dsmWeekly - February 26, 2025

A rendering of a new arch to welcome visitors heading north on Robert D. Ray Drive. (Rendering: Simonson & Associates Architects)

PEOPLE & COMMUNITY

Botanical Garden's new capital campaign is already almost ripe

By Michael Morain

Last week leaders at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden announced a new $9 million capital campaign, for which they’ve already raised more than $8 million dollars. It was a little like asking someone to tend a garden where the tomatoes are already red and juicy.

“It’s been such an amazing experience,” Botanical Garden president and CEO Kim Perez said of the campaign, which started quietly last April. “It really speaks to the depth of engagement from our patrons and the role we play in the community. It’s been a really positive and humbling experience.”

The campaign, called “Welcome, Gather, Grow,” will enable the nonprofit organization to make the site more accessible, enlarge its event spaces and develop a bit more of its property along the east bank of the Des Moines River.

Earlier, there were plans to develop the remaining six acres from the garden’s north edge up to University Avenue, but that project will have to wait for another growing season. To explain the shift in priorities, Perez retraced the Botanical Garden’s history:

1979: The Des Moines Botanical Center opened and was managed by the city’s parks and rec department.
2004: Des Moines Water Works took over the site’s operations.
2013: A new nonprofit called the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden formed to oversee the site. The city closed the north end of Robert D. Ray Drive, clearing the way for the garden’s northward expansion.
2021: The city leased the Robert D. Ray Asian Garden to the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden, expanding its total footprint to 12 acres.

“The way we use the space today is very different from how we used it when it opened,” Perez said. “Back then, we didn’t have any outdoor gardens, and now they’re such a big part of what we do.”

She noted the Botanical Garden hosts more events, more activities for families and more outdoor gatherings, even after the sun goes down. The facility annually attracts about 150,000 visitors from all 50 states even though, Perez noted, it’s a little hard to find.

The proposed changes could help. The capital campaign will fund, among other things:

A colorful entrance arch on the south side of the Interstate 235 overpass, plus new wayfinding and educational signs throughout the facility. Perez estimates the arch will be installed in late 2026 or early 2027, pending approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Iowa Department of Transportation.

A renovated lobby with separate access to the gardens, the garden shop and Flora, the in-house restaurant.

New free-access gardens.

Enhancements to the Gardeners Show House and North Gallery for horticultural workshops and other events. For these updates, these spaces will close from mid-May through early October.

A few changes have already taken place. After the capital campaign’s successful quiet launch last spring, colored lights were installed last July to light up the giant dome over the conservatory.

For Perez, they signaled the Botanical Garden’s rising profile in the community. As she put it, “All of these components are really about making sure we’re evolving to accommodate the way we’re already using the space.”

Ballet Des Moines dancer Kate Anderson summons spring in "See the Music." (Photo: Jami Milne)

BEST BET

In new ballet, seasons shift — and leap and spin

Tom Mattingly, the artistic director of Ballet Des Moines, choreographed two works for the company’s "See the Music" program, which includes dances to the "Four Seasons" piano suite by the contemporary German composer Goetz Oestlind. Dancers will cycle through the seasons in the upcoming tour of performances with pianist Douglas-Jayd Burn and the Aizuri Quartet on 7:30 p.m. Friday at Hoyt Sherman Place and 2 p.m. Sunday at Stephens Auditorium in Ames.

The program also marks company dancer Noah Klarck’s professional debut as a choreographer with his work "Orthodoxy." It imagines dancers as cogs in an Orwellian machine against a backdrop of piano works by Bach, Brahms and Chopin.

"This is a special program because it’s the first time we’ve been able to dance alongside live music on stage since I joined the company" in 2021, dancer Cameron Miller said. "Audiences see dancers as bringing music to life. But as a dancer, it’s the music that breathes life into our performance. To know they’re performing right there next to you while dancing is a euphoric feeling."

The Week Ahead

Yamato: The Drummers of Japan, 7 p.m. Friday, Stephens Auditorium in Ames. The world-famous Taiko drummers play their massive drums, including one made from a tree that was more than 400 years old.

Dig into Gardening Symposium, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, FFA Enrichment Center in Ankeny. Catch the scoop on gardening from Master Gardeners, Iowa State University specialists and other pros.

Goldpine, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, First Unitarian Church. The married duo that once sang the national anthem at a Kansas City Chiefs game brings its harmonies to Des Moines.

Central Iowa Wind Ensemble, 3 p.m. Sunday, Staplin Performing Arts Center at Valley High School. Experience a diverse setlist in an "Epic!" program from the band that recently received a Spotlight Award from Bravo Greater Des Moines.

