After 25 years at the Des Moines Art Center, Jeff Fleming has announced he will retire as director in April 2023. Fleming began working at the Art Center as a curator in 1999, and was appointed as director in 2005. “I am very proud of what the Art Center’s incredible staff has accomplished over these years, but I am equally honored by and grateful for the support and encouragement of the extraordinary Des Moines community. I hope we have matched its expectations, but I know the best is yet to come,” Fleming said in a statement. Highlights throughout his tenure include the acquisition of permanent works by Sally Mann, Ai Weiwei, Roni Horn, Marlene Dumas, Cecily Brown and Wangechi Mutu, among others, and working with the city of Des Moines and donors to create the John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park. Fleming’s initiatives as director have been to open its doors to diverse communities, present thought-provoking contemporary art, upgrade the physical facilities and place the institution on solid financial ground, according to a release. The Art Center this year celebrates its 75th anniversary and is in the midst of its $11 million capital campaign.