The Des Moines Art Center has announced the receipt of a $26,200 Bedrock Grant from the Every Page Foundation, a strategic investment designed to advance gender equity through the intersection of art, science and professional development. This funding will specifically support the Des Moines Art Center receives grant to support women artists and career education initiative, focusing on the conservation of historically significant works and the creation of educational pathways for the next generation of women in the arts.
The Every Page Foundation operates as a national organization dedicated to promoting the health, security, education, and career development of women and girls. By awarding this grant, the foundation aims to help the Art Center honor the legacy of women artists within its permanent collection, expand public access to these works, and introduce young women to the specialized field of art conservation.
This initiative is not merely about preservation; it is a calculated effort to bridge the gap between artistic expression and scientific expertise. The grant will fund the restoration of key pieces and the production of educational resources, ensuring that the contributions of women in the arts are both preserved for the future and used as a catalyst for current career exploration.
Preserving the Legacy: ‘Whisper to a Scream’ Exhibition
A primary objective of the funding is to support the conservation of artworks that will be featured in an upcoming exhibition titled Whisper to a Scream: Women Artists and Minimalism. Organized by Senior Curator Laura Burkhalter, the exhibition is scheduled to open in 2027 according to the Des Moines Art Center.
The exhibition will trace the evolution of women’s contributions to the arts, spanning from early modernists to contemporary practitioners. The grant ensures that historically significant works are restored and ready for public viewing, highlighting the critical role women have played in the minimalist movement and beyond.
The show will feature a diverse array of influential artists, including:
- Sue Fuller
- Louise Nevelson
- Jackie Ferrara
- Eva Hesse
- Dorothea Rockburne
- Rachel Whiteread
- Maya Lin
- Gertrude Greene
- Ann Ryan
Bridging Art and Science through Career Education
Beyond the gallery walls, the grant supports educational outreach aimed at introducing girls and young women to the discipline of art conservation. This field is uniquely positioned as a hybrid of the arts and sciences, requiring a deep understanding of both aesthetic value and chemical/material stability.
To highlight women’s leadership in this technical field, the conservation work for the 2027 exhibition will be performed by an all-woman team from the Midwest Art Conservation Center. This partnership serves as a living example of professional excellence and leadership by women in a highly specialized sector of the museum world.
As part of the educational component, the Des Moines Art Center will produce an educational video. This content will document the career journeys of the conservators, illustrating the specific pathways women can accept to enter the field. To maximize impact, the video will be distributed through:
- The official Art Center website
- Social media channels
- Community program partners who specifically serve girls and young women
Key Project Details
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Grant Amount | $26,200 Bedrock Grant |
| Primary Exhibition | Whisper to a Scream: Women Artists and Minimalism (2027) |
| Conservation Team | All-woman team from Midwest Art Conservation Center |
| Educational Goal | Career pathways for women in art conservation |
By integrating the preservation of historical art with the promotion of future careers, the Des Moines Art Center and the Every Page Foundation are addressing gender equity from two directions: correcting the historical underrepresentation of women in art history and actively dismantling barriers to entry in the scientific side of art preservation.
The next confirmed checkpoint for this initiative is the opening of the Whisper to a Scream: Women Artists and Minimalism exhibition in 2027.
We invite our readers to share their thoughts on the intersection of art and science in the comments below. How can museums better promote career opportunities for young women?