The Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit is the premier renewable fuels event in Iowa where industry insiders & the general public gather to “Fuel the Truth” about biofuels! If an acre of land is converted to corn production, does an acre of Brazilian rain forest fall? Why does federal law hold ethanol to higher greenhouse gas standards than higher polluting gasoline? Can we climb over the so-called blend wall with E85, mid-level ethanol blends and B20? Join us to learn the Truth.

Grapevine Wine Tasting Social - Enjoy special pairing of food and wine and pair up with a current mentor to learn more about getting involved. Held in conjunction with National Mentoring Month, please join us as we toast our mentors and volunteers.

FREE admission (reservations required & available exclusively through IowaTIX beginning January 12 at www.iowatix.com or 277.3727). This lecture investigates the formal & thematic connections between Regionalism & Modernism, two seemingly opposed aesthetic movements. Debra Bricker Balken is the guest curator for "After Many Springs." Balken's scholarshop focuses on American art of the early- through mid-20th-century.

Learn about the green interior products used in Des Moines' Affordable Green Demonstration Home, "Greenth Street" built by CHDC. Presented by Jeani Lee of Kitchen, Bath and Home.

Put yourself in the driver's seat & experience speeds of more than 200 mph with the magic of IMAX! This film will briefly take fans into reverse to review the history of the nation's most revered sport, told from the viewpoint of some of its legendary drivers & look at the thrilling phenomenon that is NASCAR today. Film Length: 40 minutes

Back in IMAX for a limited time only! In THE DARK KNIGHT, Batman raises the stakes in his war on crime. With the help of Lieutenant Jim Gordon & District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to dismantle the remaining criminal organizations that plague the city streets. This film has been rated PG-13 by the MPAA for “intense sequences of violence & some menace.” DATES/TIMES: January 26- 6 p.m.; January 27 - 6 p.m.; January 28 - 6 p.m.; January 29 - 6 & 9 p.m.; January 30 - 6 & 9 p.m.; January 31 - 3, 6 & 9 p.m.  Thursday, Jan. 29 show at 6 p.m. - free small popcorn with ticket purchase!

Opening reception January 23, 5-8 p.m. Works on Paper: Drawings, prints & photography in new & traditional forms by: Leslie Bell, Heather Brammeier, John Phillip Davis, Noah Doely, Catherine Dreiss, Tracy Duran, Diane Henk, Frank Hansen, Larassa Kabel, Richard Kelley, Nancy Lindsay, Bill Luchsinger, Therese Murdza, Wayne Norton, Toby Penney, Anthony Pontius, John Siblik, Karen Strohbeen, Richard Taylor, Jeffrey Thompson, Chris Vance, Ignatius Widiapradja & James Woodfill. Artist Talk by woodcut artist Catherine Dreiss January 24,11 a.m.

Sleeping Dogs centers around 2 mothers who are trying to uncover facts surrounding a car accident that has left one woman's son dead & the other woman's son comatose. Their investigation, which leads to surprising & disturbing revelations, ultimately forces the mothers to re-examine the identities of themselves & the sons they thought they knew so well. Loosely based on a true story, Sleeping Dogs examines the complex & personal reasons why some people are content to accept matters as they appear to be while others are compelled to seek the truth at any cost. DATES/TIMES: January 23rd & 24th @ 7p.m.; January 30th & 31st @ 7p.m.; February 6th & 7th @ 7p.m. Tickets can be purchased at www.tallgrasstheatre.org or www.iowatix.com.

Comedy

Doubt, the 2005 Tony Award & Pulitizer Prize winner, is a breathtaking look at faith, guilt & the pitfalls of moral certainty. It's a tour de force for actors, a riveting experience for audiences & sure to stimulate lively debate. Show Days & Times 7:30 PM Wednesday 7:30 PM Thursday 8:00 PM Friday 8:00 PM Saturday 2:00 PM Sunday Tickets $35.00 Adults Section A $32.00 Seniors (62+) Section A $24.00 Adults & Seniors SEction B $20.00 Students Both Sections

Directed by Josh Visnapuu.
Tallgrass Theatre Company's 3rd Annual Iowa Playwrights Workshop (IPW) was originally created in 2006 for the purpose of developing & showcasing fresh new works by Iowa writers. Writers are encouraged to submit one-act or full-length plays at any time to Tallgrass via electronic or hard copy.

