Leon Keer and Massina Spelbos add a few finishing touches to "Nature's algorithm." Viewers can see the images of Iowa nature come to life through an augmented reality app. (Photo: Brittany Brooke Crow) |
A new mural reimagines reality at 901 Grand |
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By Brittany Brooke Crow
Over the past few weeks, people who’ve passed by the parking garage at 901 Grand Ave. have seen the creation of one of the largest murals in the city. It’s also one of the largest murals the artist has created to date.
“Nature’s algorithm,” an 8,000-square-foot work by Dutch artist Leon Keer, depicts a room crowded with 15 vintage televisions, each showing a slice of Iowa’s flora, and fauna. For inspiration, Keer set out to answer the question “What is there in Iowa to see in nature?” with images from the city of Des Moines, Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, Madison County Tourism, Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge, and Pella Historical Museums and Tulip Time.
“I’m not afraid that people see my work in process," Keer said. “I always like to share my techniques.” The design uses anamorphic perspective, where images appear distorted until they’re viewed from a specific angle. From Keer’s chosen viewpoint, at the intersection of 10th Street and Grand Avenue, the lines of the parking garage align precisely with those painted on the mural.
“So if you’re standing at that viewpoint, is that correct? Is (the mural) really going inside the building?” Keer said. “Yeah, that’s always fun.” |
The new mural covers a parking garage at 10th Street and Grand Avenue. (Photo: Brittany Brooke Crow) |
Viewers can enhance their perspective even further with augmented reality (AR) available for free through the “DSM Public Art” app developed by Elsewise LLC for the Greater Des Moines Public Art Foundation, with input from Keer’s team. (Android users can access the same effect through Keer’s own app, “Leon Keer.”)
The AR feature animates the images on the wall. App users will notice the television screens come to life: the bison roams, the eagle soars, the elk meander through the prairie. As viewers move toward the left side of the mural, the AR animation reveals a lush aerial image on the top-right television, which is hidden in the actual painting.
“When we thought of ways of incorporating technology, Leon’s work was right at the forefront of my mind,” foundation director Alexa McCarthy said. “It’s the first in what we hope will be a series of murals that are part of an AR strategy for the city of Des Moines.”
McCarthy, who holds a doctorate in art history, noted that Keer’s anamorphic artwork continues a Dutch tradition that goes back centuries. She mentioned as an example Hans Holbein the Younger’s 1533 painting “The Ambassadors,” which includes a skull that viewers can see clearly only if they stand to the painting’s side, close to the wall. “I mean, (Leon) takes it to a whole other level, but that is very deeply embedded in Dutch culture,” McCarthy said. The foundation commissioned the mural in partnership with Principal Financial Group, which will own and maintain it for at least six years.
“Des Moines really has a strong appreciation and love for the arts,” McCarthy said. “To bring an artist like Leon here to create opportunities that will enrich the region, it really takes a partner like Principal to make that happen.”
It also takes a significant commitment from the artist himself. Because of the mural’s size Keer and his assistant, Massina Spelbos, began each day at sunrise. “Your whole body has to be in there if you want to do these kinds of murals,” Keer said.
The artist is based in the Netherlands with a studio in Utrecht and a second studio in Mombercelli, Italy. He’s one of the world’s leading anamorphic street artists and has created artwork around the world, including the United States, Mexico, Russia, Australia and New Zealand.
With all of his work, he designs the images around greater concepts from everyday life. “Most influence comes from the people I meet,” he said. “When I’m sitting in a bar next to somebody, he tells me a story about his life, and it brings up some inspiration for my paintings.” |
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Brittany Brooke Crow is a freelance writer, photographer, visual artist and Iowa Arts Council Artist Fellow. |
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WEEKEND SECTION PRESENTED BY CATCH DES MOINES |
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Nick Fradiani stars in the Neil Diamond musical's national tour. (Photo: Jeremy Daniel) |
The Neil Diamond musical rocks the Civic Center (Bom! Bom! Bom!) |
The national tour of the new musical “A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical” opened Tuesday night here in Des Moines with all the hits you know and love, including “America,” “Forever in Blue Jeans” and “Sweet Caroline.”
