Around Des Moines

Court Avenue west of the Des Moines River to Fifth Street was resurfaced on Sunday, April 27, 2008. As the sign states, this is your tax dollars at work. The street should look nice and smooth for the start of the downtown farmers’ market on Saturday, May 10th. A machine laid down asphalt and pressed it to the roadway. Several people monitored this process. Another person followed behind with a broom to smooth out the edge of the new covering. Another crew painted new stop lines and crosswalks on the side streets.

The Court Avenue Bridge over the Des Moines River was constructed in 1917 and reconstructed in 1982, according to a plaque at the site. If you stand on the southern side and look down river, you will see an old railroad bridge converted to a pedestrian and bicycle walkway. This red-painted bridge was finished in 2006 as part of the Principal Riverwalk. Next to it is a still-functioning railroad bridge. Look a bit further on the west side of the river and you might see the lights of Principal Park. This minor league ballpark was called Sec Taylor Stadium until Principal donated several dollars to cover repair costs. The Iowa Cubs, a farm team for the Chicago Cubs, play there.

The Court Avenue Bridge is shown in the bottom picture below. The top right picture shows the western bank with steps down to a sidewalk that runs alongside the river. The old public library building, located between Walnut and Locust Streets, is in the picture. The riverside steps help mark the level of the river, which does rise above the top step. Note that there is no sidewalk along the bank to the steps, though. The top middle picture shows the John Pat Dorrian Trail, a bicycle and pedestrian path. According to the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, the Dorrian Trail was formerly known as the East River Trail and is 2.2 miles long. It is an asphalt trail that links to the Neal Smith trail, which is 26 miles long and gives access to Saylorville Lake. Dorrian was mayor of Des Moines from 1987 through 1996. A quick search of the Internet did not return any information on the rock beside the Dorrian Trail that mentions a 2001 Sculpture Walk.

On the west side of the river at Court Avenue (below, bottom left) are the offices of Polk County. The old post office, built in 1908, also houses county offices and faces Walnut Street. In 1975 the post office was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The county’s voters approved buying the building for government offices at a cost of $5.8 million. The picture in the top left shows the historic plaque at 4th and Court in honor of Ronald Reagan, who was a radio announcer in Des Moines before moving to California and on to the presidency. The picture to the right looks down Court Avenue from the river to the county courthouse.

M.R. Field writes about local issues for AroundDesMoines.com. 

The Science Center of Iowa offered free admission on December 4th, from 5:00 to 9:00 a.m. The occasion was a seasonal remote broadcast of the Van and Bonnie Show on WHO Radio 1040-AM. WHO-TV’s Jeriann Ritter also broadcast her weather reports from Channel 13’s booth in the building. The affordable entrance fee was what attracted me.

The first thing I want from educational entertainment facilities is toys for all ages. The Science Center passes that test easily. Although, the informative display of how nostrils protect the air passages from allergens and other contaminants, i.e., shooting plastic balls through a giant nose, is scheduled to close with the rest of the Grossology exhibit in February. This particular interactive tool was enjoyed by most visitors, from men with receding gray hair to pre-pubescent girls.

The second thing I demand is access to public transit. Usually that would be the first requirement; however, if the place isn’t worth visiting, I couldn’t care less if bus service runs nearby. The building’s address is based on its southern exposure (401 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway) but it’s northern entrance is on Fourth Street in downtown Des Moines, about three blocks from Walnut Street and several bus routes.

The Science Center combines a natural history museum, a theater, a reptile house, a planetarium, a playroom, a historical museum, a science lab, a library, a school house, a special exhibits area, a food court, and a gift store under one roof. It makes good use of limited space and offers a sampling of what one might find in all of those places. There are various stand-alone objects that tie the spaces together. While the pendulum was publicized with great fanfare when the Science Center opened, I was more impressed with the motion detectors along the stairway between the main display floor and the second level. The hypothesis posed by the sensors is that one good laugh leads to another. Conduct your own experiment based on that question and see how you feel after you reach the top or bottom of the steps.

