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Drawing in Space: A unique exhibit inside the Des Moines Art Center

Drawing in Space
January 4, 2018

The architects of the Des Moines Art Center couldn’t have imagined the latest exhibit inside the walls they designed.

“Drawing in Space” at the Des Moines Art Center explores line and space through the creation of large-scale, site-specific installations using tape. The show opened at the end of September and closes on Jan. 21. It’s equal parts overwhelming and intriguing.

“I was not given the gift of a vivid imagination,” Kathy Davidson said Wednesday as she toured the exhibits. “At some point, they had to decide to create things out of tape. Who thinks of that? An artist.”

Davidson—of Urbandale—was with her nine-year-old granddaughter Alice Gawronski.

“It’s really fun to look at all of them,” Alice said. “I like coming to the art center.”

Rhonda Fingerman has worked at the Des Moines Art Center as a supervisor for the last two years and said the “Drawing in Space” exhibit has brought in big numbers to the gallery.

“I think it’s brought in some new audiences that have never been in the museum before,” Fingerman says.

Davidson said this exhibit is unlike anything they’ve ever seen.

“It just takes your breath away,” Davidson says.

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Coming to America

The artists traveled to Des Moines and picked a location inside the art center to create their exhibit.

The artists were:

Christine Crawford, Director of Marketing and Public Relations for the Des Moines Art Center, said some of the artists enlisted help from staff at the Des Moines Art Center during the installation process.

But while the artists were selecting their locations, no artist wanted the same space as the other.

“They just naturally were drawn to the different spaces,” Crawford said.

Crawford said the Numen / For Use exhibit—that visitors can actually go inside—uses 25 miles of tape and took 15 people 10 days to construct.

It was built in—and for—the Pei gallery for this exhibition. The artists have done similar work in other countries but this is the first time they have built such a sculpture in the United States.

“They responded to the space, obviously,” Crawford says laughing. “This is their first time in the United States. And this kind of goes against everything the art center usually does because you can not only touch it, but get in it.”

 

Drawing in Space: A unique exhibit inside the Des Moines Art Center | Clay & Milk
A central Iowa ag-tech accelerator has secured more backers and finally has a name. The Greater Des Moines Partnership first announced the accelerator last year, naming four initial investors. On Monday, the Partnership said the program will be called the "Iowa AgriTech Accelerator" and named three new investors. The new investors include Grinnell Mutual, Kent Corp. and Sukup Manufacturing, all Iowa companies. They join investors Deere & Co., Peoples Co., Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance Co. and DuPont Pioneer. Each investor has agreed to put up $100,000 for the first year of the accelerator. Startups entering the program will receive $40,000 in seed funding in exchange for 6 percent equity. Tej Dhawan, an angel investor and local startup mentor, is serving as interim director until the AgriTech Accelerator names a permanent leader. Dhawan held a similar role with the GIA before Brian Hemesath was named as managing director. As interim director, Dhawan said his main job includes hiring the accelerator's executive director, establishing a business structure and initial recruiting for the first cohort. The accelerator will place few filters, such as location and product, on the applicant pool, Dhawan said. "When you’re seeking innovation, innovation can come from every corner of the world so why restrict ourselves," he said. One area the the AgriTech Accelerator won't recruit from is biotech. For its first cohort, the AgriTech Accelerator will work out of the GIA's space in Des Moines' East Village, Dhawan said. A future, permanent home is still to be decided. The accelerator's program will host startups from mid-July through mid-October, ending with an event connected to the annual World Food Prize. The GIA, which the AgriTech Accelerator is based on, also ends with presentations at an industry event. The accelerator has also started lining up a mentor pool. The Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Soybean Association and the Iowa Pork Producers Association have agreed to provide mentors, as has Iowa State University. While the AgriTech Accelerator is loosely based off of the GIA, it will differ in its business structure, Dhawan said. The GIA runs through a for-profit model for both operations and its investment fund. The AgriTech Accelerator will have a nonprofit model for its operations and a for-profit setup for its fund. Dhawan said the nonprofit model is being used so the accelerator can better work with other nonprofit partners, such as trade associations. "These are all organizations that are nonprofits and can be amazing stakeholders without ever having to be investors in the accelerator," he said. "It becomes easier to work with trade associations in their nonprofit role when we are also a nonprofit." When it's up and running, the AgriTech Accelerator would be one of a handful of ag-focused startup development programs in Iowa. Others include the Ag Startup Engine out of Iowa State University and the Rural Ventures Alliance from Iowa MicroLoan. Matthew Patane is the managing editor and co-founder of Clay & Milk. Send him an email at mpatane@clayandmilk.com.
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