Please see website for details on time, days and amounts.

The funniest show on earth is back to taunt Des Moines for a second time!

Winner of the 2005 Tony Award for Best Musical, Monty Python's SPAMALOT, the musical comedy sensation lovingly ripped off from the film classic "Monty Python & The Holy Grail," now returns to spread laughter & cheer throughout the kingdom. Directed by Tony Award-winner Mike Nichols, SPAMALOT tells the tale of King Arthur & his Knights of the Round Table as they embark on their quest for the Holy Grail. But before they can find their grail, they're taking a little side-trip to the fair city of Des Moines.

The State Historical Society of Iowa recognized the importance of visual works of art as documents of history and began collecting paintings as far back as 1857,” Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs Director Cyndi Pederson said. “These paintings are important historical artifacts because they provide clues about the activities, attitudes, ideas, interests, prejudices and status of the people who created and displayed them.” The museum holds in its collection more than 300 historical paintings, most of them suffering from decades of exposure to sunlight, tobacco smoke, coal dust and fluctuations in temperature and humidity. Aging varnish and a build up of grime also combined to obscure the images. The vast majority of the collection had been on display or in storage at the former Historical Building (now the Ola Babcock Miller Building) at 1112 E. Grand Avenue before being relocated in 1988 to the current location, where it is now protected in a climate-controlled storage area. For two decades, museum staff has identified a select number of paintings to be conserved and displayed in exhibits, but a comprehensive effort targeting the entire collection had been too costly until recently. In 2004, museum staff contacted Illinois conservator Barry Bauman, who began offering complimentary services to museums and non-profit organizations in 2003. He charges only for supplies. Bauman, who operates Barry Bauman Conservation in River Forest, Ill., is an Elected Fellow of the American Institute for Conservation. He was formerly the Associate Conservator of Paintings for the Art Institute of Chicago and the founder and owner of the Chicago Conservation Center. “Recovered Treasures” showcases a selection of 20 paintings conserved by Bauman, and highlights a cross-section of the works in the museum’s collection. These paintings represent almost $100,000 in donated services from Bauman. Treatment images of the exhibit paintings can be viewed on Bauman’s Web site: www.baumanconservation.com. Eighteen of the paintings come from the museum’s climate-controlled storage area, and the other two have been on display at Terrace Hill in Des Moines and Governor William Larrabee’s home, Montauk, which is a historic site near Clermont, Iowa.

Featuring the Morehouse Comet in the James Collier Heritage Room through December.

Come and hear some exciting bands at Dos Rios in downtown Des Moines throughout the month of December - best of all, it's FREE! 

Dates/Bands scheduled: 

Friday, Dec. 5: Sallgood Saturday, Dec. 6: Brian Congdon Friday, Dec. 12: Chris Ranallo Saturday, Dec. 13: Mike Aceto Friday, December 19: Brad Seidenfeld Saturday, December 20: The Jesters Friday, Dec. 26: BoboCoco Saturday, December 27: The Jesters

Monday December 1st, 2008
Public Skate from Noon-6 pm
Learn To Skate from 6:15 pm-7:25 pm

Tuesday December 2nd, 2008
Public Skate from Noon-9pm

Wednesday December 3rd, 2008
Public Skate from Noon-9pm

Thursday December 4th, 2008
Public Skate from 9am-8pm

Friday December 5th, 2008
Rock the River from 8 pm-11 pm
Public Skate from 9am-8pm

Saturday December 6th, 2008
Freestyle from 9am-10am
Public Skate from 10am-11pm

Sunday December 7th, 2008
Public Skate from Noon-8pm

Monday December 8th, 2008
Public Skate from Noon-6 pm
Learn To Skate from 6:15 pm-7:25 pm

Tuesday December 9th, 2008
Public Skate from Noon-9 pm

Wednesday December 10th, 2008
Public Skate from Noon-9pm

Thursday December 11th, 2008
Public Skate from 9am-8pm

Friday December 12th, 2008
Rock the River from 8 pm-11 pm
Public Skate from 9am-8pm

