Fans of the Des Moines Arts Festival will have a fresh opportunity to browse fine art, meet the artists and enjoy live music at a new, two-day art fair in central Iowa. The Invitational Art Fair will bring together 45 Iowa artists to showcase and sell their latest work at the Val Air Ballroom in West Des Moines Nov. 6 and 7.
The debut fine art fair is hosted by ARTSwork, the sister organization of the Des Moines Arts Festival. As a nonprofit with a mission to provide professional development to central Iowa creatives, ARTSwork set out to launch a brand-new art fair that draws the same level of skilled artistry as the summer festival, but at a different time of year.
“We've been hearing more from artists that there aren’t a lot of opportunities in the fall to sell their work,” said Colleen Murphy, director of community relations for ARTSwork. “There are shows throughout the spring and summer, but once we get into fall and winter, they really have to travel outside of Des Moines and outside of central Iowa to get some good quality art shows.”
Like the Des Moines Arts Festival, all the featured artists will be on hand to present their work and talk with attendees. As the name implies, the fair is specially curated with artists hand-picked by organizers.
“We scoured around for award winners at different art fairs throughout the state, getting artist recommendations, and really wanted to curate a good mix,” Murphy said. “We did keep it all Iowa this year.”
Des Moines-based artist Chris Vance is one of the 45 artists selected to show their work at the inaugural event. Vance has been working in the art industry for 25 years and is regularly featured at the Des Moines Arts Festival. He said he started his career at a fall show similar to The Invitational, and he sees it as an important place for newer artists to test the waters.
“I know some of the younger artists that I mentor with are super excited to be able to be part of this,” Vance said. “I'm actually excited for Des Moines to create another opportunity for these people to showcase their work.”
Artists will be selling a variety of mediums at the event, including paintings, ceramics, jewelry, prints and photography, fiber and more. Murphy said a range of art in different sizes and price points will be available to purchase.
Vance said he’s looking forward to putting his latest work on display and seeing how collectors and art lovers engage with it.
“This is going to be a nice opportunity for me to showcase a couple of new pieces and get people’s instant feedback about the new pieces before I start working on a new body of work,” he said.
In addition to visual art, the fair features a full line-up of live music. Cedar County Cobras and The NOLA Jazz Band Trio play on Friday. Mabel’s Porch, Casey Joe Collins & The Foxes, Matt Woods & Malcom Wells, as well as the Sara Routh Band take the stage throughout the day on Saturday.
The Invitational opens on Friday at 6 p.m. with a VIP Showcase for invited guests. The event is open to the public on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets are available for $5 in advance or $8 at the door. Venue parking is free.
Organizers and participating artists like Vance encourage community members to come out and support the inaugural event.
“I really hope that the community does come out and support it, because I think it's something we could continue and keep building what Des Moines has to offer,” Vance said. “I think it's also a great opportunity for people to see some art that they maybe haven't come across.”
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The Des Moines Arts Festival is a sponsor of Iowa Public Radio.
