Polk County Heritage Gallery

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Des Moines, IA
Polk County Heritage Gallery

Hours: 11am to 4:30pm, Monday through Friday. Gallery hours are 11:00 to 4:30, Monday through Friday. Admission is free. Your comments are always welcome.
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The Polk County Heritage Gallery is a 501(c)(3) organization and is funded solely through entry fees received from gallery-sponsored competitions, gallery rentalfees paid by artists, private donations, and by contributions made by Gallery visitors. The Gallery is also funded in part by grants from Bravo Greater Des Moines and from the Polk County Board of Supervisors. For more information, call us at
515-286-2242. Visit us at www.polkcountyheritagegallery.org

05/11/2026

Opening night at IOWA EXHIBITED 2026 ✨

Thank you to everyone who joined us to celebrate this year’s exhibition and the incredible artists featured in the show.

Juried by Jennifer Drinkwater — artist, educator, and community arts specialist at Iowa State University — whose work explores the ways art connects people, places, and communities.

🏆 BEST IN SHOW
Anna Segner — Miscarry

✨ MERIT AWARDS
Angie Huffman — Screen Time
Laura Travnicek — Self Portrait in Studio
Seso Marentes — Soil of My Fathers

👏 HONORABLE MENTIONS
Bojenna Gaquer — Paranoia
Rob Matthews — No Covenants
Robert Sunderman — Aerial Iowa Revived #5

Here’s to a wonderful exhibition season and the artists shaping Iowa’s creative community. 🎉

05/07/2026

Join us for the Iowa Exhibited 2026 Opening Reception 🎨

Thursday, May 7 | 6:30–8:00 PM

Celebrate an evening of art, conversation, and the incredible creativity of Iowa’s artistic community. Come connect, explore, and be inspired. ✨

04/12/2026

The Iowa Exhibited artists are officially selected!

A huge thank you from PCHG to everyone who submitted their work, and special appreciation to our juror, Jennifer Drinkwater 🙌

This is going to be an incredible show—you won’t want to miss it! 👀

And now… introducing the selected artists… 👏

(organized Last Name, First Name)
Andersen, Jessica
Bagley, Braden
Bird, Leo
Blumhagen, Lisa
Briggs, Nancy
Burk, Dana
Davis, Martin
Drummond, Meredith
Fry-Schnormeier, Bailey
Gaquer, Bojenna
Heemstra, Jim
Henslee, Stina
Hiatt, Mike
Hoyt, Summer
Huffman, Angie
Johnson, David
Kirkholm, Tyler
Kling, Bob
Klisares, Jeff
Koning, Ryan
Kunzler, Diane
Luber, Patrick
Marentes, Seso
Matthews, Rob
Michels, Richard
Nagorny, Sergiy
Nelson, Stephanie
Nordman, Russ
Prior, Isaac
Roeder, Phillip
Schwartz, Kelly
Scroggins, Justin
Segner, Anna
Shelby, Kevin
Stirling, Audrey
Stoffregen, Margaret
Sunderman, Robert
Tant, Cassandra
Travnicek, Laura
Valentine, Toni
Wallace, Robert
Webster, Richard
Wilson, Michael
Wright, Scott
Zisko, Deborah

CONGRATULATIONS! ✨ Artists selected will be notified with further details on the show.

04/02/2026

TODAY IS THE DAY!

Opening Reception:
⏰ Thursday, April 2 | 6:30pm to 8:00pm
📍 111 Court Ave, Des Moines, IA 50309

In the fall of 2023, inspired art-makers from around Iowa began gathering at the Progress Iowa offices to create message-driven works of art that move people into action in their communities.

The group soon began meeting every other Friday for “Art Jams” and over time, it morphed to include hundreds of makers at different points, preparing for different rallies and reasons. This exhibit, called “PrintMaking Change,” celebrates the work they continue to create, and includes work from artists around Iowa.