The bull snake was my favorite part of the Science Center. I asked one employee a question about the snake but she replied she stays out of that room. I then talked with another employee. He hasn’t measured it but having seen lots of bull snakes he would say it is at least five feet long and from Texas.

The room for toddlers is done well. It utilizes objects to which young children are exposed on a regular basis, such as a fruit stand at a market, to introduce concepts of physics and other sciences.

The astronomy room is where I found myself dwelling. Looking at Galaxy M82 through various wavelengths gave me several ideas for art projects.

There are lots of things to see and do at the Science Center. Nevertheless, I also noticed some omissions, such as the difference between the loess of the west and the bluffs of the east.

M.R. Field is editor of Leading Voices: Iowa. 

Options for entertainment at the Iowa state fair range from performances by dance schools to calling contests to musical groups. The quality can be described as eager amateur to well-experienced professional. I came away from looking at the fair’s schedule with the impression that the variety of performers this year was not as great as in previous years. Thus, I was not surprised when my trip to the fair on the second Thursday did not include any acts that appealed to me.
The Elwell Family Food Center, where prize-winning desserts are displayed, was moved to the old tourism building this year. At the old location Blue Bunny had given away samples of its frozen treats.  A person exiting the new location as I entered muttered, “Nothing’s free anymore.”  This was an echo of my own observation that the give-aways at this year’s fair seemed fewer and less interesting than in other years.  Although, the magnet clip from Iowa tourism is nice.

Anderson Erickson is still offering samples of its products. Unfortunately, lemonade was being served the day I was there. Having tasted the beverage before I knew it was proof that AE should stick with dairy products. Cookies was promoting its salsa, which isn’t bad but not so good that the company should stray from its barbeque sauce products.

Most food vendors’ booths had no lines but plenty of people were seen with ice cream cones and pork chops on a stick. The Cattlemen’s Beef Quarters was the only site with a long line. On Thursday, Boone County Beef Princesses were taking orders in the express lines where $2.75 hamburgers were featured from 2-4 p.m..

Nikki (pictured) certainly enjoyed her pork chop. Nikki was trained as a service dog by Dog Expectations in Newton. She is alert for the early signs of a seizure, but also is sensitive to feelings in general and can tell if a child has been abused. She accompanies Kevin Johnson of Des Moines who works as a school-based artist in residence. Johnson takes Nikki to the fair every year on her birthday. This year she is 12 and was celebrating with Ruth Bergland of Boone.

The theme of this year’s fair is “Sounds like fun.” As I looked around the fair, I thought “Why bother?” might be a more accurate theme. Cheap plastic toys could be bought for less money at a dollar store than at fair booths. Bauder’s ice cream can be found on Ingersoll Avenue year-round. I could buy cheese curds offered by one vendor with more guarantee of freshness at the Valley Junction farmers’ market.

Then I realized why we need to attend the fair. Cell phones were mostly quiet and laptop computers were scarce. Instead, people were looking at each other and interacting without the buffer of electronic equipment. That is reason enough to bother: an opportunity to interact with each other and to share moments in real-time and in real-space, an opportunity to part of something human.

Guest Writer: M.R. Field is editor of Leading Voices: Iowa.

A blog for life and events around Des Moines has to include an item on the state fair. Being on the Internet, the piece has to include some background information for non-Iowans, as well as something new for the locals.

I had planned to attend the fair during its first week and to talk with people about their views of the fair and of Iowa. Alas, when I finally made it to the fair on the second Thursday, the mood on the fairgrounds was not conducive to pestering people for their opinions.

The morning was rainy and that seemed to limit the crowds and to dampen the energy level. The line for samples of dairy, soybean, and meat products in the Agricultural building stood still for minutes at a time, as though it were just too much effort to move. Smiles and the pace picked up midway through the afternoon after the rain clouds finally dissipated. Having been at the fair just the one day I cannot say if the malaise of moodiness was due wholly to the weather or if it had another underlying cause. However, KCCI TV news reported on Friday that hot weather had kept food sales down and CityView reported that dry weather had severely limited the number of entries into produce contests. People tending booths seemed worn down and not pleased to be there.

