dsmWeekly - January 15, 2025

The new art show at Liz Lidgett's gallery in the East Village showcase works full of color, pattern and other maximalist details to draw you out of your winter funk. (Photo: Liz Lidgett Gallery + Design)

ARTS & CULTURE

East Village gallery show sparks creativity

By dsm staff

Now that we’re midway through winter, we can almost — if we squint — see the light at the end of the cold gray tunnel. That light is shining a little brighter at Liz Lidgett Gallery + Design, where the year’s first show, “Sparkling,” opens this Friday in the East Village.

The exhibition brings together a diverse lineup of artists known for their dynamic and immersive work that features layered patterns, bright colors, intricate details and “more is more” maximalism. The roster includes Ron Giusti (Oregon), Kristi Kohut (Illinois), Logan Ledford (Louisiana), Theodora Miller (Virginia), Nate Nettleton (Ontario), Elisa Sheehan (New York) and Madison Summerlin (Oklahoma).

“I knew we needed something to sweep the gray skies away,” Lidgett said in a press release. “What better way to chase the winter blues than with light and sparkle, and layers of bold, dramatic creativity?”
You can see the show in person from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays and by appointment on weekends. Take a virtual stroll through the gallery on Instagram.

Oakridge Neighborhood president and CEO Deidre DeJear will deliver the keynote address during the Des Moines Public Library's annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration.

BEST BET

Honoring Martin Luther King’s legacy, locally

Deidre DeJear, the newly appointed president and CEO of Oakridge Neighborhood, will deliver the keynote address at the Des Moines Public Library’s annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration on Monday at Forest Avenue Library. The event will include refreshments and a live spoken word poetry performance. All other library locations will be closed for the holiday. Doors open at 3:30 p.m., and seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

In addition to her new role at Oakridge, DeJear has also founded Vision Leads, a civic education organization, and co-founded Back 2 School Iowa and LadyLike that both focus on education and empowerment for Black Iowans.

“I’m excited to begin the year speaking with our community about how we can go the distance together in 2025,” DeJear said in a press release. “Dr. King made it his mission to push us toward a future where each and every one of us has the opportunity to thrive, and I’m going to honor his legacy by doing the same right here in Iowa.”

The Week Ahead

Last chance: “Acts of Projection: Magic Lantern Shows and the U.S. Civil War” (noon to 4 p.m. Thursday and Friday): Before moving pictures, “magic” lantern shows projected hand-painted slides onto screens to portray works of art, travel images and, by the 1860s, moving photos from the Civil War. See historic images and the new artwork they inspired at Drake University’s Anderson Gallery.

Last chance: “Caribbean Dreams” (through Sunday): The Jamaican-born, New York-based photographer Samantha Box creates elaborate images — landscapes, still lifes, self-portraits — that explore notions of home and identity in the Caribbean, where people and cultures have mixed like the trade winds for centuries. See it at the Des Moines Art Center.

“Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” (7 p.m. Friday): Middle school is full of highs and lows: Just ask Greg Heffley in the new musical based on the award-winning book series by Jeff Kinney, opening Friday and running through Feb. 2 at the Des Moines Playhouse.

The Byrne Brothers (7:30 p.m. Saturday): The multitalented musicians from Donegal, Ireland, take a turn in the Celtic Music Association’s concert season at the Franklin Center.

Mireya Mayor (6:30 p.m. Tuesday): The primatologist and Emmy-nominated TV presenter the New York Times once dubbed “the female Indiana Jones” visits the Des Moines Civic Center to share an Explorer Speaker Series talk she calls “Pink Boots and a Machete.”

“In Conversation: Will Wilson,” (10 a.m. Tuesday): Indigenous photographer Will Wilson’s contemporary portraits of Native Americans in clothing and poses of their own choosing respond to early 20th-century work by a white photographer who focused his lens on stereotypes that are now outdated. His exhibit runs Tuesday through May 4 at the Iowa State University’s Brunnier Art Museum in Ames.

Music and microloans: In February, xBk Live plans to launch a 12-month Creative Entrepreneurship Program to help local performing artists, musicians and songwriters develop new businesses. In addition to monthly classes, the program will offer mentorship and networking opportunities tailored toward the creative industry. Additionally, xBk has partnered with the Iowa Center for Economic Success and U.S. Bank to offer microloans, which will provide starting capital to help select participants cover a portion of their startup costs. The classes are open to the public, but participants must attend all 12 to be eligible for microloan funding.

Hide and seek: The Rook Room, a formerly pop-up game company, announced its official move to a permanent brick-and-mortar location with a custom-designed game of its own this past week. Hidden chess pieces revealed the new Rook Room Game Lounge & Cafe will open in March at 300 S.W. Fifth St. in the former St. Kilda Cafe. The game lounge will house an extensive collection of board games, cards, puzzles and tabletop roleplaying games for visitors to enjoy alongside snacks and drinks.

More hidden treasures: The city of Des Moines’ forestry division recently announced its annual “Treesure” Hunt. It’s a scavenger hunt in which participants can seek out eight “Treesures:” four art pieces in the downtown skywalks, plus four specific trees in city parks. Through March 13, participants can submit a photo of each for a chance to win a free tree planting almost anywhere in Des Moines, including on their own property. According to the announcement, the contest “encourages movement through the city’s skywalk, parks and neighborhoods and opportunities to appreciate Des Moines urban forest.”

Jami Milne and Josh Bodden from Ballet Des Moines helped unveil the new cover of dsm magazine at Wells Fargo Arena before an Iowa Wolves basketball game. (Photo: Duane Tinkey)

PEOPLE & COMMUNITY

A new face on a new dsm issue

Hundreds of dsm fans got their hands on the new January/February issue of dsm during an unveiling party on Monday night at Wells Fargo Arena, shortly before the Iowa Wolves played the Rip City Remix from North Portland, Oregon. The Wolves lost — just barely — but not before a good game and great party with Wolves President of Business Operations Drew Van Meeteren and mascot Alpha in the courtside Champions Club.

The cover features Josh Bodden, Ballet Des Moines’ new rehearsal director, photographed by Jami Milne, the company’s creative director. Bodden landed in Des Moines after a decades-long career dancing for the Miami City Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Cincinnati Ballet and Kansas City Ballet. He’s also performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and Jacob’s Pillow in Massachusetts. Read more about him in the full story online.