Collection topics range from tariffs and corporate tax breaks to the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid, reproductive rights to factory farms, SNAP and clean water. They call for more responsive and attuned action from legislators and more community for us all.

The show opens Monday, March 30th, with a reception (refreshments served!) on Thursday, April 2nd, from 6:30 to 8 PM, and will feature a hands-on station where guests can try the portable printing press that so many Art Jammers put to use.
When neighboring nonprofits join together to support each other to feed hearts, minds, and bodies, we win. All art sale proceeds go to the Supply Hive.

This exhibit is co-curated by Progress Iowa and the Fairness for Iowa coalition, with award-winning poet, arts writer, and artist Michaela Mullin, whose work bridges poetry, visual art, and community engagement.

Cohosted by Progress Iowa, Fairness for Iowa, & Supply Hive

03/26/2026

WE ARE ONLY ONE WEEK AWAY!

Opening Reception: Thursday, April 2 | 6:30pm to 8:00pm

In the fall of 2023, inspired art-makers from around Iowa began gathering at the Progress Iowa offices to create message-driven works of art that move people into action in their communities.

The group soon began meeting every other Friday for “Art Jams” and over time, it morphed to include hundreds of makers at different points, preparing for different rallies and reasons. This exhibit, called “PrintMaking Change,” celebrates the work they continue to create, and includes work from artists around Iowa.

Collection topics range from tariffs and corporate tax breaks to the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid, reproductive rights to factory farms, SNAP and clean water. They call for more responsive and attuned action from legislators and more community for us all.

The show opens Monday, March 30th, with a reception (refreshments served!) on Thursday, April 2nd, from 6:30 to 8 PM, and will feature a hands-on station where guests can try the portable printing press that so many Art Jammers put to use.
When neighboring nonprofits join together to support each other to feed hearts, minds, and bodies, we win. All art sale proceeds go to the Supply Hive.

This exhibit is co-curated by Progress Iowa and the Fairness for Iowa coalition, with award-winning poet, arts writer, and artist Michaela Mullin, whose work bridges poetry, visual art, and community engagement.

Cohosted by Progress Iowa, Fairness for Iowa, & Supply Hive

03/11/2026

As we are gearing up for Iowa Exhibited 2026, we have a fantastic show coming in the meantime: PRINTMAKING CHANGE an artful show of unity.

March 30 - April 30

Opening reception Thursday, April 2 | 6:30pm to 8:00pm

In the fall of 2023, inspired art-makers from around Iowa began gathering at the Progress Iowa offices to create message-driven works of art that move people into action in their communities.

The group soon began meeting every other Friday for “Art Jams” and over time, it morphed to include hundreds of makers at different points, preparing for different rallies and reasons. This exhibit, called “PrintMaking Change,” celebrates the work they continue to create, and includes work from artists around Iowa.

Collection topics range from tariffs and corporate tax breaks to the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid, reproductive rights to factory farms, SNAP and clean water. They call for more responsive and attuned action from legislators and more community for us all.

The show opens Monday, March 30th, with a reception (refreshments served!) on Thursday, April 2nd, from 6:30 to 8 PM, and will feature a hands-on station where guests can try the portable printing press that so many Art Jammers put to use.

When neighboring nonprofits join together to support each other to feed hearts, minds, and bodies, we win. All art sale proceeds go to the Supply Hive.

This exhibit is co-curated by Progress Iowa and the Fairness for Iowa coalition, with award-winning poet, arts writer, and artist Michaela Mullin, whose work bridges poetry, visual art, and community engagement.

Exhibit on display from Mon., Mar. 30 to Thurs., Apr. 30

11 AM to 4:30 PM Monday through Friday

—

Cohosted by Progress Iowa, Fairness for Iowa, & Supply Hive

03/06/2026

Meet your Iowa Exhibited 2026 juror!

