John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park - Des Moines, IA - Sculpture Gardens on Waymarking.com

From the Downtown Des Moines website:

The John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park is built directly within a major crossroads of the urban grid, making it unlike any other sculpture garden in the United States, and will contribute to the ongoing revitalization of the surrounding neighborhood. It features 24 works donated to the Des Moines Arts Center by the Pappajohns, including eight new promised gifts from the couple’s renowned collection of contemporary sculpture and a new commission by artist Deborah Butterfield.

The Pappajohns’ initial contribution of 16 works for the park—the most significant donation of artwork ever made in a single gift to the museum—included sculpture by Louise Bourgeois, Richard Serra, Martin Puryear, Ellsworth Kelly, Willem de Kooning, and Anthony Caro, among others, and was valued at more than $25 million. This collection will be united with a second gift of eight works by Sol LeWitt, Tony Smith, Gary Hume, Ugo Rondinone, and Deborah Butterfield in a permanent installation in the city’s Western Gateway Park, which offers a pedestrian entranceway to downtown Des Moines.

“The John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park has changed the cultural landscape of the city in a dramatic way unseen since the opening of the Des Moines Art Center in 1948,” said Des Moines Art Center Director Jeff Fleming. “The impact of the Pappajohns’ gift on the museum and the city cannot be over emphasized. It will contribute to the dynamism of the city and add a new dimension to the museum experience.”

New York-based project architects Diana Agrest and Mario Gandelsonas, who developed a master plan for the city of Des Moines in the early 1990’s, created the design for the new park featuring a rolling landscape and crescent-shaped open cutaways that will frame the sculptures. Backdrop walls eight feet high are carved out of mounds running through the garden. The landscaping constructs a narrative of suspense, as all of the works will not be visible at the same time. Two large-scale works, Mark di Suvero’s untitled geometric piece and Jaume Plensa’s Nomade, anchor the southern side of the park, where they provide dramatic views for commuters driving east on Locust Street. Pedestrians moving more slowly through the park will see the rest of the works emerge by themselves or in small groups. The master plan for the installation of the sculpture was developed by an advisory committee comprised of the Pappajohns and representatives from the museum and the city.

The park is situated 32 blocks east of the museum’s original facility. Installation of the works began in May 2009 and was completed in September 2009.

The total value of the works that are on view in the sculpture park is estimated at $40 million. The artists represented include:
• Louise Bourgeois
• Scott Burton
• Deborah Butterfield
• Anthony Caro
• Tony Cragg
• Willem de Kooning
• Mark di Suvero
• Barry Flanagan
• Gary Hume
• Ellsworth Kelly
• Sol Lewitt
• Jaume Plensa
• Martin Puryear
• Ugo Rondinone
• Richard Serra
• Joel Shapiro
• Judith Shea
• Tony Smith
• William Tucker

The park is a collaboration between the city of Des Moines and the Des Moines Art Center. The museum has successfully completed a $6.1 million campaign to fund the park with the support of individuals, corporations, and foundations. The city of Des Moines will oversee the park’s maintenance and operations, and the museum will maintain the artworks.


John and Mary Pappajohn

Mary and John Pappajohn of Des Moines embody the American dream. Emigrating from Greece as a child, John later worked his way through the University of Iowa. He has achieved extraordinary business successes—starting his own businesses and investing in others. Today, John is one of the state’s most successful entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. His wife Mary has been his partner in philanthropic endeavors that have provided nearly $50 million for scholarships, educational initiatives, and community development. John’s civic endeavors are broad, including serving as a trustee at the Des Moines Art Center, as a member of the National Committee of the Performing Arts and the Collectors Committee for the National Gallery of Art. From 1997–2006, he and his wife Mary were recognized as one of the top 200 art collectors in the world by ARTnews magazine.

Garden Name: John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park Owner/Commissioner of Garden: Des Moines Art Center Address: 1450 Locust St. Des Moines, IA USA 50309 Hours: 6:00am - Midnight Fees?: no Garden Website: [Web Link] Rating: Location: Not listed Parking Coordinates: Not Listed

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