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ABOUT US
Des Moines Arts Festival is a 501c3 non-profit organization

OUR MISSION
Impact Lives Through the Arts

OUR CORE VALUES

Inspire Appreciation of the Arts

We cultivate, educate and engage our audience toward a heightened appreciation of the arts.
 

Celebrate Original Art

We produce an annual celebration of outstanding original visual art - that is created by the hand of the artist - in a festival atmosphere.
 

Impact Community

We foster and celebrate the involvement of all people.

 

Promote Collaboration

We promote and inspire meaningful collaboration to strengthen the arts community.

 

Deliver the Highest Standards

We value professionalism and quality. We operate in a fair and honorable manner with transparency. We are strong financial stewards. We manage with responsibility and maximize value to our partners.

 

Innovate Strategically

We champion new and emerging ideas.

OUR VISION

Strengthen a Vibrant and Creative Community

OUR STORY

The Des Moines Arts Festival® traces its beginnings to 1958 when the Des Moines Art Center hosted the All Iowa Art Fair to help celebrate their 10th anniversary. Between 1958-1982, the event was given many names including All Iowa Art Fair, Iowa Artists Exhibition, Iowa Artists Annual Show, and Iowa Art Show. In 1983, the festival was officially identified as Art in the Park. In 1992, the event was moved from the grounds of the Des Moines Art Center to the Iowa State Fairgrounds until in 1998 it was moved downtown along the Des Moines River. The festival went through another name change to become the Des Moines Arts Festival.

The first All Iowa Art Fair attracted little more than a few hundred people. Nearly five decades later, the Festival has established itself as the signature arts and culture event in Iowa and one of the most prestigious and admired festivals in the world. With an annual attendance exceeding 200,000, the Festival has welcomed more than 2.5 million visitors since moving downtown in 1998, garnered more than 350 awards, and generates an estimated $8 million economic impact annually.

Board of Directors
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Chair

Bill Burma

Grand View University, Retired
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Chair-Elect

Brian Laurenzo

Brick Gentry P.C.
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Secretary

Marsha Aldridge

Nationwide
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Director

Connie Boesen

Mayor, City of Des Moines
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Director

Kristina Huntsman

ChildServe, Event Management Team Representative
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Director

Chris Kramer

CK Resource Group
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Director

Susan Patterson Plank

Gannett I USA Today Network
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Director

Michele Wilkie

Prairie Meadows
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Immediate Past Chair

Robert Larson

Catholic Diocese of Des Moines
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Treasurer

Natalie Tomaras

American Equity Investment Life Insurance Co.
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Director

Marquas Ashworth

Ashworth Development
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Director

Brooke Fultz

Principal Financial Group
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Director

Stephen King

Executive Director
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Director

Matthew McKinney

West Des Moines City Council, Brown Winnick Law
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Director

Carl Voss

Des Moines City Council
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Director, Executive Committee

San Wong

Iowa Department of Human Rights

OUR TEAM

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2024 Festival Programs Intern

Aleena Ali, Waukee High School

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2024 Festival Graphic Design Intern

Hannah Graves

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Social Media + Photography

Madeleine King

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Director of Community Relations

Colleen Murphy, CFEE

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2024 Festival Programs Intern

Colby Schwantes

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Director of Guest Engagement

Daphne Dickens, CFEE

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Event Coordinator

Sage Halfhill-Boone

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Executive Director

Stephen King, MA, CFEE

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Volunteer Coordinator

Stacey Nay

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2023 Event Management Team

EMT

2024 Event Management Team

Artist Relations

Amanda Leonard

Andrew Tincher
Ann Rolow
Jac Maranell
Jennifer Johnson
Madison Bemus

Sean Masters 

Banner Queen

Sage Halfhill-Boone

Beverage Team

Alicia Lynch (DMAF Beverage Czar)

Melissa Winters (DMAF Beverage Czar)

Alison Hoeman (Des Moines Refugee Support)

Addie Trueblood (Community Youth Concepts)

Alicia Vermeer (Community Youth Concepts)

Julie Cackler (Community Youth Concepts)

Lee Harper (Community Youth Concepts)

Amanda Wiebers (Cowles Montessori Parent Group)

Amber Graeber (Perkins Elementary PTA)

Caitlyn Gajo (Perkins Elementary PTA)

Stacy Satterstrom (Perkins Elementary PTA)

Lindsey Weis (Perkins Elementary PTA)

Luke Dickens (Ice Crew)

Dan Hofsteter (Ice Crew)
Kurt Weakland (Ice Crew)

 

Food Vendor Relations

Amanda Joseph

Kate Steffen

Marsha Aldridge

Molly Vriezelaar

Sophia Karau 

Michele Ramsey

Interrobang Film Festival

David Durong

Maxwell Mootz

Megan Ellis 

POS/Technical Support

Ryan Rohlf

Merchandise

Bridget Murphy
Emma Webb
Jessica Fink

Molly Vriezelaar

On-Site Office Managers

Alyssa Werbach
Heidi Hoffman
Katie Dale
Stephanie Pearl

Val Van Horne

Production

Grace Ammann

Katherine King

Kayla Wagener
Kristina Huntsman
Megan Hanson

Michal King
Sage Halfhill-Boone
Seth Conn
Tony Behnke

Sponsor Relations

Emily Kibbee
Jeff Petterson
Julia Verhoef
Kent Maahs

Kimberly Kerr
Lynn Swanson
Tiffany Espelund

Stages

Ashley Bohnenkamp

Karina Abbott
Laurie Miller
Natalia Espinosa

Student Art Exhibition

Peggy Cokeley

Tabitha Zokaitis

Willa Goodman

Sustainability

Sam Christianson (Urban Ambassadors)

Volunteer Relations

Madalyne Rutledge
Sally Corcoran

Stacey Nay
Zoe Schmitz

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