A Mississippi Delta native, Jennifer Drinkwater is an artist, an associate professor of art & visual culture and the community arts specialist for extension and outreach at Iowa State University.

Jennifer explores how we bring artwork from the studio into the world, and how art-making can both build and shape community. Over the years, she’s created installations in restored prairies in Nebraska; collaborated on public art projects in vacant sites on Iowa main streets; spearheaded a community knit-bombing project; painted murals with middle school children on a blues club in the Mississippi Delta and in Perry, Iowa; and written free toolkits about these projects.

Jennifer’s also the creator of The What’s Good Project, which celebrates the meaningful stories from where we live through community conversations and painting.

Although she’s spent one year of her life living in tents, Jennifer currently lives and works in Ames, Iowa.

02/27/2026

Beginning TODAY, February 27, Iowa resident artists are invited to submit up to three original works for our annual exhibition. Submissions will be open for 21 days, closing on Friday, March 20!

The exhibition will be on view May 7 through early/mid July (final date coming soon), with an Opening Reception on Thursday, May 7 from 6:30–8:00 PM. Join us for an evening of art, conversation, and celebration of Iowa’s incredible creative community.

We can’t wait to see what you’ve been creating!

Follow the link to submit your work - https://pci.jotform.com/form/260535934167159 or head over to our website www.polkcountyheritagegallery.org/submissions.

Below is some information entering artists may need:

AWARDS -

• $950 in total cash awards:

• $350 – Best in Show (1)
• $125 – Merit Awards (3)
• $75 – Honorable Mention Awards (3)
-----------------------------------------------

FEES & RULES -

• Entry Fee: $30 (up to 3 submissions)

Eligibility:
• Must be an Iowa resident
• Must be 16 years or older
• All work must be original

Artwork Requirements:
• Ready to display and properly wired for hanging
• Maximum 75 lbs
• Maximum 5 feet in any direction
• No wet oil paintings
• Fragile or high-maintenance 3D work must be installed and removed by the artist

Delivery:
• Accepted work must be delivered during the scheduled drop-off times
• Late deliveries may not be included in the exhibit
-----------------------------------------------

IMPORTANT DATES

• Call for Entries: February 27 – March 20
• Artist Notification: April 10 (subject to change)
• Artwork Drop-Off: April 30 – May 1
• Awards Show: May 7 at 6:30 PM
• Awards mailed within 72 hours
• Exhibit Dates: May 7 – Early/Mid July (exact end date TBD)

02/24/2026

Get ready—Iowa Exhibited is back! 🎉

Beginning Friday, February 27, Iowa resident artists are invited to submit up to three original works for our annual exhibition. Submissions will be open for 21 days, closing on Friday, March 20—so start selecting your strongest pieces now!

The exhibition will be on view May 7 through early/mid July (final date coming soon), with an Opening Reception on Thursday, May 8 from 6:30–8:00 PM. Join us for an evening of art, conversation, and celebration of Iowa’s incredible creative community.

Keep an eye right here for the submission link, and be sure to sign up for our newsletter at www.polkcountyheritagegallery.org
so you don’t miss any updates.

We can’t wait to see what you’ve been creating!

01/28/2026

The Polk County Heritage Gallery is seeking social media– and technology-savvy volunteers to serve on our Marketing Committee. This volunteer opportunity offers a meaningful way to give back to the community while helping promote local art and artists throughout the Des Moines metro area and across the state of Iowa.

Marketing Committee responsibilities include:

• Creating and scheduling social media content
• Distributing email communications to subscribers
• Updating and maintaining the PCHG website
• Contributing to the design and branding of exhibitions
• Collaborating with other committees to ensure the success of each show

If you—or someone you know—are interested in volunteering or would like more information about the gallery, please contact us here or email [email protected]

We look forward to hearing from you!

Address

111 Court Avenue
Des Moines, IA
50309

Telephone

+15152862242

Website

http://www.polkcountyheritagegallery.org/

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