Pappajohn Sculpture Garden
In February 2007, the City of Des Moines and the Des Moines Art Center announced that Des Moines philanthropists John and Mary Pappajohn would be donating major pieces of sculpture to the Art Center, with the proposed location for placement being Western Gateway Park.
The Pappajohns are ranked among the world’s top private collectors of art and are the only Iowans, and among only a handful of Midwesterners, included in Art News magazine’s list of the top 200 collectors in the world. Between the two of them, the Pappajohns sit on, or have sat on the boards or committees of the most prestigious museums and cultural organizations in the country, including the National Gallery and the Kennedy Center. Mary Pappajohn is on a committee that acquires pieces at Minneapolis’ Walker Art Center, and John Pappajohn is a member of the Collectors Committee for the National Gallery of Art.
When it was announced, the collection, which is presently located on the grounds of the Pappajohns’ home in Des Moines, included sixteen major sculptures by fifteen internationally acclaimed Modern and contemporary artists. Since the original announcement, the Pappajohns have purchased an additional piece by yet another artist, which has been placed at the park in a temporary installation, and the couple has indicated the collection will likely include more than twenty works of art.
The donation is believed to be the largest single public gift in Des Moines’ history and the largest public gift of art in Iowa history. According to art critics, the Pappajohns’ donation will likely bring Iowa renown as having one of the best public sculpture gardens in the world. The collection is important for all Iowans, even those who are not art enthusiasts. According to Jeff Fleming, Des Moines Art Center Director, “Each of the artists is internationally acclaimed. Without doubt, they are the best of the best."
The Pappajohn Sculpture Garden is appraised at $31.5 million dollars. The sculptures themselves have an appraisal value of $27 million dollars. The remaining $4 million dollars accounts for the projected cost for design and implementation of the necessary changes and accommodations. On March 15, 2008, Governor Chet Culver announced a $1 million Vision Iowa grant to support the project.
"I'm excited that Vision Iowa is joining forces with John and Mary Pappajohn to beautify Des Moines's downtown area," said Governor Chet Culver. "This public/private partnership demonstrates what can happen when Iowans lock arms and work for the common good. Thanks to the generosity of the Pappajohn's, these world-renowned sculptures in the heart of our Capital City will continue Iowa's transformation into a center for the arts and culture."
The Pappajohn Sculpture Garden will be located in the thirteen-acre Western Gateway Park. The park is located from 10th to 15th Streets between Grand Avenue and Locust Street at the west entrance into the city’s downtown district; the specific site is located on the six acres between 13th and 15th Streets. The park presently consists of 8% open space and 20% buildings including Des Moines’ Central Library, Pappajohn Higher Education Center, Arlington-Hallett Apartments, and the Temple for Performing Arts. Opened in 2006, the park has a wide variety of 240 trees; non-visible amenities include an irrigation system as well as a sub-drainage system allowing areas to quickly drain and recoup after rainfall.
To best display the art in the proposed location, as well as address important issues of security and maintenance, it will be necessary to make infrastructure alterations to the current design of the park. The grounds of the Pappajohn Sculpture Garden will be sculpted to frame the pieces of artwork. Plenty of open green space will remain to allow viewers to move around.
The architectural design firm of Agrest and Gandelsonas, with the support of several local sub-consultants including RDG, has been working with the City and the Art Center to create a schematic design for development of the sculpture park at Western Gateway Park. Des Moines Park and Recreation Department planners are coordinating development of the park’s schematic design and its implementation. The Des Moines Art Center will oversee and coordinate the relocation and placement of the works of art in the park. |
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