Shopping - The Arts

Des Moines has a thriving art scene, and you don’t have to look too hard to find it: From the fabulous Pappajohn Sculpture Park in a refurbished Western Gateway section downtown to the city’s free art museum, with a fine collection of contemporary works, art is easily accessible. In addition, artists have set up shop in studios around the city, especially in converted downtown buildings, creating all sorts of works, while there are numerous storefront galleries in major shopping areas like the East Village, Ingersoll Avenue, and Valley Junction in West Des Moines.

Performing arts include a symphony, a ballet, and an opera that mounts ambitious productions every summer, bringing in singers from all over the world, as well as numerous live theater options, offering everything from light comedies and musicals to serious drama and including a good selection of children’s shows.

In addition to always having something going on in both visual and performance art, the Des Moines Social Club, 1408 Locust St. (515-288-3672; www.DesMoinesSocialClub.org), home to the Instinct Gallery, is a centrally located clearinghouse of information on artists working in Des Moines—if you’re serious about exploring the city’s art scene, you might want to drop by or give them a call to find out what you might check out, artwise. (The Social Club is moving to a new downtown location sometime in 2011, so call or check their website for details.) Metro Arts Alliance, 500 E. Locust St., Suite 201 (515-280-3222; www.metroarts.org), maintains a directory of area artists as well as a calendar of upcoming arts events.

The Des Moines Arts Festival, held every June in and around Western Gateway Park and the Pappajohn Sculpture Garden, is a three-day celebration of the visual arts. Artists come from all over to showcase their wares in booths set up on city streets that are closed to traffic, and there’s a juried exhibition of artworks in various media, as well as a film festival. A performing arts stage and live music add to the festive atmosphere. Admission is free. Artstop, usually held in September, consists of two days of special events at galleries and studios throughout the city, including sites in the East Village, Western Gateway, Ingersoll Avenue, and Valley Junction, and includes free bus service to different locations, as well as an extensive guide to local art options.

Shopping

Major shopping areas in Des Moines include the East Village, which is bounded roughly by E. Court Avenue on the south, the State Capitol on the east, I-235 on the north, and the Des Moines River on the west and has many shops along Grand Avenue and Locust and Walnut Streets, and Valley Junction, with several blocks of shops packed tightly along 5th Street in West Des Moines. There are a ton of boutiques and unique shops in these two neighborhoods, and they’re both good places to make “finds” of unique items, antiques, and both high-end and funky jewelry. They also have numerous good eating spots that can be very pleasant places to take a break from searching for that perfect gift or tchotchke. Though it’s known more for its nightlife, West Glen, on the western side of West Des Moines, right off Mills Civic Parkway and to the east of Jordan Creek Mall, has some interesting shops located amid its bars and clubs. Ingersoll Avenue is another area that has some low-key shops that are well worth poking around in to find hidden treasures.

More mainstream shopping can be found at Des Moines’s quartet of large malls, as well as along many major east–west arterial roads like University Avenue in West Des Moines, where you’ll find every type of big-box store imaginable, including stalwarts Best Buy, Barnes & Noble, Borders, and many others. But if it’s a shopping adventure you want, stick to the East Village or Valley Junction—you’ll be surprised what you can find just by coming back for a second day!