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From Business Publications Corporation Inc., 100 4th Street, Des Moines, Iowa 50309. Copyright © BPC Inc. 2013.

All Rights Reserved. Reproduction or use without permission of editorial or graphic content in any manner is strictly prohibited.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Winefest Adds Events

Winefest Des Moines just keeps growing
--and getting better. This year's festival, June 1-8, will feature two new events sure to please oenophiles and food lovers alike, as well as those who just want to have a good time. "Toasting Tuesday" June 4 at the Hub Spot on the Principal Riverwalk will star 25 sparkling wines. "Bubbles on a Tuesday--who can argue with that?" says Nikki Syverson, event director of Winefest. Cost is $30 per person. Then the next day, June 5, Winefest and the Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival will partner to present "Bacon & the Bottle" at Café di Scala. The dinner will feature four bacon-themed courses paired with wine. Cost is $75 per person. 

You'll not only experience great food and wine at these and the other Winefest events, but you'll help support the arts in the process. A portion of the net proceeds from this year's festival will benefit Bravo Greater Des Moines. Get details on all Winefest events, including the Grand Tasting June 8, and purchase tickets here.

Artist Dick Shook in front of his painting "Bike Club."

"Bike Club," a 6-foot-by-11-foot oil on canvas work by Slater artist Dick Shook, was unveiled last week at the Polk County Health Department. Depicting a group of cyclists riding along a rural path, the work is the first of a series of six paintings, called "Healthy Living Healthy Life," that will be permanently displayed at the department's office at 1907 Carpenter Ave. Among the paintings to be completed are images of skipping rope, strolling, yoga, swimming and playground activities. The series is intended to "show how various kinds of simple and accessible activities can enrich our lives and encourage a habit of regular, enjoyable exercise," Shook said in a statement.

Shook is seeking funding support for the series. Donors can sponsor individual paintings or the entire collection. Donations are 100 percent tax deductible and can be made through Metro Arts Alliance, which is the project's fiscal sponsor, or through a link on Shook's website.

Urbandale is the latest metro area city to grow its public art program. The city is creating Urbandale Art Park this summer as a permanent outdoor sculpture garden at 3600 86th St. (just south of Douglas Avenue and the Urbandale City Hall). The Urbandale Public Art Committee will choose two or three works by local artists, which will be installed in June. Exhibits will change annually. Find out more here.

Borrow a book and then share one of your own at one of the "Little Free Libraries" found in neighborhoods around Greater Des Moines. Read more about them in the current issue of dsm.

Shakespeare on the Lawn

Good news for Shakespeare fans and theater lovers: After a year's hiatus, Shakespeare on the Lawn is returning to Salisbury House & Gardens this summer. Repertory Theater of Iowa will perform "A Midsummer Night's Dream" June 20-23--evenings that coincide with the summer solstice and June's full moon. Lawn chairs will be available, or you can bring your own blanket. Take a picnic, too, or get one already made up from Occasions Made Right before the performances. Wine, beer, water, gelato and popcorn also will be available for purchase. Tickets are $25; $5 for students. To buy tickets or to learn more, click here. You also can buy tickets at the door.

Feel yourself whisked back to the avant-garde art scene of late-19th-century Paris at the Des Moines Art Center's newly opened exhibit, "L'estampe originale: Painters, Printers, Paris." The Print Gallery exhibit features 36 prints from the Art Center's Permanent Collections by artists such as Paul Cezanne, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Edouard Vuillard and Pierre Bonnard. Avant-garde printmaking rapidly increased in Paris during the late 1890s and early 1900s, spurred by new approaches to color lithography and etching as well as innovative collaborations among artists, printers and publishers. Pictured: Pierre Bonnard (French 1867-1947), "Les Peintres Graveurs" ("The Painter-Printmakers") (1896), lithograph on paper, Des Moines Art Center Permanent Collections.

Symphony Exceeds Goal

The Des Moines Symphony raised more than $9 million for its 75th anniversary fundraising campaign, exceeding its original $7.5 million goal by more than $1.5 million. About 300 donors contributed to the campaign, with 11 individual donors and family foundations giving $100,000 or more, including at least $1 million from Linda and Tom Koehn, the Gabus Family Foundation and Dr. Stephen C. Smith. Corporations and foundations kicked in nearly $1.8 million.

The anniversary drive is the Des Moines Symphony's first comprehensive public campaign. Money raised will be used to boost the organization's endowment fund to more than $10 million and to fund two capital projects: the design and construction of a new acoustical shell for the symphony's performances in the Des Moines Civic Center and renovations to the Symphony Academy's performance and rehearsal spaces at The Temple for Performing Arts.

Elvin McDonald with the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden and floral design expert Debra Prinzing.

The Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden Spring Luncheon and Silent Auction May 7 raised more than $30,000, breaking previous fundraising records for the annual event.  The Seattle-based floral design expert Debra Prinzing presented a lecture and signed copies of her books, "The 50 Mile Bouquet" and "Slow Flowers."

Anything Improv students perform at the Gas Lamp.

Anything Improv, a Des Moines comedy school, is attempting to raise $10,000 through Kickstarter for a permanent performance venue in Western Gateway Park. The new theater will be dedicated solely to local comedy shows. The campaign continues through June 17. Click here to find out more or to donate.

Susan Judkins Josten and Bob Josten are buying a patron membership to the Des Moines Arts Festival this year. The couple bought this piece by artist Nicario Jimenez at a previous festival.

You can make more of your experience at the Des Moines Arts Festival by buying a patron membership. Choose from six membership levels, ranging from $40 to $2,500, and enjoy various perks. At the high end, you'll get complimentary valet parking, discounts on merchandise, a listing on the festival's website and in the program, invitations to exclusive receptions and artist-only events and a framed and signed limited edition 2013 Des Moines Arts Festival commemorative lithograph by William Armstrong, among other benefits. The festival is June 28-30 in Western Gateway Park. Buy a membership and find out more here.

Hidden Treasure

Punk rocker-turned-painter Alex Brown keeps a low profile locally, but he's drawn international acclaim for his abstract works--and can demand the prices that go along with that prestige. Find out more about this extraordinary artist by reading this story in the current issue of dsm. Pictured: Alex Brown, "The City of Des Moines" (2004), oil paint on canvas. 

Take a peek into five local artists' studios, spaces that nurture their imagination and inspire ingenuity. Read the story in the current issue of dsm.

Why Support the Arts?

Let us count the ways: 1. The arts are "fundamental to our humanity," according to Americans for the Arts. "They ennoble and inspire us. ... help us express our values, build bridges between cultures and bring us together, regardless of ethnicity, religion or age." To find out reasons number two through 10, click here.

If you're involved with an arts organization or are a visual, performing or literary artist, we'd love to hear from you. Email us at dsmeditor@bpcdm.com. The deadline for the next issue is June 10. Also, get the word out about your upcoming event by listing it on our online community calendar. Go to dsmMagazine.com and follow the instructions. You also can go to our website to find out how to submit party pictures from your organization for dsm's rsvp section.