“Ooh” and “Aah” Best Describes DMPS Student Art Exhibit
A young student-artist poses by her work on opening night of the annual DMPS Art Exhibit, at Capital Square through February 12.
Whatever the weather between now and next Wednesday, an oasis awaits downtown in the atrium at Capital Square, located at 400 Locust Street in downtown Des Moines.
It’s formally known as the Des Moines Public Schools Annual Art Exhibit but its many friends call it “Ooh” or “Aah.”
Last night the show officially got underway with a welcoming ceremony and reception for the artists whose work will be on display through February 12th. Every school in the district is represented, elementary through high school. There are works in 2D and 3D. There are free takeaways in the form of pocket-sized “zines” (pronounced zeenz). And last night there was also live music courtesy of String Fusion and the Hoover Jazz Band.
Between that and the wide-ranging gallery of works and the small kids nibbling at the edges of the atrium reflecting pool and the atrium’s high sky visitors maybe forgot for a while that the temps outside were on their way back down. But February, for all its frigidity, is a great month for this event. What better antidote for the winter blahs than a cavalcade of exuberant, emergent, promising student art?
Inspiring as the event traditionally is, it continues to evolve and expand. This is its second year at Capital Square and it fits naturally into the public space there where daily foot traffic may weave throughout the displays.
“Next year we hope to have big banners from all of our schools,” according to Sara Dougherty, the district’s Coordinator of Visual Arts Curriculum, “and there are plans in the works to actually create some pieces on site during the Exhibit. Eventually there may be some DMPS works that will be incorporated into permanent display here.”
In the meantime there is plenty to catch the eye. Upstairs, a crowd gathered around a case that enclosed the 3D pieces. One lady was eager to point out a clay piece that featured the pink ribbon symbolic of breast cancer awareness and research. “See that, isn’t that something?” she asked rhetorically; proudly. “My grandson made that.” Beaming at her side was the artist, Pleasant Hill Elementary 5th grader, Jared Oliviera. A ribbon was pinned to his puffing chest. In a brief chat with another onlooker she mentioned once that her name is Pamela Seipel. But she clearly prefers to be known as Jared’s grandmother. She declared that status half a dozen times. Jared was very pleased to have so pleased his grandma.
Oh, to be the apple of the eye of at least one very special beholder.