Open now through Sunday at the Des Moines Civic Center, the show tells the true story of the rock icon who’s been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. He’s also received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
This musical traces Diamond’s life from its humble roots in Brooklyn (where he sang in a high school choir with classmate Barbra Streisand) to his rise to stardom as he turned out the catchy, nearly ubiquitous hits that have defined his career. |
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Exhibition opening, 5-7 p.m. Friday, Des Moines Art Center. Mix and mingle at a reception for “Aliza Nisenbaum: Día de los Muertos,” which opened in September, and “Manuel Alvarez Bravo: Collaborations,” which opens Saturday.
Boos & Brews, 7-10 p.m. Friday, Greater Des Moines “Boo”tanical Garden. Come in costume to stroll through the indoor garden and sample beers and ciders from local brewing companies.
Final Farmers’ Market, 8 a.m.-noon Saturday, Court Avenue. All good things must come to an end: The last downtown market of the regular season is this Saturday.
Des Moines Community Orchestra, 2 p.m. Sunday, Sheslow Auditorium. Des Moines Symphony concertmaster Jonathan Sturm guest-conducts the a program of "Phantoms, Fantasies and Romance" to open the community orchestra’s 50th season. Admission is free.
She Konnects Cancer Walk, 2 p.m. Sunday, Pappajohn Sculpture Park. Tie up those laces, grab your pinkest apparel and join the second annual walk to raise awareness about breast cancer.
Des Moines Jazz Hall of Fame Banquet, 5-8:30 p.m. Sunday, Noce. Join the Community Jazz Center of Greater Des Moines in honoring local musicians, including this year’s hall of fame inductees Paul McKee and Willie Shay. |
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Nomadic journey: Don’t be alarmed if Jaume Plensa’s “Nomade” goes missing from the Pappajohn Sculpture Park. Like the true celebrity it is, it plans to take a vacation to have a little work done, including new paint and new hardware. It will return in the spring, good as new. The makeover is the first of several projects to refurbish the park, which opened in 2009 and has welcomed more than 3.2 million visitors — the equivalent of Iowa’s entire population. (Photo: Des Moines Art Center)
Date update: Due to supply-chain delays and extended construction work, The Ingersoll has pushed back its reopening to Dec. 31. Executive director Renee Crowell said the additional time will ensure the project meets the team’s high standards for craftsmanship for the historic venue. Two performances are planned for the opening on New Year’s Eve: Napoleon Douglas & His Jazz Orchestra in the afternoon, followed by the Grand Marquis in the evening.
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dsm Home Design Awards: We’re excited to announce the finalists for our 2026 Home Design Awards, which have been chosen for their exceptional work on recent home projects around the metro. We will announce the winners at an event in February.
Congratulations to the following finalists: Alair Des Moines; ALT Design Studio; B Street Construction + Design, Inc.; Caliber Homes; Casee Burgason Interior Design; Design2Build/K&V Homes; Destination Homes; Dickinson Design Build; Dwell Home Furnishings & Interior Design; Dynasty Homes; Embarq Signature Homes; Hartman Spiller/Oakwood Builders Group; iDesign Inside LLC; Jeid Studio; Jenny Gardens LLC; Johnson Construction; Kimberley Development; Knop Killeen Architects; Liz Lidgett Gallery + Design; Mainbuilt Custom Homes; Meghan Blum Interiors/Mainbuilt; Meghan Blum Interiors/Oakwood Builders Group; Serenity Homes/Green Door Home Staging; Silent Rivers Design + Build; South Of Grand Studio; Stone Cross Lawn and Landscape and Concrete Collaborative; Studio MELEE/Hal Davis Interior Designer; Teal Creek Homes; Trieste, Diane Young Interiors/Kate Arnest Architecture/Ironwood Homes, Jon Sieck; Wild Rose Interiors; Woodhouse.
