THE LOT PARTY W/ b. ROBERT MOORE & B.WELL Saturday, June 24, 5-8 PM   Please join us for the opening of b. Robert Moore’s exhibit, FIELD OF DREAMS: OUT THE MUD (A RETROSPECTIVE), on Friday, June 16, 5pm – 9pm. Beverages and bites will be served. This event is free and open to the public. The Lot Party will also be held on Saturday, June 24th from 5-8. Moore will talk with spoken word artist, B.WELL, of the B.WELL Foundation, who will be performing at the event. There will be a DJ, food trucks, spoken word performances, and more. Bring the whole family and celebrate the arts in Des Mo ..read more

Three federal judges have made the national news recently. One of them is not like the others. See if you can tell which one. Federal District Court Judge Mark E. Walker last Thursday recused himself from overseeing Walt Disney Company’s lawsuit against Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. DeSantis’ lawyers had requested that Judge Walker, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, do just that. They claimed Walker’s comments in two previous unrelated cases revealed bias on Walker’s part against DeSantis. Walker dismissed the DeSantis attorneys’ claim. He found it to be “a misapprehension of ..read more

This is a season for remembrance. On May 8, 1945, Germany surrendered unconditionally to the Allies, finally ending World War Two in Europe. The beginning of the end took place nearly a year earlier, on June 6, 1944, when the Allies debouched their immense D-Day invasion force onto the beaches of Normandy. And last Monday, May 29, was Memorial Day, when we honor the departed, with special thought and gratitude to those who sacrificed everything on the path to victory. Their gift to America is incalculable. But how America equipped them for the fight—that’s calculable, and boy, was it astoundin ..read more

From Iowa’s cultural epicenter, MainFrame Studios at 900 Keosauqua Way in Des Moines, comes your Listener-supported Community Voice, the Award-Winning independent radio station, KFMG-LP 98.9 FM (streaming simultaneously at www.kfmg.org), bringing you music, literature & cultural content. – John Busbee for The Culture Buzz The Culture Buzz Podcast Library – https://archive.org/details/@the_culture_buzz 2014 Iowa Governor’s Award for Partnership & Collaboration in the Arts 2015 Iowa History Award for published magazine story, “Last Full Measur ..read more

With a country built on a diverse population, the United States and immigration go hand in hand — and that includes Iowa. Even while located in the middle of the country, almost as far away from the coasts as possible, diverse communities are present in the Hawkeye state, including Des Moines. A myriad of factors have caused those from various walks of life around the globe to immigrate to Des Moines. Wars, civil unrest and persecution have forced individuals out of their home countries in search of safety. Others seek better opportunities and a better life for their families in search of the ..read more

Times are changing in the workplace. Overall, young people are less eager to join the labor market than previous generations, particularly since COVID shutdowns. Many companies are turning to retired, part-time workers because they say they have a more serious work ethic. Traditional first jobs for young people, like shoveling snow or mowing lawns, are now often done by big service companies.  The restaurant business particularly has been affected because, in Iowa, more than a third of all people experienced their first jobs in that industry and more than half have worked there. This ..read more

The Windsor Heights Chamber of Commerce, which formed in 2004 and currently has 58 members listed on its website, merged operations with the Urbandale Chamber of Commerce, which formed in 1962 and has approximately 750 members. This merger, which took effect June 1, “will now represent more than 800 businesses while still maintaining unique identities,” says Tiffany Menke, president of the Urbandale Chamber. The merger was formed following the unanimous approval by the Board of Directors from both chambers. The newly merged organization will operate from the Urbandale Chamber of Commerce offic ..read more

Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch, 1606 – 1669). “Self-Portrait in Velvet Cap and Plume,” 1638. Etching on paper, 5 1/4 × 4 inches. Des Moines Art Center Permanent Collections; Purchased with funds from the Edmundson Art Foundation, Inc., 1950.137 The Des Moines Art Center’s Print Gallery is an underappreciated gem. Almost every show provides great lessons in history, culture and “there is nothing new under the sun” humility. “Rembrandt and His World” doubles down on all that.  Born too late to be a true Renaissance man, the melancholy Dutchman was, in many ways, the first Modern artist. H ..read more