Greetings, Cultural Adventurers:
3/31/2026
From Iowa’s cultural epicenter, Mainframe Studios at 900 Keosauqua Way in Des Moines, Iowa comes your Listener-supported Community Voice, the Award-Winning indie radio station, KFMG-LP 98.9 FM (streaming simultaneously at www.kfmg.org), bringing you music, literature & cultural content.
Quote of the Week –
“Our cultural diversity has most certainly shaped our national character.”
– Julie Bishop (1914-2001), previously known as Jacqueline Wells, was an American film and television actress. She appeared in more than 80 films between 1923 and 1957.
Newsletter content:
I. Iowa Flash Buzz – Iowa/Greater Des Moines cultural news of the week;
II. Guests on this week’s show;
III. Performance Arts (Greater Des Moines/Iowa);
IV. Visual Arts (Greater Des Moines/Iowa);
V. Auditions and other engagement opportunities (Greater Des Moines/Iowa);
VI. Planning ahead;
VII. Author events (Greater Des Moines/Iowa);
I. Iowa Flash Buzz –
FIRST FRIDAY at Mainframe Studios
Fri Apr 3, 5-8 PM. CommUNITY. Iowa’s most expansive monthly arts & culture immersions Always free and open to the public. Open studios, exhibitions, music, entertainment, food and more. https://www.mainframestudios.org/events#calendar-d2b22f53-09cf-4e8b-a403-1f79feee9017-event-e0d40cc0-775e-477e-ae0c-831825963f6b
About Time Theatre Company. White Rabbit, Red Rabbit. Apr 1-4, at The Annex, next to xBk Live.
AUDITIONS: Iowa Stage Theatre Company. I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire by Samatha Hurley, directed by Brittny Rebhuhn. Sun Apr 5 from 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM. Auditions will be held at the ISTC rehearsal space, 1472 NE 69th Pl, Ste 101, Ankeny. https://www.iowastage.org/audition
Des Moines Performing Arts, Des Moines Playhouse, Iowa Stage Theatre Company. Broadway Sing Along. Apr 3. https://www.desmoinesperformingarts.org/whats-on/events/2025-26/broadway/broadway-sing-along-with-dmpa-and-the-dm-playhouse
Umeri – Drake University Alumni Choir. “Loves Me, Loves me Not” at Sheslow Auditorium Sun Apr 12, 6 PM. This concert features the Liebeslieder (Love Song) Waltzes by Johannes Brahms and a collection of more than a dozen pithy pieces about love, this work serves as a commentary on love’s joys and difficulties. https://umeri.wp.drake.edu/
The Ingersoll. Church Basement Ladies. Thru Apr 12. https://www.theingersoll.com/
II. This week’s guests on The Culture Buzz –
11:00 AM – Performing April 12 in Des Moines. Umeri Drake Alumni Choir will present “Loves Me, Loves Me Not” in Sheslow Auditorium at 6 PM. Listen as choir director Dr. Aimee Beckmann-Collier share insights into the formation of this distinguished and talented choir, and tantalizing details about this next concert.
11:15 AM – Available to preorder, releases April 14. Steven Gellman is a musician and an author who makes his YA+ novel debut with Somewhere in Nowhere.
“Heartwarming and heartbreaking, beautiful and wise – Somewhere in Nowhere welcomes its reader into a tribe of lovable hunks and misfits. Keep the tissues nearby.”
– John Larson, bestselling author of Whiskey When We’re Dry
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11:29 AM – Margeurite by the Lake is a wonderfully crafted story by Mary Dixie Carter, a gothic psychological thriller that sweeps the reader into a page-turning journey created by Mary’s tantalizing writing.
“Dazzling and atmospheric, Marguerite by the Lake is impossible to put down. A modern-day ghost story, with tinges of Gothic horror, it’s as haunting and gorgeous as the painting at its center. I was gripped until the very last page―a final scene I still can’t stop thinking about.”
―Jenny Hollander, USA Today bestselling author of Everyone Who Can Forgive Me is Dead
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https://www.marydixiecarter.com/
11:44 AM – Appearing at the 2026 Poetry Palooza April 16-18. Kimberly Blaeser has blessed the world with a wealth of insightful poetry and imagery, stimulating those who have connected with her to gain a greater understanding of the world. As a Native American Writer, musician, photographer, scholar, and past Wisconsin Poet Laureate, Kimberly has a deep reservoir of experience and knowledge from which she converts into powerful, meaningful and catalytic poetry, prose and more. Listen as she talks about her recent Ancient Light.
