15+ ways to promote your artwork in Des Moines, Iowa
Photo of photo frames by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
Promoting your artwork anywhere can be hard and getting your name out there can be a daunting task. Thankfully, Des Moines is a great place for artists with a growing community.
You might be sitting here wondering why Des Moines of all places is great, but there are actually a lot of opportunities here.
Personally I love Des Moines for many reasons and one of them is the vibrant communities. It’s small enough where you’re bound to run into the same people at shows and make connections, but large enough to always meet new people.
Des Moines has a great art community and people love to support it.
I’ve personally bought some art from local artists in Des Moines that I love. They are beautiful, quirky, and unique. And often affordable. I love supporting local artists and I love that their work is something that can’t be bought mass produced in a store like Target.
If you travel around the city, you’re bound to run into one of its many art sculptures and art murals. Des Moines Sculpture Park is pretty famous and Downtown Des Moines murals are so beautiful and lovely.
The West Des Moines Library has a beautiful lake that features a lot of great sculptures too.
I wanted to take a moment to highlight some of the great reasons that Des Moines, Iowa is great for artists and other designers. Here is a list of ideas to check out and places to meet connections.
There are also a lot of shops and venues around here to display your art so don’t be shy about reaching out.
Follow Art Beacon for all the latest news and opportunities
Connect with local coffee shops and bars like The Lift and Smokey Row.
Participate in local craft shows to sell your work at.
Participate in the local farmers markets like Downtown or Valley Junction.
Attend local art openings at the Des Moines Art Center and meet other artists.
Attend art events at the Des Moines Social Club or get your art on display there.
Reach out to local colleges like Grand View and Drake to see if you can display your work in their art galleries.
If you’re a woman, join the Des Moines Girl Gang Creatives Facebook group to reach out to local artists or get help or collab!
Collab with other local artists or feature each other’s work on social media.
Display some of your artwork on social media like Instagram or Behance or Pinterest and make sure to tag your local area.
Donate artwork to a local fundraiser.
Participate in events like Des Moines Art Week!
Display your art at local libraries like the Urbandale Library.
Look for other stores to display your artwork like the Bike World in West Des Moines displays and sells artwork from local artists features bikes.
Other shops in the East Village.
Create a zine about your artist journey or your artwork and sell them at places like the Art Terrarium or local craft fairs. You can even just leave them around town for people to enjoy.
Check out local magazines like CityView and Catch Des Moines for opportunities and events.
Other Ideas to promote your art and make connections worldwide!
Teach a workshop or lesson on sites like Skillshare.
Host a giveaway or a contest to win some free artwork either on a blog or social media.
Submit an art piece for free usage on sites like Unsplash and get people to credit you for it.
Similarly, include a snapshot of your art on business cards or postcards to hand out.
Create your own website if you don’t use an Instagram or other platform.
Try to get commissions through promoting your art or joining sites like 99designs.
Create an etsy shop to sell your work online.
Get featured in an artist round up on blogs and sites like Buzzfeed.
“Don’t be afraid to reach out to places to display and sell your art. Attending events in Des Moines or your local community is great way to find opportunities and connections. ”
