Posted March 01, 2023in Art News
Jeff Fleming is retiring from his directorship at the Des Moines Art Center in late April. That makes the new 75th anniversary exhibition his swan song. Because he came to Des Moines a quarter-century ago as a curator, we asked him how involved he was with the show, whose curators
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Posted February 01, 2023in Art News
It’s barely February, but I can’t imagine 2023 will produce a more profound galley show than Scott Charles Ross’ Ukrainian Project at Moberg Gallery. Ross has made a career by showing the simple beauties of very likable old places like southern England’s coast and Quebec. Gallery owner TJ Moberg says
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Posted January 04, 2023in Art News
It’s a very new year for the arts world. The Metropolitan Opera is back after a long shutdown in observance of New York’s COVID dogma and then a system shutdown that prevented the company from selling tickets. They are open for business with a magnificent schedule featuring mostly beloved classics.
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Posted November 30, 2022in Art News
Next year should be big for Des Moines arts institutions. In recent years, the Des Moines Art Center has worked to improve its collection of photography, particularly that of the early to mid-20th century. This era was often ignored by art museums but has now been embraced as not only
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Posted November 02, 2022in Art News
In October, British green anarchists attacked Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” with cans of tomato soup. Others glued themselves to Van Gogh’s “Peach Trees in Blossom.” Their motivation? “Fuel is unaffordable to millions of cold, hungry families. They can’t even afford to heat a tin of soup.” Art seems safe from such
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Posted October 05, 2022in Art News
“You can take the girl out of the garden, but you can’t take the garden out of the girl.” – Adele Renault Love her or not, Adele Renault makes people go bananas. Raised on a farm in the Belgian Ardennes, the painter’s musical family encouraged her to travel and experience
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Posted August 31, 2022in Art News
Olson Larsen’s main gallery is closed while a new roof is built on the building. But the shows must go on, and the gallery has been innovative. By press time, they will be hosting a pop-up show at the venerable Jordan House, one of the oldest buildings in Polk County
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Posted August 03, 2022in Art News
Bill Luchsinger and Karen Strohbeen open their annual show Aug. 12 at Moberg Gallery. The pioneer digital couple are Iowa’s most popular artists by several measures, including total works sold. They have been doing their distinctive thing for 52 years now, and they were ahead of even David Hockney in
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Posted July 06, 2022in Art News
“Contemporary Abstraction: Collaging Space and Color” is playing at Moberg Gallery through Sept. 2. It’s an ambitious exhibition that includes works by 20 artists from around the world. All work in abstraction. That means this show is interactive. No two people take the same thing away from viewing an abstract
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Posted June 01, 2022in Art News
Jeff Fleming is in his final year as Des Moines Art Center director. He’s been director since 2005 and has worked at the museum since 1999. He was the first director ever hired from within the ranks, and he has been the most successful director of my lifetime, which began
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