2025 EXHIBITION

Freedom of Expression (FOE) 2025 is a bold, multidisciplinary biennial exhibition centering access, identity, and creative autonomy through the work of 12 groundbreaking Iowa-based artists of all abilities. Founded by Jill Wells and Katie Flippen and supported by the Greater Des Moines Public Art Foundation, FOE is a traveling public exhibition that amplifies underrepresented voices, challenges convention, and reimagines what creative freedom looks like—up close and in community.

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The exhibition launches at Curate, a fully accessible, high-energy venue designed for interaction and exchange. Opening night is a one-night-only experience, bringing together art, fashion, and sound in a dynamic celebration of expression without limits.

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Highlights include:

• A first look at powerful works spanning painting, sculpture, performance, storytelling, and artwear

• The FOE AF Fashion Runway Show, featuring adaptive, inclusive, and avant-garde design

• Live music by DJ Jaide Knight

• An interactive photo wall installation

• Curated mocktails, refreshments, and catering by Taste!

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Following the launch, FOE will travel to the Des Moines Art Center and Mainframe Studios, expanding its reach across the city and deepening its impact.

Leading up to the event, follow along on FOE’s Instagram for behind-the-scenes artist takeovers, creative previews, and media features that spotlight the stories, processes, and practices shaping this work.

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FOE is more than an exhibition—it’s a platform for radical inclusion, collective mentorship, and fearless creative expression. It asks: Who gets to be seen? Who gets to lead? And how do we imagine a more expressive, equitable future—together?