Des Moines is home to multiple sculpture parks, and while the American Enterprise Art Park might not be the biggest, it is nonetheless especially unique. Eleven sculptures have been installed across the yard to completely transform what would otherwise just be an empty space in front of the building. Doing so has come to represent a monumentous difference for the company and community.
Transforming a Space
The headquarters of American Enterprise Group, Inc. is in a mid-century modern building that contains a large collection of contemporary art throughout the building. That collection is constantly evolving but ended up inspiring an effort to see what was otherwise just empty space transform into something much more.
Eleven distinct pieces are contained in the American Enterprise Art Park, all of which are interspersed with the benches, trees and landscaping. All of the pieces were created by different artists and vary a great deal in both form, function and meaning.
For example, “Column of Change” is a bronze bas-relief with numerous abstracted human figures moving across the piece, while “Construction” is a billboard-sized outdoor installation with a dense arrangement of vertical, variegated, steel components. “Landpiece #1” is a signature sculpture, composed of a pair of large cantilevered slabs of wood and steel.
Each of the pieces has a unique story associated with them as well. “Sphere Within a Sphere” is described by the artist as being a metaphor for the coming of a new millennium, a promise for the rebirth of a less troubled and destructive world. The creator of “Granite Tree” describes his work as a discussion of how man exists in nature and touches nature and uses nature. These meanings lend themselves to multiple interpretations from audiences across the city and region.
The Art Park is open to the public year-round and has come to enhance the downtown area by providing a quiet natural space for the community. These pieces have provided an incredible means of engagement and opportunity for the community, which range from small gatherings to organized events to a presence in tourist listings. All of this has come from an endeavor to transform a space that would otherwise just be like any other of the countless spaces that reside in front of buildings across the city, nation and world.
The Power of Icons and Imagery
There are countless buildings across Des Moines that have similar empty spaces which could be transformed similar to how the American Enterprise Art Park has done so for the space outside the headquarters of American Enterprise Group, Inc. The indirect cultural and economic impact it has enabled for the company and area demonstrates the power of icons and imagery to cultivate a community in multiple ways. It also illustrates what’s possible when stakeholders think about such spaces in a different way.
