By JEFAS Magazine
The Des Moines Art Center has received a $26,200 Bedrock Grant from Every Page Foundation to support the conservation of works by women artists and create new educational opportunities for women and girls interested in careers that connect art and science.
The funding arrives through Every Page Foundation, a national organization focused on advancing gender equity through health, safety, education, and career development for women and girls. At the Des Moines Art Center, the grant will help preserve the legacy of women artists already represented in the museum’s collection, expand public access to their work, and introduce more women and girls to the field of art conservation.
Part of the grant will fund conservation work on historically significant artworks by women that are slated to appear in Whisper to a Scream: Women Artists and Minimalism, an exhibition organized by Senior Curator Laura Burkhalter and scheduled to open in 2027.
The exhibition will spotlight women artists whose work helped shape modern and contemporary art, including Sue Fuller, Louise Nevelson, Jackie Ferrara, Eva Hesse, Dorothea Rockburne, Rachel Whiteread, Maya Lin, Gertrude Greene, and Ann Ryan. The conservation work itself will be completed by an all-woman team from the Midwest Art Conservation Center, placing women’s expertise at the center of the project from start to finish.
The grant also supports a second goal: career education.
Through this project, the Art Center will introduce women and girls to art conservation as a professional path, highlighting a field that blends creative and scientific knowledge. With grant support, the museum will produce an educational video featuring the conservators involved in the project and sharing their professional journeys. That video will be distributed through the Art Center’s website, social media channels, and community partners that work with girls and young women.
In doing so, the Art Center is not only caring for the work of women artists, but also creating space for future generations of women to imagine themselves inside the institutions and professions that preserve cultural history.
“The Art Center has a long history of collecting and exhibiting work by women artists, guided by a curatorial philosophy that strives for equitable representation in our galleries and amplified by a transformative gift from the late Louise Noun, who donated more than 120 artworks by women to the collection,” said Dr. Kelly Baum, John and Mary Pappajohn Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Art Center.
“We are deeply grateful to Every Page Foundation for supporting the conservation of works by trailblazing women artists whose creativity transformed 20th century American art. This project will safeguard their remarkable contributions to art history and ensure these works remain accessible to future generations. As one of the few places in Central Iowa to view such works, this conservation effort is essential to preserving public access,” Baum said.
She added that the project will also help shine a light on art conservation as a career path for women, building on the institution’s broader commitment to advancing women’s professional development in the arts.
The initiative will be led by Laura Burkhalter, Mickey Ryan, director of registration and collections management, and Jill Featherstone, senior director of museum learning, engagement, and community access. Each brings more than 20 years of experience in her field and extensive leadership within the Art Center.
Together, the project reflects a larger idea that feels especially resonant: preserving women’s artistic legacies is not only about protecting the past. It is also about shaping the future, opening doors, and making sure more women and girls can see themselves in the worlds of art, research, conservation, and cultural leadership.
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