Public art

1/3/2024

Metal sculptures crafted by artist Hilde DeBruyne dot Des Moines and its suburbs’ green spaces. “Simplicity” is found in Clive. In West Des Moines, find the “Circle of Life.” Or head to Johnston’s Terra Park for the “Tree of Life.”

Outside of Iowa, dozens of the contemporary sculptures created by DeBruyne brighten outdoor spaces. 

DeBruyne is a native of Belgium and initially began working with clay. She followed in the footsteps of her father, who was a clay artist. She says her home was like a museum. 

“We traded artwork with people and churches from different countries,” she recalls.

Her dad was inspired by Henry Moore, so she adopted his love of modern, textural work. She studied art history, moving to the United States for a one-year visa. As her husband attended medical school, their visa was extended over the years. After a snafu, they could no longer receive a visa and moved back to Belgium briefly.

When she first lived here, she couldn’t work, so she joined an art community in Des Moines. A former studio, Art 316, is where she began to make clay pieces.

One 3-foot clay piece wouldn’t fit into her kiln at home. She asked a welder to make a frame with concrete to mount it on. That was her first metal sculpture, called “Hope.”

She began making other metal pieces, which is her signature artwork, in addition to clay. Various artwork rotates among the communities. She loans pieces to a city for a few years, and, at the end of the year, the city purchases one piece. For a piece at Terra Park in Johnston, she brainstormed with city leaders and the parks department to come up with the design, which incorporates their ideas of education, agriculture and nature.

The process is unique. She sketches and then makes a 3-D piece in paper. Then she creates a miniature rendering. She works with a team of welders and machinists who put the 3-D drawing into a plasma or laser cutter. 

“The fabrication (Terra Park) was a challenge. I made it at home and had to disassemble it again and transport it. We welded it back on the spot in Johnston,” she recalls.

She enjoys the reactions she sees during the installation. 

“People come up to me to talk about it. Public art is a way to allow for social interaction and something that everyone can enjoy,” she says.

One woman commented that she sees her “Life” leaf on her daily walks. 

“Public art improves the sterile landscapes of garbage and street signs,” she reflects. “Cities with art take pride and feel respected. Imagine Des Moines without their murals or sculpture garden.”

Creating art doesn’t need to be complicated. A butterfly bench and a bookcase she created in “Imagination Alley” in Jefferson tells her story. 

“It’s organic. It’s not art for art’s sake. It engages the imagination, and the bookcase shows how books can transform our lives,” says DeBruyne.

She once drove her vehicle with a 7-foot-tall sculpture to California. It was tricky making sure not to hit low-hung structures along the way. 

“People at gas stations were commenting about it on our way out there.” 

People often ask DeBruyne how long it takes to do one piece. 

“I tell them it takes 20-30 years. You don’t just wake up as an artist. It takes you time to grow into your work. Every piece evolves and grows into the next piece.”

Her favorite styles include birds, trees, female shapes and circles. 

“The migration series of birds is based on our migration to the U.S. The trees and leaves show the change of seasons. The circle is a shape I love.” ♦