The Information booth people were helpful, though. I even found an answer to my question about reserve champions. The term refers to second place. I was curious because the term “reserve” could mean either higher or lower quality and coverage of auctions I had seen in prior years seemed to praise reserves more than champions. The person at the Information booth explained that a champion may not go to auction at the fair. The animal might be taken to another, bigger show. If the champion wins there, it can bring more money. However, sometimes it comes in third or fourth and the value is lost.

I also learned some things at the Vatterott College booth in the Varied Industries building. Enrollment and course options are up and the college is constructing a new building at 7000 Fleur Drive. The web site reveals that the career and technical education center has campuses in several other states, too.

The presidential selection caucuses were heavily promoted. WHO-TV had mason jars into which a kernel of corn counted as a vote for a candidate. The political parties had candidate and caucus information at their booths. Even the State Historical Museum was promoting a caucus exhibit that opens on October 5, 2007. Alas, nobody was informing Iowans that school board and municipal government elections will be held this year.

As always, there were rides to excite children and games for men to show their prowess. Gardeners and gardening centers provided colorful plants to landscape the fairgrounds. Pride of 4-H animal raising and practicality of farming continue to be major reasons for the state fair.

Guest Writer: M.R. Field is editor of Leading Voices: Iowa.

As I headed out on a walk to the Arts Festival to pick up the shuttle to the Midwest Art Show, I encountered a farm stand in the parking lot at 39th and Grand. Terry has operated the stand and another one at Beaver and Franklin for three years. He did not offer his last name but did answer an inquiry by saying his primary work involves overhead doors. The produce will be available almost daily for the next four to five weeks according to a woman working at the stand. Although, she added that the fields are clear now so it might be a day or two before there is enough food to bring into town. Today the stand offered Iowa’s famous peaches & cream corn, some tomatoes, and a bit of watermelon.

The next chance encounter was at the Robert Spellman Art Gallery, formerly called Bullseye Art, at 1726 Grand Avenue. There was a three-day show opening to coincide with the Art Festival, but the gallery, which has been around for a year, usually is open only on Saturdays or by appointment. Justine Zimmer has a couple metallic sculptures on display, similar in design to, albeit much smaller than, her silver tornado in Iowa City.

Sandra Gustafson also recreates nature, using acrylics on canvas. The imperfection of her shapes reflects the oddity of nature, but also indicates a lack of fineness to the stroke. She uses color well, but her use of light resembles a photographer’s studio. It is as though she is painting bright light and lesser light, instead of light and shadow. Thus, in Gustafson’s two-piece set entitled, “Free,” it is as though the butterflies are free of the cocoon but are also captive within a room.

Spellman shows his own work in his gallery. His “Duke V,” an acrylic-on-canvas bull with triangle hoofs and a curved but solid-colored body, combines with strong background colors to evoke both motion and motion. He said he prefers to work with oils because of the variety of colors, the texture, and layering effects. His paintings in oil are more abstract than the acrylic work.

The fourth artist whose work is in the show is Nick Oakland. He is a student at Grandview and just started experimenting with ink and polyurethane on canvas in the past few months. He has three untitled pieces painted within two weeks of each other. Looking at them in order of their creation, it seems as though the primal birth of the planet flowed through him. Untitled is shades of red and violet, as though molten lava is cooling. Untitled II is shades of green as though the growth of algae is building the atmosphere and filling the oceans. Untitled III uses oranges and shades of blue tending towards green as though the sky is touching water, and a golden shape is rising from the bottom as though it is the first creature seeking to breathe air.

Guest Author: M.R. Field is editor of Leading Voices: Iowa.

