Name: Exhibition Opening Celebration: “Iowa Artists 2026: Henry Payer"
Start: 2026-01-16T17:00:00-06:00
End: 2026-01-16T19:00:00-06:00
Location: Des Moines Art Center

$Exhibition Opening Celebration: \u201cIowa Artists 2026: Henry Payer"$

Join us for the opening celebration of “Iowa Artists 2026: Henry Payer: Aagakinąk Haciwi: We Live Opposite Each Other” in the A.H. Blank Gallery and Krause Atrium! For the 2026 edition of Iowa Artists, the annual exhibition series celebrating artists from our home state, which has been ongoing since 1950, the Art Center welcomes Sioux City-born artist Henry Payer (born 1986).
A member of the Ho Chunk people, whose ancestral territory spans areas in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, and Iowa, Payer explores his history and identity as an Indigenous American. “Aagakinąk Haciwi: We Live Opposite Each Other” will feature Payer’s signature mixed media works with imagery from both Native traditions and Western popular culture.
Bring family and friends to view the artwork, and kick off the evening with complimentary lite bites and delicious desserts. Beer and wine available for purchase. Remarks from Kelly Baum, John and Mary Pappajohn Director and CEO, will take place at 6 pm.
This event is free; registration is not required. This event will be documented with photography.
Image: Henry Payer, Ho-Chunk (b. 1986)
"The Matriarchy" (detail), 2025
Courtesy of the artist