Texas pink granite.
Dephinus
“Dephinus” is the latin word for Dolphin. In contemporary use, the word is used to refer to the genus name of the common dolphin in taxonomy and to a constellation that was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer, Ptolemy. Although Dolphins are generally considered to be benign and intelligent creatures, the bronze sculpture by the artist Eric …
T-8
T8 is a bold, dynamic work that punctuates the urban street corner as traffic flows east along Locust Street. This monumental piece has consistently drawn critical acclaim, confronting audiences with a vivid orange-red color and mesmerizing even the casual passer-by with subtle energy and intricate proportion.The artist draws inspiration from many sources including mathematics, physics, music, poetry and astronomy. From …
Folded Circle Zig
The “Folded” concept is a central form in Benton’s work. As suggested by its title, Folded Circle Zig, the piece consists of circular, pie-shaped slices, and zig forms. They are engaged in a dynamic rhythmic interaction with each other and with the negative space suggested by the solid forms; the void is a vital element of the sculpture.
A Veteran’s Prayer for Eternal Peace
A Veteran’s Prayer for Eternal Peace is a 15-foot-high, bronze sculpture at the center of a memorial to military chaplains. A large, cupped pair of hands is supported by a series of short poles. The hands are in the center of a circular plaza with a walkway that includes benches, depictions of chaplains, and symbols of religious beliefs.
John Ruan, Sr.
Portrayed in his signature bowtie and business suit, this sculpture depicts Des Moines entrepreneur John Ruan, Sr. (1914-2010). Ruan established the foundation that sponsors the World Food Prize. The Prize honors the achievements of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world. The sculpture of John Ruan is sited so …
Slides
The painted and fused glass installation called “Slides” is integrated into the Laboratory’s visitor entrance. It is arranged within a triangular-shaped atrium. The exterior glass walls are faced with either a grid or row of glass sheets imprinted with a countryside vista or detail. There are four layers of translucent panels positioned in front of each scene of nature. This …
Three Way Piece No. 1: Points
From an edition of 3: The other two casts of “Three Way Piece No. 1: Points are located at the Law School Garden at Columbia University, New York, and in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia.
Back of a Snowman (Black)
In the audio guides available for free to John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park visitors, the Des Moines Art Center’s assistant curator Laura Burkhalter speaks with great interest about the glossy surfaces of this pair of sculptures by the British artist, Gary Hume. The work of the Young British Artists (YBA) group, with which Hume exhibited and is often associated, has many affinities with …
Reclining Figure
Willem de Kooning’s sculpture is the least-known aspect of his work. The sculpture, depicting de Kooning’s classic elemental woman.De Kooning made his first sculptures in 1969, a group of thirteen hand-sized bronzes based on the human figure. It was not until 1980, however, that he was able to complete the first of the monumental sculptures.
Temple Chess & Poetry Garden
Not on view. Dedicated May 16, 2006, this work of art by the American artist Siah Armajani, is completed only when someone enters it, sits down to play chess or reads the poetry or in some way becomes a participant. Armajani has created such environments all over the world, and they all reflect his belief in public art. These public …
Nation at Play
In the 1982 “A Catalog of New Des Mural Projects in Iowa”, co-authors Lea Rosson DeLong and Gregg R. Narber explained that the Chamberlain’s painting “portrays play and recreational activities of children: track, tennis, marbles, bike riding, band, boy scouts, and a flag raising.” In the 1930’s the famous murals, under the direction of Grant Wood, were painted for the …
Dr. Norman E. Borlaug
John Collier created this eight-foot statue of Dr. Norman E. Borlaug (1914 – 2009), the agronomist, humanitarian, father of the Green Revolution and founder of The World Food Prize. The artist depicts the scientist in his work clothes. The figure of Dr. Borlaug stands in the public gardens of the Borlaug Hall of Laureates and faces northwest towards his grandparents’ farm …
air gets into everything even nothing
Fabricated in aluminum and coated in white enamel, Ugo Rondinone’s series of sculptures are cast from olive trees found in the countryside outside Naples, Italy—the hometown of the artist’s parents. Italian law mandated that rubber casts be done on-site. In the foundry, wax gave way to a final aluminum cast, painted in weather-resistant white paint and weighing approximately one ton. In …
Back of a Snowman (White)
Although the two Back of a Snowman sculptures present in the John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park are displayed together, they are actually two distinct examples of a larger series of sculptures that are identical in their dimensions but vary in color. The simplified form that British artist, Gary Hume, refers to as “snowman” also appears in a series of paintings …
Allée
Widely recognized as a major figure in American art, Davis won many awards and received honors from various museums and art organizations throughout the 1950s. The” Allée” commission marked Stuart Davis’ return to mural painting after a fifteen year hiatus. Davis visited Drake University in June of 1954 to meet with Eero Saarinen to select a location for his commissioned …
Nation at Work
In the 1982 “A Catalog of New Des Mural Projects in Iowa”, co-authors Lea Rosson DeLong and Gregg R. Narber explained that the Grooms’ painting “portrays school activities of children and, in its center, the adult world of work: two classrooms are shown, one obviously a biology class, as well as a shop classroom. The adult work shown is building, …
Quantum Leaf
Quantum Leaf, about 15 feet in diameter and 11 feet in height and signed in the bronze “S PETTUS 2005”, looks like an oversized dying leaf with its edges curled. The sculpture was created as a fountain with water pouring from the leaf-form into a shallow circular pond. This public art project borders Grand Avenue, at the south edge of …
Moonrise, east. august
Rondinone’s series Moonrise—his 2005 figurative sculptures—are eight-foot-high busts derived from masks. Modeled in clay before being cast in aluminum and painted, the sculptures reveal the enduring marks of the artist’s hand. Rondinone has long been interested in the subject of time, and he represents it here by the relationship between moon, tide, and calendar. One of a series of the twelve sculptures, it was …
Man and Pegasus
Man and Pegasus was made in an edition of six. The artist installed one cast at his home and sculpture park in Sweden after his retirement in 1950. The other bronze casts are in an office plaza in Dallas; the Hakone Open-Air Museum in Japan; the Middleheim Sculpture Park in Antwerp; and in Djakarta, India.