The layout for the Arts Festival this year was more spread out, as tents were set up in the new Western Gateway park and along Locust Street. Last year, the festival was a bit further east with booths along the sidewalk and street in front of the Central Library. There was more room for people to walk around this year. However, the layout also meant booths for non-profit organizations were stretched out, too. The art that I glimpsed walking past booths looked decent, but I did not look closely at anything. My goal for the festival was to find the Animal Rescue League booth in order to buy raffle tickets. The raffle is for a bicycle from Bike World, with the drawing to be held late in July. The tickets are available for purchase online, but it takes work to find the raffle option in the online store.

Supporters of Project Destiny also had a booth at the Arts Festival. It was standing by itself, with a “Yes to Destiny” sign. The impression it gave was that of a fortune teller’s booth, complete with “Yes to Destiny” tarot cards (stickers). When I was there, the tent was abandoned with the back flap starting to come loose, as though Destiny is nothing more than entropy.

Polk County Conservation had stuffed birds and a person showing off wings of raptors to a group of children. I asked if there were any information about the peregrine falcons screeching around the Capitol and nesting downtown, but there was none. The Dept. of Natural Resources had a webcam on the nest,
though.

At the ArtFest Midwest Art Show, which is in its fifth year, there was a hint of the state fair. The show tents outside the Varied Industries building helped with the atmosphere, as did the food and beverage booths that were set up. It was even possible to get a bucket of cookies. Today (July 1st) also was the last date for entries in the state fair’s photography exhibit to be dropped off at the Administration building.

ArtFest Midwest promotes itself as featuring regional and local artists with products at lower prices than the downtown Arts Festival. A wide range of mediums and a significant diversity of styles and themes were observed. If you’re still looking for the right piece of art, there are plenty of galleries in Des Moines and many artists showing in small retail stores and coffee shops. If its large-scale entertainment that you prefer, the Iowa State Fair will be here in just over a month.

Guest Author: M.R. Field is editor of Leading Voices: Iowa.

When I first heard that the Des Moines Arts Festival was celebrating its tenth year, I thought someone had gotten the math wrong. After all, it was here in one form or another when I first came to town in the late 1980s. So I investigated.

It all began as “Art in the Park” back in 1958 when the Des Moines Art Museum first hosted the event on its lush grounds. Each summer several hundred art lovers made the trek to view and purchase a wide array of arts, made predominantly by artists from Iowa and neighboring states.

By 1998, the summer art event was heading into a growth spurt, and so the newly renamed “Des Moines Art Festival” was transplanted onto the trio of downtown bridges over the Des Moines River. There it continued to grow in size and sophistication.

Now the juried art fair is located in the Western Gateway area of downtown Des Moines where it draws crowds of over 200,000.

Over the years, it has garnered a reputation as the signature arts and culture event in Iowa and the festival continues to blossom. The 2007 event showcases over 500 visual artists and promises increased emphasis on the performing arts. And, although the festival now features national and international artists, much Iowa talent still shines through.

For more information about the Des Moines Arts Festival, being held this weekend, visit http://www.desmoinesartsfestival.org/

Guest Author: Brenda Friedrich

technorati tags: Home Turf Media, Iowa, Des Moines, Des Moines Arts Festival, Brenda Friedrich

The Des Moines Art Festival — celebrating its tenth year June 29 - July 1– has always been a juried art fair. And the calibur of its showcased artists keeps rising. This year, 135 participants were chosen from over 1,400 applicants. 15 award-winning artists from last year’s event were also invited back.Of these, nine outstanding Iowa artists made the cut. (This is addition to the 24 Emerging Iowa Artists featured at the festival.)

These veteran Iowa artists represent a wide range of media and a cross-section of the state. Doubly-talented artist Chris Vance, who describes his work as “a diary,” made the grade in two categories: 2-D Mixed Media and Painting. George and Martha Monson Lowe are perennial favorites with his green-glazed pottery and her woven rattan baskets. And, as is often the case, they are gems that often go unrecognized.