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Writer Brianne Sanchez and her family took a two-wheeled approach to tourism on a recent trip to Colorado Springs. (Photo courtesy of Brianne Sanchez) |
Getaway idea: Buffalo Lodge Bike Resort |
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By Brianne Sanchez A few weeks ago, I stood among several dozen cyclists, making final adjustments and small talk before we planned to pedal out of Buffalo Lodge Bike Resort in Colorado Springs.
When you're staying in bike-friendly accommodations like “the Buffalo,” as locals call it, a hometown jersey is the perfect conversation starter. The one I wore, with “Iowa by Trail” branding and an illustration of the High Trestle Trail, caught the eye of several riders, especially since the Buffalo’s owner Torie Giffin and her late son, Daniel, appeared in "Shift: The RAGBRAI Documentary."
Giffin bought the historic motor court lodge in 2016, transforming it into a laid-back destination for people who want to explore the Pikes Peak region on two wheels. The quirky accommodations piqued my interest with a booth at the Iowa Bike Expo, a late-January event that brings cycling enthusiasts out of hibernation. The 47-room resort features private outdoor entrances, modern interiors and bicycle-themed decor. Find a “watering hole” bar and self-serve waffle breakfast in the lodge, which acts as a living room for guests and community members who stop in for live music.
My family finally booked a long weekend stay in early October, to coincide with the Buffalo’s second annual “Buffalo Grass” bluegrass festival. We loaded two bikes onto our car for the drive out, planning to borrow another pair from the lodge or rent extras from a nearby shop. Serendipitously, my husband and tween daughter snagged a tandem from the rack out front, figuring they could team up to tackle the hills together.
The Buffalo is a short ride from historic Manitou Springs. We pedaled toward Manitou Depot and opted to take The Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway to the mountaintop. Passengers enjoy a scenic, relaxing ride to the summit. Hardcore cyclists who are up for a challenge can achieve some major elevation, especially on designated days when vehicle traffic is limited. Or take the Cog up and coast down this famous “fourteener.” Alternatively, cross-train by conquering the 2,744-step Manitou Incline. (A free, online reservation is required.)
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The Broadmoor Manitou and Pikes Peak Cog Railway offers spectacular 360-degree views. (Photo: cograilway.com) |
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On Saturdays, a no-drop group ride leaves from the Buffalo at 10 a.m. In such a ride, no rider is left behind; leaders designate someone to stick with the group's slowest rider. As Midwesterners still not acclimated to the elevation, I figured my family would take up the rear. Our hilly, 10-mile route skirted Garden of the Gods, an iconic natural landmark we’d explored on foot the day before. Everyone regrouped on the grounds of Glen Eyrie Castle, posing for a group photo near the resident herd of grazing bighorn sheep.
After a challenging ride (or as a relaxing alternative!), take a dip in the Buffalo’s heated pool. On a music-filled weekend, you could catch a few sets while floating within earshot of the main stage. If you go
Cycling-friendly stays are about more than feeling comfortable strutting around in spandex. Look for amenities like on-site rentals, secure storage, fix-it stations. Driving distance from Des Moines: 10.5 hrs.
Reservations: Buffalo Lodge Bicycle Resort. Check the calendar for special events.
Resources: Colorado Springs cycling. Contributing writer Brianne Sanchez writes about the inspiring people and places all around Iowa in our dsm and ia publications. You can also find her work in Better Homes & Gardens and Iowa State University Foundation's Forward magazine. |
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Mark your calendar for dsm events in the weeks ahead |
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Nov. 5: dsm unveiling. Celebrate our final print issue of the year with snacks, drinks and live entertainment at Wesley on Grand.
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Nov. 11: Sages Over 70. We’ll honor Greg Edwards, Christine Hensley, Terry Rich, Bob Stewart, Rick Tollakson, and Marcia Wanamaker at the FFA Enrichment Center in Ankeny.
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Nov. 18: Lifting the Veil virtual panel. The next installment of our ongoing series about mental health explores challenges at every stage of life, with special guests to discuss new motherhood, sensory spaces, coping with anxiety and more.
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