STORY BY GIULIANA LAMANTIA
Open to visitors since Sept. 2009, the John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park has become a staple of downtown Des Moines.
According to Christine Doolittle, director of marketing and public relations at the Des Moines Art Center, John and Mary Pappajohn are philanthropists in Des Moines, Iowa that have been collecting artwork since they were married.
When they noticed people driving by to look at a sculpture in their yard, they thought Western Gateway Park, which had just opened during the revitalization of downtown, would be a good spot for it.
They donated their art to the Des Moines Art Center and Western Gateway Park. There were initially 16 sculptures in the park, which eventually became a total of 28 as of today. All of the sculptures were donated by the Pappajohns or commissioned specifically for the park.
Doolittle loves how the city has embraced the sculpture park.
“We knew that it would be a fantastic addition to the city of Des Moines, but the fact that the community has embraced it as they have has been really thrilling for us,” Doolittle said. “It’s almost as if the park has become iconic for Des Moines, you see it every time you see anything about Des Moines.”
Being free and close, Drake students have also embraced and enjoyed the sculpture park.
Sophomore Jessica Didominick likes that it is open any time of year and believes it creates a nice entrance for the city.
“My favorite sculpture is the one of the person made out of letters (Nomade),” Didominick said. “I think it’s really unique.”
Sophomore Maura Scott’s favorite piece is Panoramic Awareness Pavilion for its endless colors and happy vibes.
Scott feels the sculpture park brings people together in a place to enjoy art.
“The fact that it’s free is really nice because it gives everyone the opportunity to enjoy art, no matter what socioeconomic status they are in, which is really important,” Scott said.
T8
Donated: 2009
Mark Di Suvero creates his sculptures primarily of industrial I-beams and heavy gauge metal with no former plans or models. T8 was built in this same format, made to portray energy as its pieces become entangled towards the sky. It is painted orange-red for contrast against the blue sky.
Untitled (Three Dancing Figures, version C) 1989
Donated: 2010
Haring found his inspiration for this piece, as well as his work in general, from the chaos of New York City. The human figure in simplistic form is one of his main focuses in his work, like in this sculpture. This piece is brightly colored and portrays the human dancing, showing energy so as to brighten the world around it.
Nomade 2007
Donated: 2009
One of the most recognizable pieces of the sculpture park, Nomade depicts a crouching human figure composed of letters in the Latin alphabet. Plensa showcases his ideas of human culture and society through this work. The shape portrays the human body and the way it perceives the world, and the letters symbolize language and ideas, people coming together to enhance society.
Panoramic Awareness Pavilion 2013
Donated: 2013
Panoramic Awareness Pavilion is the newest gift from John and Mary Pappajohn and was created specifically for the sculpture park. Made of 23 panes of colored glass, the work represents a circular color spectrum from the outside. At night, a lamp is lit from the inside, creating a kaleidoscope with lights shining from the outside.
Juno
Donated: 2009
Horses inspire Butterfield’s work, and her horse sculptures each have unique personalities. Juno portrays a bashful creature. Butterfield’s process to make her horse sculptures takes three months. They are made with cast and reassembled branches to form the basic shape of the horse. Butterfield then attaches real sticks until she achieves the correct gesture. The pieces are then photographed, disassembled and cast in bronze before being reattached. A patina is applied to enhance the look.
Back of Snowman (White)
Back of Snowman (Black)
Donated: 2009
Imagery from Hume’s childhood, such as the snowman, plays a large role in his art, hence Back of Snowman. Since Hume is a painter as well as a sculptor, the piece contains a smooth, glossy finish. The title Back of Snowman is a joke to the viewer, since the snowman does not have a front.
Photos by Joel Venzke | Photo Editor