Saturday December 13th, 2008
Freestyle from 9am-10am
Public Skate from 10am-11pm

Sunday December 14th, 2008
Public Skate from Noon-8pm

Monday December 15th, 2008
Public Skate from Noon-6 pm
Learn To Skate from 6:15 pm-7:25 pm

Tuesday December 16th, 2008
Public Skate from Noon-9 pm

Wednesday December 17th, 2008
Public Skate from Noon-9pm

Thursday December 18th, 2008
Public Skate from 9am-8pm

Friday December 19th, 2008
Rock the River from 8 pm-11 pm
Public Skate from 9am-8pm

Saturday December 20th, 2008
Freestyle from 9am-10am
Public Skate from 10am-11pm

Sunday December 21st, 2008
Public Skate from Noon-8pm

Monday December 22nd, 2008
Public Skate from Noon-6 pm
Learn To Skate from 6:15 pm-7:25 pm

Tuesday December 23rd, 2008
Public Skate from Noon-9 pm

Wednesday December 24th, 2008
Public Skate from Noon-9pm

Thursday December 25th, 2008
Merry Christmas! from 4pm-9pm

Friday December 26th, 2008
Rock the River from 8 pm-11 pm
Public Skate from 9am-8pm

Saturday December 27th, 2008
Freestyle from 9am-10am
Public Skate from 10am-11pm

Sunday December 28th, 2008
Public Skate from Noon-8pm

Monday December 29th, 2008
Public Skate from Noon-6 pm

Tuesday December 30th, 2008
Public Skate from Noon-9 pm

During this holiday season Iowan’s may be facing record job losses & financial concerns & need an inexpensive place to relax & spend family time together. Blank Park Zoo decided it would be a good time to give back & are planning to open their doors for free admission, from Friday, November 28th until Sunday, January 4th, to Iowans who need a holiday family break due to job loss or financial difficulties. Zoo’s winter hours are Thursdays-Sundays from 10am-4pm. Directions/other information are available at www.blankparkzoo.com. “Bring the family to the Zoo, say “I want to Do the Zoo”, and you’re in free - no questions asked,” explains Anne Shimerdla, the Zoo’s Director of Operations. “All we ask is that if you can afford to pay, you do. But we won’t question anyone. We trust Iowans’ honesty.” Zoo employees also plan to reach out to low income families through organizations like United Way, Employee and Family Resources, Youth Homes of Mid America, and many more. “We are gearing up for another big season and thought it might be a good time to give those in need a peek at the fun,” says Terry Rich, the Zoo’s CEO. “Zoos across America have always given positive experiences to families. They need it the most this holiday season.” Shimerdla said over 70% of the animals are on exhibit during the winter (outdoor exhibits depends on ice and weather), including exotic birds, monkeys, tropical fish, amphibians and snakes in a warm, indoor lush rain forest. Outdoor exhibits will have more active tigers, lions, snow leopards and snow monkeys. Even the “fleeing Flamingo” will be on exhibit for the public. (Be sure to dress warm for the cold days.) “Animals tend to be more active in cool weather”, she said. ”The Zoo is a great place for a warm, and cool, winter break.”

Bring the whole family to experience the larger-than-life version of this inspiring adventure based on the beloved children's book by Chris Van Allsburg. When a doubting young boy takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe. Stars Tom Hanks. Film Length: 99 minutes

DUE TO THE FLOODING, THE LIGHT DISPLAY WILL RE-OPEN ON NEW YEAR'S EVE & WILL STAY OPEN 2 EXTRA DAYS (thru Saturday), weather permitting!

