Philanthropists John and Mary Pappajohn have donated funds to the Des Moines Art Center for the purchase of a new sculpture, “Pumpkin,” by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, soon to be installed in the John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park in downtown Des Moines. Pumpkins are one of Kusama’s most beloved motifs; they have been an inspiration for the artist since her childhood, when she was surrounded by her family’s seed nursery in prewar Japan. Kusama, 88, currently has a five-city traveling exhibition in North America, “Infinity Mirrors.” She sees pumpkins as representing growth, comfort, familiarity, protectiveness, nourishment and whimsy.