“Through poems, photographs, and drawings, Blaeser offers Indigenous stories and lifeways as a means of hope and resilience: ‘Let us mask / ourselves in hope—all broken of these histories.’” —Jami Macarty, New Pages
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12:00 PM – Limited run – April 1-4. About Time Theatre Company presents its next, and much anticipated, show, White Rabbit, Red Rabbit. Listen as company member Kim Hayes shares glimpses into this next provocative immersion in cutting edge theatre, as unconventional as its performing venue, xBK The Annex. This show launches their 3-show 2026 Season.
“About Time Theatre Company has given Iowa an enticing challenge: join them in cutting edge theatre presented by the best talent. Always unforgettable, and mentally, spiritually, and creatively stimulating.” – The Culture Buzz
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12:15 PM – The Pain Brokers: How Con Men, Call Centers, and Rogue Doctors Fuel America’s Lawsuit Factory is a brilliantly conceived, deeply researched book by talented Elizabeth Chamblee Burch. Listen as she provides peeks into what this excellent resource shares about the larcenous pitfalls that await the unsuspecting. This book will inform.
“Burch is the Jane Goodall of complex litigation. . . . For an expert in such an unlikable form of litigation, Burch is remarkably likable. She is quick to answer questions and quick-witted as well, a purveyor of analogies and metaphors to explicate arcane legal concepts and a walking archive of legal minutiae going back to the origins of product-liability law—the kind of professor a student hopes to find. . . . . Burch’s book cannot make this right, but it at least provides an account far more accessible and comprehensible than any case record, and no less appalling.”
– Casey Cep, The New Yorker
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https://www.elizabethchambleeburch.com/
12:30 PM – In Pinky Swear, Danielle Girard answers the question ‘What is the most terrifying thing that could happen if you’re an expectant mother, your best friend is your surrogate, and she disappears four days before the baby is due?’ Powerfully written, irresistibly engaging, Danielle shares a few insights into this story.
“Gripping, emotional, and utterly propulsive, Pinky Swear is the kind of thriller that gets its hooks in from the first page and doesn’t let go. Girard masterfully blends past secrets with present stakes in a story that’s as much about friendship and motherhood as it is about survival. I tore through it with my heart in my throat.”
–Sally Hepworth, New York Times bestselling author of Darling Girls
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https://www.daniellegirard.com/
12:45 PM – Returning to the show with another great offering, Patricia Leavy shares glimpses into the next of her Celestial Bodies Romance series. Get a copy, settle into your favorite easy chair, and escape into the vibrant story and characters as only Patricia can conjure.
“There is so much beauty in Twinkle of Doubt that stayed with me long after I read the last page: the beauty of our good friends, of healing, of real and steady love, of life’s experiences wonderfully told. I cannot wait for the next Celestial Bodies Romance; I’m so hungry for more.”
—Alexandra Lasczik, coauthor of Walking with A/r/tography
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III. Performance Arts
1. About Time Theatre Company. White Rabbit, Red Rabbit. Apr 1-4, at The Annex next to xBk Live. https://abouttimetheatre.com/
2. Des Moines Performing Arts, Des Moines Playhouse, Iowa Stage Theatre Company. Broadway Sing Along. Apr 3. https://www.desmoinesperformingarts.org/whats-on/events/2025-26/broadway/broadway-sing-along-with-dmpa-and-the-dm-playhouse
3. The Ingersoll. Church Basement Ladies. Thru Apr 12. https://www.theingersoll.com/
4. CAP Theatre. J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan. Apr 17-19. https://www.captheatre.org/peter-pan/
5. Des Moines Playhouse. Crazy for You. Apr 17-May 3. https://dmplayhouse.com/events/crazy-for-you/
6. Des Moines Performing Arts – Wellmark Family Series at the Temple Theatre. Doodle Pop. Apr 15-18. https://www.desmoinesperformingarts.org/whats-on/events/2025-26/applause/doodle-pop
7. Des Moines Symphony. Copeland & Gershwin. Apr 18-19. https://www.desmoinesperformingarts.org/whats-on/events/2025-26/dm-symphony/hope-copland-and-gershwin
8. Community Jazz Center. Jazz Appreciation Month Festival. Apr 19, 11 AM – 4 PM at the Turner Jazz Center, Drake University. https://www.cjc-dsm.org/april-jazz-fest.html
9. Des Moines Playhouse. Improv theatre – Runaway Twain. Apr 19. https://dmplayhouse.com/events/runaway-twain-improv-aug25/
10. Des Moines Performing Arts – National Geographic Live Diving the Great Barrier Reef. Apr 22. https://www.desmoinesperformingarts.org/whats-on/events/2025-26/national-geographic-live/diving-the-great-barrier-reef
11. Tallgrass Theatre Company. Peter Pan on her 70th Birthday. Apr 24-May 10. https://tallgrasstheatre.org/tickets/
12. Des Moines Young Artists’ Theatre. Clue – High School Edition. Apr 24-May 3. https://www.dmyat.org/
13. Des Moines Playhouse. Adventure Clubhouse – Cinderella. Apr 24. https://dmplayhouse.com/events/cinderella/
14. Des Moines Performing Arts. Suffs. Apr 28-May 3. https://www.desmoinesperformingarts.org/whats-on/events/2025-26/broadway/suffs
IV. Visual Arts – Exhibitions
Exhibitions –
· The Avenues. New works of art will soon light up the night along Ingersoll Avenue this winter and spring.