A Red Carpet Affair, 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Varsity Cinema. Tune in for a live Oscars watch party with a red carpet, snacks and movie-inspired cocktails.

Gaelic Storm, 7:30 p.m. Monday, Hoyt Sherman Place. The multinational Celtic band from Santa Monica, California, comes to on its current tour.

Pink Martini, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Hoyt Sherman Place. The world-famous group that sings in 25 languages (not at the same time) offers its sophisticated jazz in concert featuring China Forbes.

Trivia, round No. 1: The Young Women’s Resource Center Ambassadors present their spring Sex Trivia fundraiser March 12 at Exile. Test your knowledge of women’s health and history while learning about the YWRC’s mission and ways to get involved.

Trivia, round No. 2: The West Des Moines Historical Society hosts a trivia night fundraiser for the Jordan House on March 23 at the RecPlex in West Des Moines. Teams of up to seven will answer questions about local history, music, movies, geography and more. Proceeds from the event will support maintenance and preservation of the historic Jordan House Museum, which was a stop on the Underground Railroad and this year marks its 175th anniversary.

dsm Home Design Awards: Congratulations to all of this year's dsm Home Design Award winners! And the winners are: ALT Design Studio/Invest DSM/Sequel Architecture/Invest DSM, Caliber Homes, Curran & Co. Architects, Design2Build, Dynasty Homes, Dwell Home Furnishings & Interior Design, Homemakers Furniture, Jeid Studio, Jenny Gardens, LLC, Kimberley Development, MainBuilt, Custom Homes, Melissa Guerrero Design, Meghan Blum Interiors, Serenity Homes, South of Grand Studio, Stone Cross Lawn & Landscape & Concrete Collaborative, LLC, and Zenith Design + Build. Check out a photo gallery of their award-winning projects online at dsmhomedesignawards.com.

Collin Smitherman and his cat, Sici, at Stoked in East Village. (Photo: Emmett McMenamy)

PEOPLE & COMMUNITY

Get Stoked for rescued outdoor gear

By Emmett McMenamy

If you stop by Stoked, you’ll likely be greeted by Sici the cat. But Sici is more than a greeter; she’s a symbol. As a cat, her “nine lives” represent how dead (or unused) gear can revive.

Stoked is an outdoor apparel and equipment store in the East Village (518 E Grand Ave). The store, and Sici, are owned by Collin Smitherman. Smitherman is an avid outdoorsman himself, so he said sustainability and protecting the planet are important values for him. These values are what led him to launch a reuse and repair program through Stoked. Starting the first week of March, locals can consign or sell used clothing, camping equipment or other outdoor gear to Stoked for the reuse area in the store’s basement. Stoked will also begin repair and rental services in April.

This project began last year after Smitherman began feeling a tension between his business goals and his love for the outdoors. Ever since he opened Stoked in 2021, he’s inspired folks to get outside by selling the best new gear.

“At first, I always saw myself selling new stuff,” Smitherman said. “But I knew that selling new was not very sustainable or good for the environment in general.”

After some self-reflection, Smitherman realized his next step: Stoked’s reuse and repair program. The outdoor industry boomed during the pandemic, which led to unsustainable practices such as overproduction and fast fashion. Stoked’s new program is contrary to those practices. And as someone who always appreciated old gear, Smitherman wanted to support second-hand selling.

“Every hole, tear and stain on (my gear) was a memory of the time I took to camp and hike,” Smitherman said. “So I always appreciated old, beat-up outdoor gear that still had a ton of life left.”

Smitherman opened Stoked after selling electric skateboards and e-bikes out of his apartment. After a few years of business, Smitherman considered getting out of retail altogether, wondering if he was actually helping the local community. But Stoked had an unused basement and Smitherman dedicated it to a good cause.

“I thought: ‘You know what, I’m going to dive into it,” Smitherman said. “I really think retail is a good spot to help my community and help people get out camping and outdoors.”

The Stoked basement mirrors the old clothing it now holds. The building has been around since the 1800s, and the basement floors are uneven. Des Moines artist James “Jimmy” Navarro will paint the white basement walls with original art to freshen up the place. But Stoked still embraces the basement’s identity as old yet full of life, just like the gear.

So after growing up on an Iowa farm and spending time fishing, hunting and camping, Smitherman gets to share the outdoors with his local community while fighting for environmental sustainability. Between the discounted reused equipment, rentals and repair, customers can become well-equipped for the outdoors at a lesser cost than buying new.

“It’s not about making money, it’s about getting people outside,” Smitherman said.