Iowa Arts & Culture

Iowa Arts & Culture The Iowa Arts & Culture page empowers to build and sustain culturally vibrant communities across Iowa!

Programs that were part of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs have transitioned as part of a new organizational structure for state government that aims to strengthen programs and improve service to Iowans. Effective July 1, the Iowa Arts Council, Produce Iowa and the State Historic Preservation Office are now part of the Iowa Economic Development Authority. History programs are part of the I

owa Department of Administrative Services. Facebook Posting Rules:

We are here to listen and connect with you – but, please use your best judgment when posting in this public forum. Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) reserves the right to remove posts at any time, for any reason, but ones that are offensive, threatening, violent in nature or that contain profanity will always be removed immediately. IEDA reserves the right to delete or mark as spam any and all comments as necessary. Anyone that posts content that is promotional or commercial in nature and/or not relevant will also be removed and reported. IEDA also has the right to block access to any one from posting to their Facebook Fan Page.

Artists across Iowa — this opportunity is for you! 🎨✨ This new Artists Professional Development Grant from the Iowa Arts...
06/11/2026

Artists across Iowa — this opportunity is for you! 🎨✨

This new Artists Professional Development Grant from the Iowa Arts Council supports Iowa artists pursuing learning, mentorship, business development and other opportunities that strengthen artistic practice and professional growth.

Open to artists of all disciplines, this grant is designed to help catalyze momentum, build skills, and elevate Iowa's creative industry.

Applications are now open and will be reviewed on a rolling basis until funding is exhausted.
Apply now: https://bit.ly/4vwn9ME

⭐ Military families can explore museums across the country for free this summer through the Blue Star Museums program, r...
06/09/2026

⭐ Military families can explore museums across the country for free this summer through the Blue Star Museums program, running May 16-September 7, 2026. Led by the National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families, the program provides free admission for actively serving military members and their families at participating museums, historic sites, botanical gardens, zoos, aquariums, and more nationwide.

Whether close to home or during summer travels, Blue Star Museums offer meaningful opportunities to connect through arts, culture, history and community.
Find participating museums and learn more at arts.gov/BlueStarMuseums.

What an inspiring day at The Exchange 2026! ✨ This past month, the Iowa Arts Council was proud to host community leaders...
06/08/2026

What an inspiring day at The Exchange 2026! ✨ This past month, the Iowa Arts Council was proud to host community leaders, artists, arts organizations, economic development professionals, and creative changemakers from across Iowa in Council Bluffs for a day centered on creativity, collaboration, and community impact.

Through workshops, panel discussions, tours and peer-to-peer conversations, attendees explored the power of the arts to strengthen communities through public art, creative placemaking, rural vitality, cultural tourism, and cross-sector partnerships. The Exchange 2026 highlighted the incredible work happening across Iowa and the importance of collaboration in building vibrant, creative communities.

Thank you to everyone who attended, presented, partnered, and helped make this year's event such as success. We're excited to see the ideas and connections from gathering continue to grow across the state. 💙

🎙️Tune in TODAY to hear Iowa's new Poet Laureate, Dr. Paul Brooke, on Iowa Public Radio's Talk of Iowa.Selected to serve...
06/03/2026

🎙️Tune in TODAY to hear Iowa's new Poet Laureate, Dr. Paul Brooke, on Iowa Public Radio's Talk of Iowa.

Selected to serve as Iowa Poet Laureate for the next two years, Dr. Brooke will share reflections on poetry, community, storytelling and representing the state through this important role. Don't miss this conversation celebrating the power of poetry in Iowa.

📻 Talk of Iowa on Iowa Public Radio: https://www.iowapublicradio.org/podcast/talk-of-iowa

🎭 Arts Celebrating America in Rural Iowa. As the nation prepares to mark America's 250th anniversary, arts organizations...
05/27/2026

🎭 Arts Celebrating America in Rural Iowa. As the nation prepares to mark America's 250th anniversary, arts organizations are helping communities preserve cultural heritage and tell the story of our democracy through creativity, performance, and local voices. Cedar Summerstock Theatre in Saint Ansgar is one of those leaders.

The organization recently received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to support musical theater productions and educational programming. Serving rural north-central Iowa, Cedar Summerstock brings people together through live performance while fostering civic pride and shared understanding across generations.

05/27/2026

🎨 Help shape the future of the arts in Iowa! The Iowa Arts Council is now accepting applications for its Advisory Council. This is a unique opportunity to support arts and culture across the state by sharing your voice, perspective, and leadership. We're looking for passionate individuals who are about expanding access to the arts and strengthening Iowa's creative communities.

