Art in the Heartland

A visit to Pappajohn Sculpture Park in Des Moines, Iowa

Over the holidays I travelled back to my home state of Iowa (go Cyclones!). While there, I had the pleasure of visiting the new Pappajohn Sculpture Park in Des Moines. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much–Iowa isn’t exactly known as an art mecca. However, I was thrilled to find that the park is filled with pieces from some of the art world’s biggest names–Louise Bourgeois, Barry Flanagan, Deborah Butterfield, and Yoshitomo Nara, among many others. It was actually the highlight of my trip.

Corn, corn, corn! The great (corn-filled) state of Iowa

Visiting the country's midsection with the only Art of the State book still in print

Last week I headed back to my hometown of Sioux City, Iowa for a few days of good food, fun, and relaxation. Before leaving, I leafed through an older Abrams book, Iowa, part of the Art of the State series from the late 1990s. While only 96 pages, it packs a wealth of information about the Hawkeye State including information on art (Grant Wood), public works (the bridges of Madison County), the Iowa State Fair, and of course, corn.