Prairie Emergence
Prairie Emergence represents prairie grasses sprouting from the earth.
Iowa Made: By Land and Hand
“Iowa Made: By Land and Hand” (Diego Rivera meets Grant Wood) – Awarded by the Iowa State Fair Board of Trustees and the State of Iowa, the ceramic mural and floor medallion is the public art focal point at the south entrance to the Knapp Varied Industries Building. The project “Iowa Made: By Land and Hand” (2002) is a 72 …
Spectral Liberation
The sculpture is in commemoration of Constance “Connie” Newman Belin (1930-1980), a community leader and philanthropist. The work was given by Leonard and Eileen Newman, brother and sister-in-law.
21st Boundary
The abstract steel sculpture is 252″ x 96″ x 48″.Savage & Ver Ploeg Inc., architectects ; Crose-Gardner & Associates, landscape architects.
A Monumental Journey
NATIONAL RECOGNITION In 2019, the Americans for the Arts awarded A Monumental Journey one of the 50 best public art projects in North America. Honoring NBA Founders The project honors the National Bar Association founders: 12 courageous African-American attorneys who — in Des Moines, IA — changed the course of American history in 1925. At a time when the American …
Hills, Fields, Wind, and Rain
This sculpture symbolizes the earth and the elements and their interaction. It fills a grassy island that is part of a popular business park in a northwest suburb of Des Moines and can be seen from Interstate 80.
Echo-Obelisk
The imagery recalls the history of Urbandale, Iowa, and a beacon marks a new destination/location.The Urbandale High School Corner Commission established a memorial on the south- west corner of 70th and Douglas to commemorate the school site. The 1925 cornerstone from the original brick building and plaques commemorating the graduating class members from 1937-1966 are part of the memorial. A …
Confluence
Prominently featured in the main lobby of the 2012 central station of DART (Des Moines Area Regional Transit), Lynn Basa’s terrazzo floor design is made with crushed-up, recycled glass, mirror, and mother of pearl from old buttons. The stylized image hints at the city’s transportation history, with a DART route in yellow and gray stripes for the streets. Two blue …
Robert D. Ray Asian Gardens
The Robert D. Ray Asian Gardens features a 43.5′(L) x 24′ (W) x 37′(H) Asian pavilion atop an undulating bridge spanning a pond that cascades into the Des Moines River with a series of waterfalls. Accented by stone pagodas, lanterns and sculptural rock formations, the Asian garden’s flowing lyrical ambiance transports the strolling visitor to a picturesque Far Eastern paradise. …
Joy of Music
The “Joy of Music” sculptures, life-size and cast bronze edition of 21, are located throughout the United States including in the Civic Center of Loveland, Colorado; Hastings College, Nebraska; Rodman Center for the Arts, Ripon College, Wisconsin; Dearborn, Michigan; Holland, Michigan; and in the house of the woman who inspired the work of art.
Prairie Winds
Prairie Wind dominates the lobby of a major downtown Des Moines building and is most often viewed from a skywalk level. Its arcs and dips illustrate the wind whipping through the prairie.Asked about his inspiration, Hornecker states: “My work is built around my interest in the history and topography of the landscape. Rivers, land forms, rocks, trees, and the way …
Paragon Prairie
“Prairie Tower” is the largest Italian glass mosaic tile mural in the United States, and pays homage to the history of the native Iowa prairie. A double repeating pattern of native plants in a stylized deco landscape of field and sky serves as the image for the “Paragon Prairie Tower.” The main elements of the concept include the tower constructed …
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