The Des Moines Art Center in Iowa is a relatively small museum with a nice collection – and it’s all free!
The museum was established in 1948, though its roots go all the way back to 1916, when the Des Moines Association of Fine Arts began exhibiting at the public library. A 1968 addition to the museum was designed by famed architect I.M. Pei.
There is a fair amount of exhibition space in addition to the permanent collection, as well as some outdoor sculpture and gardens. The cover photo is part of Andy Goldsworthy’s Three Cairns, 2002.
The signs accompanying the art in this museum were some of the best we’ve seen, giving nice context or backstory.