The Des Moines Arts Festival Celebrates Community and Sustainability
The Des Moines Arts Festival is more than a celebration of creativity and artistic talent; it’s a vibrant community gathering. As Iowa’s largest art and cultural event, the annual festival has welcomed over 2.5 million visitors since moving to the downtown area 26 years ago.
“With deep roots in the Des Moines community, Nationwide is committed to opportunities to help create vitality in the downtown corridor,” said Chad Jester, vice president of Corporate Citizenship at Nationwide. “The Des Moines Arts Festival is an essential piece in helping to sustain and grow the downtown environment, both economically and culturally.”
Since 2008, Nationwide has invested more than $700,000 in the festival and has been the presenting sponsor for the past six years. To create a better experience for those attending and organizing the festival, Nationwide offers free public parking in its garages during the festival weekend and provides office space for the festival team to use prior to the event.
“The success of the Des Moines Arts Festival is a collective effort of the community and committed sponsors like Nationwide,” said Stephen King, executive director of the Des Moines Arts Festival.
Sustainability Goals: Nationwide has also taken an active role in helping the festival reduce its carbon footprint and meet its Green Arts Sustainability Program objectives. This year, 50 Nationwide employees constructed 16 reusable waste stations for festival-goers to utilize during the three-day event. Over many shifts, the employees built and painted structures that offered receptacle options to compost, landfill or recycle.
“Together, we created an unforgettable experience for the local community and beyond to celebrate arts, culture and the shared responsibility to reduce our carbon footprint,” said King.
Juried Award Winners: Nearly 200 artists from across the country showcased a wide array of art in every medium at the festival. One of the centerpieces of the event is the highly competitive Juried Art Fair, presented by Nationwide. Artists submitted their work to be judged by a rigorous, industry-acclaimed process to select the 2024 Visual Arts Award Winners. Mark Sudduth, from Cleveland Heights, Ohio, took home the prize of Best in Show for his glass piece and Micah Ferin, from Johnston, IA, was named the Best Emerging Iowa Artist.