Submissions accepted until September 15; Script to be announced October 15.
Auditions: November 24 and 25 @ 6:00 PM
Parts TBD

Exhibition in Print Gallery: Different Realities European & American Prints and Drawings from the 1920s and 1930s.  See www.desmoinesartcenter.org for more information.

Adapted for the stage by Leslie Bricusse and Tim McDonald. Based on the book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. Join Charlie Bucket, Grandpa Joe, and all the other holders of the coveted Golden Ticket as they set off on their adventure through Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory - the greatest chocolate factory in the world - accompanied by Wonka himself! This new stage musical features the Oompa Loompa chants from the Gene Wilder film, as well as the songs ""Candy Man"" and ""Pure Imagination."" Show Days & Times 7:00 PM Friday 1:00 PM Saturday 1:00 PM Sunday 4:00 PM Sunday (1:00 PM only on Feb. 8) Tickets $15.00 Adults/Seniors (62+) $12.00 Students

SUNDAYS ONLY - Join local musicians as they escape from the cold, dry winter to the warm tropical environment of the Botanical Center. Every Sunday in January & February a different artist will be performing in the Dome from 1pm-3pm. Admission $4 per person. Come down & join us for food, fun, and entertainment! DATES/SCHEDULE: Jan. 4: Matt Woods Jan. 11: Brad ""DeBrad"" McCloud & John Zantow of the Case of the Blues Band Jan. 18: Mojo Jono Jan. 25: Dewey Cantrell & Jodi Bodley Feb. 1: Hot Tamale Duo Feb. 8: Thunderbird Kingsley Feb. 15: Fat Tuesday Duo featuring Scott Long & Greg Sutherland Feb. 22: Lady Blue Duo featuring Tina Haase-Findlay

Thursday January 1st, 2009 Happy New Year! from 4pm-9pm Friday January 2nd, 2009 Rock the River from 8pm-11pm Public Skate from 9am-8pm Saturday January 3rd, 2009 Public Skate from 10am-11pm Freestyle from 9am-10am Public Skate from 10am-11pm Freestyle from 9am-10am Sunday January 4th, 2009 Public Skate from Noon-8pm Public Skate from Noon-8pm Monday January 5th, 2009 Public Skate from Noon-6pm Tuesday January 6th, 2009 Public Skate from Noon-9pm Wednesday January 7th, 2009 Public Skate from Noon-9pm Thursday January 8th, 2009 Public Skate from Noon-8pm Friday January 9th, 2009 Rock the River from 8pm-11pm Public Skate from 9am-8pm Saturday January 10th, 2009 Public Skate from 10am-11pm Freestyle from 9am-10am Public Skate from 10am-11pm Freestyle from 9am-10am Sunday January 11th, 2009 Public Skate from Noon-8pm Public Skate from Noon-8pm Monday January 12th, 2009 Public Skate from Noon-6pm Tuesday January 13th, 2009 Public Skate from Noon-9pm Wednesday January 14th, 2009 Public Skate from Noon-9pm Thursday January 15th, 2009 Public Skate from Noon-8pm Friday January 16th, 2009 Rock the River from 8pm-11pm Public Skate from 9am-8pm Saturday January 17th, 2009 Public Skate from 10am-11pm Freestyle from 9am-10am Public Skate from 10am-11pm Freestyle from 9am-10am Sunday January 18th, 2009 Public Skate from Noon-8pm Public Skate from Noon-8pm Monday January 19th, 2009 Public Skate from Noon-6pm Tuesday January 20th, 2009 Public Skate from Noon-9pm Wednesday January 21st, 2009 Public Skate from Noon-9pm Thursday January 22nd, 2009 Public Skate from Noon-8pm Friday January 23rd, 2009 Rock the River from 8pm-11pm Public Skate from 9am-8pm Saturday January 24th, 2009 Public Skate from 10am-11pm Freestyle from 9am-10am Public Skate from 10am-11pm Freestyle from 9am-10am Sunday January 25th, 2009 Public Skate from Noon-8pm Public Skate from Noon-8pm Monday January 26th, 2009 Public Skate from Noon-6pm Tuesday January 27th, 2009 Public Skate from Noon-9pm Wednesday January 28th, 2009 Public Skate from Noon-9pm Thursday January 29th, 2009 Public Skate from Noon-8pm Friday January 30th, 2009 Rock the River from 8pm-11pm Public Skate from 9am-8pm Saturday January 31st, 2009 Public Skate from 10am-11pm Freestyle from 9am-10am Public Skate from 10am-11pm Freestyle from 9am-10am

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.

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

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.