Thru April 16: “Polychromatic Rabbit” by Heather Vail, of Corydon.
Liz Lidgett Gallery + Design, 2711 Ingersoll, sponsored an honorarium for each selected artwork, as artists deserve to be compensated for their work.
· Frank Hansen solo show – “Live at the Finken’-Engler House.” Immerse yourself with the opportunity to purchase some of Hansen’s Emotionalism Art. Fri Apr 10, 5-8 PM.
· Art at The Fremont. “Dungeons & Dragons Art Show” Sat Apr 18 – 6-10 PM. Call for Artists still open. Contact event producer, D Ryan Allen (https://www.facebook.com/inferalengines).
· Des Moines Art Center. Bill Owens. “Work and Leisure,” thru Apr 19.
1. Des Moines Art Center. 2 Re-connect with old favorites on exhibit from their permanent collection. Explore the constantly changing exhibits, from staff-curated to international, always ready to stimulate the imagination and senses. Always open (except holidays), always free.
https://desmoinesartcenter.org/
2. Brunnier Art Museum. Ames. 2 This is the flagship for the University Museums, a treasure trove of visual arts immersion on the Iowa State University campus, which includes the Christian Petersen Art Museum, The Farm House Museum, the Anderson Sculpture Garden and the Art on Campus Collection. https://www.museums.iastate.edu/visit/brunnier-art-museum
3. The Grinnell College Museum of Art. Grinnell. 2https://www.grinnell.edu/campus-life/arts-culture/museum
4. 2AU. West Des Moines. 1,2
5. Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden. Des Moines 2 I added this destination for its unique value as a “living gallery,” where the constantly changing floral exhibitions entice and delight.
https://www.dmbotanicalgarden.com/
6. Heritage Art Gallery. 2 Des Moines. http://www.polkcountyheritagegallery.org/
7. Hoyt Sherman Place Art Gallery. 2 Des Moines. https://hoytsherman.org/gallery/
8. IN Tandem Arts & Authors. 1,2 Des Moines. https://www.facebook.com/INTandemArtsAndAuthors/
9. Kavanaugh Art Gallery. West Des Moines. 1,2
10. Kunzler Studios. West Des Moines. 1,2 kunzlerstudios.com
11. Liz Lidgett Gallery + Design. Des Moines.
12. Moberg Gallery. Des Moines. 2
13. Olson-Larsen Galleries. West Des Moines.1,2
14. Polk County Heritage Gallery. Des Moines. 2
http://www.polkcountyheritagegallery.org/
15. Slow Down Coffee Shop. Des Moines. 2
https://www.theslowdowndsm.com/
16. Zanzibar’s Coffee Adventure. Des Moines. 2 https://www.facebook.com/ZanzibarsCoffeeAdventure/
1Visit these galleries open during semi-annual Historic Valley Junction Gallery Nights.
2Check website for current exhibitions.
V. Auditions, Volunteer, and other Enhancement Opportunities –
“The Arts is a Contact Sport” (A Culture Buzz creed)
· AUDITIONS: Iowa Stage Theatre Company. I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire by Samatha Hurley, directed by Brittny Rebhuhn. Sun Apr 5 from 6:30 PM – 9:30 PM. Auditions will be held at the ISTC rehearsal space, 1472 NE 69th Pl, Ste 101, Ankeny. https://www.iowastage.org/audition
· AUDITIONS: Des Moines Playhouse. Legally Blonde. Apr 20. https://dmplayhouse.com/auditions/legally-blonde/
· Additional volunteer opportunities abound – now is a great time to explore how to find other ways to engage with Central Iowa theatre companies. Assistance is always welcome, from costume and set building, to ushering, to back stage crew, find a short-term commitment that will be immensely gratifying.
Check out these theatre companies to consider a wide range of engagement opportunities.