🗓️ Applications are open now through May 31.
📍Apply via IAppoint today! Make an impact, get involved, and help champion the arts in Iowa.
https://boards-iappoint.iowa.gov/boards/71

📣 Now Open: Statewide Art Contest & ExhibitionThe Call for Entries is officially open for the 2026 Iowa State Fair State...
05/15/2026

📣 Now Open: Statewide Art Contest & Exhibition

The Call for Entries is officially open for the 2026 Iowa State Fair Statewide Art Contest & Exhibition, presented by the Iowa Arts Council as part of Iowa America 250.

Open to students (ages 8–18) and adult artists, this exhibition invites Iowans to explore themes like creativity and innovation, people, places and events, and America’s founding principles.

🖼️ Selected artworks will be exhibited at the Fair
📅 Deadline: June 1, 2026
🔗 https://bit.ly/4bG4GpQ

✨ Iowa Fellowship Spotlight: Interwoven Worlds ✨Step into a powerful intersection of dance, visual art, and film with In...
05/11/2026

✨ Iowa Fellowship Spotlight: Interwoven Worlds ✨

Step into a powerful intersection of dance, visual art, and film with Interwoven Worlds, a new work by Iowa Arts Council Fellowship recipient Eloy Barragán (2025–2026). This dynamic, three-part dance journey transforms iconic artworks from across Iowa into movement—bridging disciplines, communities, and creative expression.

Each movement draws inspiration from a masterwork housed in a different Iowa museum:

🖼️ Movement I | Figge Art Museum
📅 May 12, 2026 | ⏰ 4:30 PM
Inspired by Woman Ironing (Isis) by Vik Muniz

🖼️ Movement II | Stanley Museum of Art
📅 May 14, 2026 | ⏰ 6:30 PM
Inspired by Which Way? by Elizabeth Catlett

🖼️ Movement III | Des Moines Art Center
📅 May 13, 2026 | ⏰ 2:00 PM
Inspired by Manos (Hands) by José Clemente Orozco

Through movement, dancers embody themes of labor, identity, direction, and resilience—bringing each artwork to life in a deeply human way.

🎭 Don’t miss an early presentation of the first and second movements:
📍 Space Place Theater
📅 March 12 & 13, 2026 | ⏰ 8:00 PM

The journey culminates this fall with the full performance of all three movements at Hancher Auditorium on November 13 & 14, 2026.

Interwoven Worlds invites us to consider how movement carries memory, how cities connect through art, and how collaboration creates something greater than the sum of its parts.

🚨 1 Week Away! 🚨Calling all Iowa creatives! 🎨 The Exchange is coming to Council Bluffs, bringing together artists, cultu...
05/08/2026

🚨 1 Week Away! 🚨

Calling all Iowa creatives! 🎨 The Exchange is coming to Council Bluffs, bringing together artists, cultural leaders, and community members for conversation, connection and collaboration. This is your chance to build relationships, share ideas, and be part of a vibrant creative network.

📍 May 15, 2026 — Council Bluffs
📝 Register Now: https://bit.ly/4etxEv5

🔥 Grantee Spotlight: Groundswell Joy CollectiveThe Iowa Arts Council is proud to support artists and organizations acros...
05/07/2026

🔥 Grantee Spotlight: Groundswell Joy Collective

The Iowa Arts Council is proud to support artists and organizations across the state who bring people together through meaningful creative experiences. One recent example is Groundswell Joy Collective’s production of “Brigid’s Flame,” a participatory community performance held in Dubuque earlier this year.

Inspired by the Irish celebration of St. Brigid and the seasonal turning toward spring, Brigid’s Flame invited audiences into an immersive experience of storytelling, song, dance, puppetry, and shared reflection. Through mythic retellings and community participation, the performance explored our connections to one another, to the land, and to the rhythms of nature.

The event brought together artists and community members in a celebration of creativity and renewal, drawing on folklore figures such as Brigid, the Cailleach, and the selkies to tell a powerful story of seasonal change and collective imagination.

Projects like Brigid’s Flame demonstrate how the arts can spark connection, joy, and reflection in communities across Iowa. We’re honored to help support this work and the artists who make it possible.

✨ Learn more about the project:
https://www.groundswelljoy.org/brigids-flame

Address

1963 Bell Avenue, Suite 200
Des Moines, IA
50315

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Tuesday 8am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8am - 4:30pm
Friday 8am - 4:30pm

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