My mother came to visit this past weekend on her way home from visiting my niece. We're still fairly new to this part of the country, so we went exploring new places together. We visited our local downtown and the University. And we found some pretty good local restaurants.On Saturday, with Kimberly stuck in the office studying, me and my mom went to Des Moines, where the World Food Fest was being held. We ate some great ethnic food, including pupusas, tamales, and BBQ ribs, while wandering around the new up-and-coming East Village neighborhood (think Harvard Square 200 years ago, or the Pearl 20 years ago).
After eating our fill, we went to the Des Moines Art Center, which turned out to be wonderful. Located in one of the older neighborhoods in the city, the museum is set in a park with lots of outdoor installations.
The museum building itself is a fantastic space. I don't know much about architecture, but even I know the names Saarinen and I.M. Pei, who, along with Richard Meier (who is also apparently very famous), designed the three very distinct wings of the Art Center. It was a great environment to see some great art, particularly the Meier wing, which was full of natural light and superb art.
I know even less about art than about architecture, but I know I liked a lot of the art in the museum. I also know enough to recognize names like Hopper, Sargent, O'Keefe, and Rodin, all of whom have pieces on display. The art ranged from impressionist to contemporary, with a lot in between.
Obviously, as stand alone entities, the building and the art are amazing pieces of work. But the thing that most impressed me was that it seemed like the art and the buildings were designed with each other in mind. For this reason alone, the museum was a success.
We only were able to explore about half of the museum, so Kimberly and I will certainly have to go back, especially to explore the outdoor grounds.
And when you come to visit, we'll have something else to do besides go to the State Fair.
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