaging with By Degrees Foundation since September of 2025 by teaching dance classes during Findley Elementary’s Fearless Fridays. Defined as “an answer to ensuring students have access to activities during the school day,” Findley established Fearless Fridays recognizing that access to activities which expand student learning and experiences should not be limited to those who are able to attend after school programming. https://www.bydegreesfoundation.org/

ABOUT THE GREATER DES MOINES PUBLIC ART FOUNDATION

Greater Des Moines Public Art Foundation (GDMPAF) is a tax exempt 501(c)(3) educational organization which, as a public charity, funds and administers a program to advance public art and public art education throughout Greater Des Moines.

GDMPAF is the “go to” resource, the lead organization and advocate for “advancing public art” in Greater Des Moines. It is dedicated to envisioning, developing, advancing and promoting public art projects in the community. GDMPAF recognizes that art belongs in streetscapes, parks, buildings and infrastructures of a thriving community, not just in galleries and museums. Thus, it actively seeks opportunities for art integration throughout the community with the goal of establishing a world-class destination for public art. https://dsmpublicartfoundation.org/