Be sure to look for all these Iowa treaures at this year’s event:

Mike Bose (Bedford, IA), Ceramics at Booth G11

Gene Brown (Urbandale, IA) 2-D Mixed Media at Booth P78

George Lowe (Decorah, IA), Ceramics at Booth P41

Martha Monson Lowe (Decorah, IA), 3-D Mixed Media at Booth P40

James Ochs (Iowa City, IA), Graphics/Printmaking at Booth G13

James Petran (Iowa City, IA), Painting at Booth P6

Jose Sierra (Pella, IA), Ceramics at Booth P49

Chris Vance (Bondurant, IA), 2-D Mixed Media and Painting at Booth L20C

David Young (Solon, IA), Wood at Booth P11C

For more information about the Des Moines Art Festival, visit http://www.desmoinesartsfestival.org/

Guest Author: Brenda Friedrich

technorati tags: Home Turf Media, Iowa, Des Moines, Des Moines Arts Festival, Brenda Friedrich

With festival time here, many of the uninitiated may be asking, “What’s all the hubbub about?” I’ll try to sum it up: the Des Moines Arts Festival is all about art, entertainment, fun and food! It’s about seeing old friends and gaining new perspectives.

Held June 29-July 1 in the downtown Western Gateway Park, the Des Moines Arts Festival is Iowa’s only free, three-day celebration of the arts. Its mainstay is a juried art fair which features visual arts from across the United States. The festival also encourages new talent with the Nurturing a Student’s Vision program, which exhibits artwork from young Iowa artists in grades K-12. And a recently added feature showcases the work of Emerging Iowa Artists.

Returning for a second year is the sculpture garden, located by the new library. Activities for children and families remain on the festival line-up. And, of course, a number of food vendors continue to indulge guests with an eclectic variety of culinary arts.

While this year’s event will continue to offer favorites from past years, the festival will also “expand into a variety of activities, encouraging patrons to Live the Arts,” say festival staff. Three stages have been added to showcase the performing arts, including dance, theatre and music. But expect the live excitement to spread as a variety of street theatre groups roam the site.

Amid all of this excitement, be sure to keep an eye out for pavement artist Gary Palmer. This internationally acclaimed muralist can be found creating art life at the corner of 15th St. and Grand Ave.

Festival hours are:

Friday, June 29 - 4:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 30 - 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fireworks Show at 9:45 p.m.
Sunday, July 1 - 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Visit the Des Moines Arts Festival Web site for driving directions, festival map or more detailed information.

Guest Author: Brenda Friedrich

technorati tags: Home Turf Media, Iowa, Des Moines, Des Moines Arts Festival, Brenda Friedrich

The arts are about to overtake downtown Des Moines in grand fashion! Located in the downtown Western Gateway, the 2007 Des Moines Art Festival promises non-stop live music, free dance performances and the work of over 500 visual artists.

And this year, to celebrate it’s tenth anniversary, the Des Moines Arts Festival is pulling out all the stops with a free performance with the world renowned Joffrey Ballet. The outdoor performance is scheduled for Friday, June 29, and made possible by Hancher Auditorium and the University of Iowa.

Although the event starts at 8 p.m., you’ll want to come early. Head for 12th Street, between downtown’s Central Library and the Pappajohn Higher Education Center and bring your blankets and folding chairs for this one-and-a-half-hour performance.

Can’t make the date? Des Moines won’t be the ballet company’s only Iowa stop. This summer,the Joffrey Ballet will present five free performances to mark Hancher’s 35th anniversary season. The tour will include appearances in Council Bluffs, Muscatine, Cedar Rapids and Iowa City.

For a complete schedule of the Joffrey Ballet’s Iowa River-to-River tour, visit http://www.hancher.uiowa.edu/hancher35/locations.html

Guest Author: Brenda Friedrich

technorati tags: Home Turf Media, Iowa, Des Moines, Des Moines Arts Festival, Brenda Friedrich