1. About Time Theatre Company. https://abouttimetheatre.com/shows/
2. Ankeny Community Theatre. https://www.ankenycommunitytheatre.com/audition.html
3. Carousel Theatre of Indianola. https://carouseltheatre.org/?page_id=344
4. Class Act Productions (CAP). http://www.captheatre.org/main/expect/
5. Des Moines Community Playhouse. https://www.dmplayhouse.com/audition-2/
6. Des Moines Performing Arts. https://desmoinesperformingarts.org/
7. Des Moines Young Artists Theatre.
8. Iowa Stage Theatre Company. https://www.iowastage.org/audition
9. Once in a While Productions. https://www.facebook.com/groups/6717224708342610/
10. Pyramid Theatre Company. http://pyramidtheatre.org/
11. Tallgrass Theatre Company. https://tallgrasstheatre.org/audition/
12. The Ingersoll. https://www.theingersoll.com/
13. Theatre Midwest. https://www.theatremidwest.org/
14. Urbandale Community Theatre. https://urbandaletheatre.com/get-involved/
VI. Planning ahead
Today marks the opening of “America 250: Prairie, Plows, and the People’s College“ at Farm House Museum, commemorating the nation’s 250th anniversary through more than 250 historical objects. The exhibition presents six themes—Early Iowa State, Early Iowa, Immigration, National Imagery, Native Stories, and Innovation and the Victorian Home—through decorative arts, textiles, furniture, and documents that trace Iowa State’s land-grant heritage. Visitors can see George Washington Carver featured in the 1896 Bomb yearbook, a hand-painted Norwegian Rosemaling trunk from 1852, the VEISHA bicycle from the 1890s, and other objects that reveal how Farm House residents and early Iowa State students lived and learned. The exhibition runs through October 2026 and is free and open to the public. Visit museums.iastate.edu for hours and more information.
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Hoyt Sherman Place Foundation Presents “An Exploration of Baseball’s History in Iowa”
Wednesday, May 27, 2026
Hoyt Sherman Place Foundation, in partnership with historian John Liepa and the Des Moines Civil War Roundtable, presents a special exhibit entitled An Exploration of Baseball’s History in Iowa on Wednesday, May 27. This exhibit is made possible by funding from Humanities Iowa and the National Endowment for Humanities.
Noon to 5:00 PM – Visit the art gallery for a free special exhibition featuring baseball items from the 1850s to the present.
7:00 to 8:15 PM – John Liepa will give his presentation “Baseball’s Origins: The Civil War’s Role in Spreading the Game to Iowa.” This presentation is free and open to the public.
VII. Between the covers – author/book events worth noting:
1. Beaverdale Books. Terri Leedom Play the Game: A Caregiver’s Journey of Navigating Dementia. Mon Apr 6, 6:30 PM.
2. Beaverdale Books. William Green. This Is the Route of My Forefathers. Wed Apr 8, 6:30 PM.
3. Beaverdale Books. Paula Sevenbergen. Flow. Wed Apr 15, 6:30 PM.
4. Beaverdale Books at Big Grove Brewery. Sarah Becan. Let’s Make Cocktails! Mon Apr 20, 6 PM.
5. Beaverdale Books. Yasmina Din Madden. You Know Nothing. Thu Apr 23 6:30 PM.
6. The Little Book. Sarah Glenn Marsh. Our Rogue Fates. Fri May 1, 7 PM.
7. Des Moines Book Festival at the Franklin Event Center. Sat May 2, 11 AM – 6 PM. https://beaverdalebooks.com/dsm-book-festival-2026/
8. Beaverdale Books. Barry Markovsky. Everyday Extraordinary: A Scientist Ponders a Lifetime of Magical, Bizaare, and Paranormal Experiences. Fri May 15, 6:30 PM.
*Highlighted author names indicate interviews are in The Culture Buzz Archive Library.
Please visit: https://archive.org/details/@the_culture_buzz
Greater Des Moines/Central Iowa Independent Book Stores:
The Culture Buzz encourages you to visit your local independent book store regularly. Check these sites, as their calendars are always filled with enticing activities and news.
1. Beaverdale Books, Des Moines.
http://www.beaverdalebooks.com/
2. Storyhouse Bookpub, Des Moines Historic East Village.
https://storyhousebookpub.com/
3. The Little Book, Des Moines (Highland Park District).
https://www.thelittlebookdsm.com/
4. Shelf Love DSM, Des Moines (Drake Neighborhood).
5. Nos Books, Des Moines (Drake Neighborhood). https://www.nosbookstore.com/
6. Reading in Public Bookstore + Café, Historic Valley Junction.
7. Indie Authors Book Expo, Valley West Mall. https://iabe515.wordpress.com/
8. Pageturners Bookstore, Indianola.
http://www.pageturnersbookstore.com/
9. Dog-eared Books, Ames.
https://dogearedbooksames.com/
10. Read a Book Nook, Marshalltown.
https://read-a-book-nook.business.site/
11. Book Vault, Oskaloosa.
https://bookvault.indielite.org/
12. Pella Books, Pella.
13. Prairie Lights Books & Cafe, Iowa City.
https://www.prairielights.com/
Thank you for your cultural adventurism,
John Busbee for The Culture Buzz
