About Bravo
Bravo Greater Des Moines is the region’s arts council, providing significant funding and support to nonprofit cultural organizations and programs that are essential to a vibrant community.
WHY BRAVO MATTERS
Investing in the arts means investing in the community and its priorities. There is no civic or strategic initiative that is not impacted and improved by incorporating arts, culture, and heritage. From economic development to education to housing to mental health, the arts touch every regional priority in essential ways.
Mission
Bravo Greater Des Moines leverages community resources to maximize impact of arts, culture, and heritage to advance regional priorities.
Vision
Arts, culture, and heritage elevate and enrich a vibrant Greater Des Moines.
Values
Bravo embraces the following organizational values to promote and support the cultural community of Greater Des Moines:
Collaborative – Bravo collaborates with all community partners to define and achieve long-term success for arts, culture, and heritage.
Inclusive – Bravo values diversity, and we promote a culture of equity and inclusion.
Accountable – Bravo acts with integrity and transparency, allocating resources responsibly and as good stewards of public funds.
Regional – Bravo is engaged where we can have the most impact on regional priorities.
Opportunistic – Bravo consistently delivers on core functions while remaining nimble enough to respond strategically to regional priorities.
Passionate – Bravo stakeholders are all passionate about arts, culture, and heritage and the benefits Bravo brings to Greater Des Moines.
A HISTORY OF BRAVO
Bravo was formed in 2004 after central Iowa business and civic leaders recognized that quality of life – driven by arts and culture – would play a significant role in the region’s future success. Through a visionary public-private collaboration, Bravo Greater Des Moines was created to make high impact investments on behalf of the region. Still funded almost entirely with hotel/motel tax revenue contributed by local government partners, Bravo provides leadership to the community and invests in arts and culture organizations, programs and initiatives that enhance quality of life and drive economic impact.
PROJECT DESTINY
COMMUNITY PARTNERS
BRAVO AWARDS GALA
INVESTMENT BEGINS
CONNECTING KIDS AND CULTURE
PARTNER EXPANSION
PERPETUAL SUPPORT
PARTNER EXPANSION
REGIONAL CULTURAL ASSESSMENT
$4 MILLION INVESTED
THE COVID-19 CRISIS
BECOMES THE REGIONAL ARTS COUNCIL
$55+ MILLION INVESTED
20 YEARS OF IMPACT
GOVERNMENT PARTNERS
Hotel/motel tax investments from 17 Greater Des Moines communities make 100% of Bravo’s work possible.
- Altoona
- Ankeny
- Bondurant
- Carlisle
- Clive
- Des Moines
- Grimes
- Indianola
- Johnston
- Norwalk
- Pleasant Hill
- Polk City
- Polk County
- Urbandale
- Waukee
- West Des Moines
- Windsor Heights
FY25 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
- Emily Abbas*
- Robert Brownell
- Bryan Burkhardt
- Lauren Campbell
- Kenia Calderon Ceron*
- Shannon Cofield
- Tej Dhawan
- Chad Driscoll*
- Kurt Gibson (Vice Chair)
- Ross Grooters
- Phillip Hall
- Matthew Harris*
- Scott Haugh
- Cheryl Heid
- Susan Judkins
- Ardis Kelley
- Michelle Bolton King
- Bob Kling
- Ed Kuhl
- Liz Lidgett*
- Greg Lin
- Blaire Massa*
- Larry McBurney
- Mike McCoy (Immediate Past Chair)
- Matthew McKinney (Chair)
- Michael Morain
- Kim Perez
- Jeff Perry
- Anna Bergman Pierce
- Todd Ross (Treasurer)
- Kuuku Saah*
- Mike Simonson
- Angie Stepsis*
- Julie Stewart
- Mark True
- Mandy Vogel
- Sally Dix* (Secretary, ex-officio)
- *Executive Committee
Upcoming Board Meetings
Bravo Greater Des Moines Executive Committee
Wednesday, July 24, 2024 at 7:30 am
Bravo Greater Des Moines Board of Directors
Wednesday, October 23, 2024 at 7:30 am
Please email for agenda information.
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A round-up of arts & culture happenings and events across the Greater Des Moines region in your inbox each month.