The Ankeny Arts Council, which is a part of the City of Ankeny, had art programs serving the young people in the Ankeny area for over 20 years. The Ankeny Friends of the Arts organized as an independent nonprofit group in 1998 to provide visual art programs for the community.

The programs were so successful that the Friends of the Arts hired staff to continue to develop and promote the educational programs and acquired the Ankeny Art Center located at 1502 SW Ordnance Road.

Today the Art Center hosts exhibits of Iowa artists, teaches classes to children and adults, organizes events such as Santa’s North Pole Village Craft Show, The Art, Wine and Enrichment Auction, and the Art Festival.

We also sponsor a photography contest, host student artists from local school districts and assist community groups with fundraising efforts. The Ankeny Art Center draws thousands of visitors to the area and provides recognition to Iowa artists and artist groups such as the Central Iowa Textile Artists and Saturday Sketch Club.

What will the next 20 years bring? The Ankeny Art Center will continue to fulfill the vision of providing opportunities for community members to experience and develop an appreciation of the arts through exhibits, education and events. We will continue to seek ways to meet this vision by adding new classes, providing interesting exhibits in the gallery and being an important element in improving the quality of life here in east Polk County. We look forward to meeting the challenges of the future with the power of art!

Your donations help:
To support and promote exhibits, education, and events in Ankeny.

There are many ways you can get involved.

Click here to learn more:

http://www.ankenyartcenter.com/