‘Art for Everyone’
9/2/2026
Artwork offered on the auction block frequently makes headlines. A Van Gogh painting sold for $62 million. A self-portrait by Frida Kahlo fetched $54 million.
Yet, not all artwork costs the price of a home, a car or even a new sofa. One local gallery owner wants art lovers to embrace art offered at all budgets and has written a book dedicated to fostering a love of art for everyone.
Liz Lidgett, owner of Liz Lidgett Gallery + Design, offers tips and resources for art-related inspiration in her new book, “Art for Everyone: How to Collect Art & Personalize Your Space on Any Budget.”
Lidgett wrote the book to empower people to find their own style and begin an art collection. She dispels the myth that big bucks are needed to purchase art.
“For a long time, folks thought you needed to be a millionaire to buy art. Auctions made people feel like they could never buy it,” she said.
The book takes a nuts-and-bolts approach to collecting art, as well as decorating, installing and creating a gallery wall, while tying in various room design elements.
“Art For Everyone” is full of brightly colored pages and high-quality photos throughout. Approximately 250 artists’ works are represented in the book, along with art walls from Iowa homeowners.
The book hit No. 1 in its category on Amazon Books. It’s sold at the Museum of Modern Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art and Des Moines Arts Center.
“It’s always been my dream to be in a museum gift shop,” she reflects.
Instagram followers have offered Lidgett feedback about the book.
“They took the art down and put it up in a new place, making everything look different in the house. The client finally felt like they found the right place to hang it,” she said. “It feels like we are succeeding in our mission.”
Lidgett grew up as the “art kid” at Roosevelt High School. She attended college for art history, journalism and public art, and became an in-house art curator for corporate collections.
She served as an art adviser and opened her own art gallery in the East Village in 2019. The gallery, now located on Ingersoll Avenue, represents 75 artists while Lidgett assists clients across the U.S. in finding that perfect piece of art.
The gallery’s public art division has created more than 100 murals across central Iowa and puts on new shows featuring different artists each month. Her goal is to have at least 50% of the art displayed by women.
“In most galleries, women only count for 13% of the artists represented. We’re trying to combat that,” she said. “We are doing our best to get rid of the starving artist stigma. Art collecting can be exclusive. We want to be inclusive.”
Lidgett says Des Moines nurtures artists and values art.
“I feel like it’s the right place at the right time. We have so many talented and successful artists from Iowa, making a difference in our community and in the art world.”
Lidgett wants others to experience art. She says she is personally drawn to art because of how it can make a person feel, noting how it is a human experience seeing a painting and wanting to be a part of it.
“It’s surreal to have my book in the art world, helping clients live in a home they love,” she said. “It makes my heart sing.” ♦
Jackie Wilson has written hundreds of articles for CITYVIEW and the Iowa Living magazines. She covers ordinary people living extraordinary lives.
