Two young aficionados examine student artwork at Mainframe’s First Friday. (Photo: Jon Lemons)
By Hailey Evans
Last weekend, 850 students from 60 schools and programs throughout the Des Moines Public School system showcased their artwork during Mainframe Studios’ monthly First Friday open house. While the school district has presented annual art shows in the past, this was only the third official collaboration with Mainframe, and it’s grown in size each year.
“It’s a great bridge for what’s happening in the classroom to what they can do out in the world,” said Kathleen Davenport, the visual arts curriculum coordinator for DMPS. Art is a tool to help students express themselves, she added, and the annual show with Mainframe “allows students to see themselves as real artists, in a real gallery space. That’s my favorite part.”
She said some students get nervous leading up to the event. And who wouldn’t? Mainframe draws 15,000 visitors a month, including about 2,500 on First Fridays. But a gallery show can build students’ confidence and open up new opportunities.
“These could be Mainframe’s future tenants,” said Julia Franklin, Mainframe’s executive director. “Getting to meet and mingle with the professional artists currently in residence can show students how art can be a viable career option and show parents how much art matters.”
Franklin and the Mainframe team have been working on bringing in artists from outside the studio’s walls for other First Friday events using open-call submissions and curating shows based on common themes. “If you’re an artist, there aren’t many places to show your art locally for free. We have this space, and we’re serious about helping artists thrive, so why not? Just because it might be hard doesn’t mean we shouldn’t,” said Franklin. (Her license plate reads “ART4ALL.”)
Davenport agreed that the big lift of coordinating with teachers, parents and students to curate such a large show is worth it for the end result. “It’s an opportunity for principals, school board members, art teachers and other staff from all over the district to have conversations and spark new ideas,” she said. “News can often focus on a district’s deficits, but this is a time where we can really show off an asset.”
The student art will be up all month. Visiting hours are 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. weekends.
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