Jolly Holiday Lights - Des Moines @ Water Works Park, Des Moines, through January 1, 2009! Jolly Holiday Lights is a Des Moines tradition like no other. With 3.3 miles of wonderfully lit splendor, the event has become a magical centerpiece to many, a night of holiday light viewing. Santa's Wish Shop Open from 5:30-9pm. (Note: Tour de Lights will take place on Sunday, November 23rd, starting at 5:30pm-7:30pm as a special preview of Jolly Holiday Lights).

Questions/comments: Call the gallery at 286-2242 or visit www.heritagegallery.org.

SHELTER is a group show of 13 artists who have explored the concept of shelter in a variety of media. The exhibition works range from common ideas of shelter such as houses & barns to more abstract concepts such as shells and pods. Jules Kirschenbaum & Cornelis Ruhtenberg will be featured in DRAWINGS & PAINTINGS. Works by the late artists from Des Moines will show their talent in creating still lifes & figurative pieces. Jules was a professor at Drake University for over 25 years. Works by Cornelis are in the collections of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Berlin Museum (Germany) and the Denver Art Museum. PRINTS & ASSEMBLAGES will also feature a married couple, Yuko Ishii & Ken Smith. Yuko’s mixed media assemblages & Ken’s pigment ink prints, though diverse, are influenced by their home in the North Cascade Mountains of Washington State. Yuko is a native of Japan and a self-taught artist with gallery representation in New York, Virginia and Washington. Ken, originally from Des Moines, is in the collections of the Washington State Arts Commission, Thomas McGee L.C. in Kansas City and Iowa State University.

What did 3 guys do in 4 minutes that got them barred from show business for life? And why would they do it again 25 years later? Explore these & other mysteries of show biz at the Triple Espresso Coffeehouse, where the once-promising comedy team of "Maxwell, Butternut & Bean" is back for a reluctant 25th anniversary reunion. NOTE: Only children over age 5 with tickets will be allowed into the theater. Triple Espresso is performed in The Temple Theater at The Temple for Performing Arts at 10th and Locust in Downtown Des Moines.

The opening reception/talk on Friday, Oct. 24 will begin at 6pm at the gallery with Seuss curator, Bill Dreyer!

Regular Gallery hours: 10-5pm Monday-Saturday; Open Thursday evenings until 7:30pm.

An art show called ""Dr. Seuss for President"" opens Friday, October 24 at Kavanaugh Art Gallery! The traveling collection of Theodore Seuss Geisel's prints & sculptures includes a number of political works he created during & after World War II.
It can be jarring to see such grim subjects drawn in the whimsical style of ""The Cat in the Hat"" or ""Yertle the Turtle."" But before Geisel wrote the 40-some books that helped teach millions of baby boomers to read, he published cartoons that decried a host of controversial ""-isms"": racism, fascism, anti-Semitism and American isolationism before World War II.

The gallery's permanent collection of about 50 prints & sculptures by Seuss remains indefinitely at the gallery.

The presence of potters in Iowa can be documented as early as 1836. Records indicate that during the period 1830 to 1930, more than 300 individuals identified by name were actively engaged in the production of Iowa ceramics. The marks of about 80 potters have been located on pieces for inclusion in the exhibition. The earliest of these from around 1836

Classes and Workshops; Fall/Winter 2008
Adult Classes/Workshops
Children's Classes
Teens Classes

Two centuries of history are preserved in "The Working White House: Two Centuries of Traditions and Memories," an artifact-based traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, developed with the Smithsonian Center for Folklife & Cultural Heritage & the White House Historical Association. The "Working White House" gives exhibit visitors a rare view of the inner workings of America's most renowned residence through the experiences, firsthand accounts & one-of-a-kind artifacts of the largely unrecognized people crucial to the everyday lives of our first families. For two centuries, workers at the White House have witnessed history in the making and, in the process, they have created their own. "The Working White House" showcases the souvenirs, housekeeping implements, clothing, letters, menus, photographs and other objects to help illustrate the full story of the presidential residence. New interviews conducted by the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage and WHHA staffers with past workers provide eyewitness accounts of White House work culture and will be included in an audio tour and exhibition video.