Recognized by international art critics as a world-class museum in the heart of the Midwest, the Des Moines Art Center has amassed an important collection with a major emphasis on contemporary art. The collection’s overriding principle is a representation of artists of the 19th and 20th century, each through a seminal work. The collection is housed in three major buildings; each designed by a world-renowned architect – Eliel Saarinen, I. M. Pei, and Richard Meier. Admission is free.

The Family Dinner Time Art Contest celebrates family dinner time and kicks off on Thanksgiving each year. Children may submit artwork of their family at dinner time to win a home computer. Artwork can be in any form, but must illustrate a family eating together. For sculptures and other difficult-to-ship items, please send a photo as opposed to the actual artwork. A winner will be selected from each age group: preschool ages 1-7; grade school ages 8-12; and high school ages 13 -17.

The Anderson Gallery supports innovation in art and design. Part laboratory, part showcase, the Gallery’s main goal is to promote the growth and understanding of art through exhibitions, programs, and publications that focus on developments in contemporary art.

K. Shankar Pillai (July 31, 1902–December 26, 1989) was a famous cartoonist. He brought out a political magazine called ‘Shankar’s Weekly’. Under the auspices of this magazine, a competition called the Shankar’s International Children’s Competition was organized in 1949. It invited paintings and writings from children in India. Children sent about 3,000 entries. The following year the competition was thrown open to children from all over the world. Today, the competition has grown and about 1,60,000 entries are received from over 130 countries. The entries are judged by an international jury. The prizewinning entries are compiled in a volume called the ‘Shankar’s Children’s Art Number’. The competition is open to children all over the world below the age of 16 years. There is no entry fee and competitors are free to choose the theme/subject they are interested in, or like most, for their paintings/ drawings/writings.