The Avenues of Ingersoll & Grand is known locally as a hotspot for great eats—and vibrant art. This summer we got the opportunity to introduce our special district to a wider audience thanks to a grant from the Iowa Tourism Office.
The goal of our “Expand Your Palette/Palate” campaign was to showcase the unique dining experiences and cultural attractions in our neighborhood to potential visitors from nearby Midwest states and invite them to visit Des Moines and, more specifically, Ingersoll-area restaurants, public art and museums. To do this, we partnered with the Des Moines Art Center, plus the chefs at Oak Park, Harbinger and Lucky Lotus.
SEE IT: Expand Your Palette/Palate
We set out to create a digital media campaign, with the help of Soll Media, Good Burt Media and some familiar faces (special thanks to our models who all live, work & play in the neighborhood) to highlight the incredible art and fantastic food, plus the walkability and vibrancy of our district, all in one video.
Here are few behind-the-scenes moments and fun facts from our campaign:
Des Moines Art Center
To film at the Des Moines Art Center, our crew had to follow a few special rules to protect the artworks and experience of guests. No outside lighting could be brought in to the museum and we filmed on a Monday when the museum is typically closed. The work featured is “Janice” by Arlene Shechet then located in the lower I.M. Pei gallery.
Thank you to the staff at the Des Moines Art Center for assisting us with the shoot!
Oak Park Restaurant
Oak Park invited us to film at their Chef’s Table – located inside their kitchen! Passersby can get a view of the Chef’s Table from a window facing the parking lot of the restaurant. Chef Ian Robertson drew inspiration from “Janice” to create a special dish – a sausage raviolo in a lemon beurre blanc sauce – just for this video shoot.
ITINERARY: Fine Dining & Fine Art
The Black Crown of Recurring Loss
You can find the sculpture – The Black Crown of Recurring Loss – featured in the video on the grounds of Plymouth Place (42nd & Ingersoll). The Avenues of Ingersoll & Grand’s Public Art Committee commissioned acclaimed local artist Larassa Kabel to create the bronze sculpture in 2019.
Harbinger
Chef Joe Tripp drew some literal and artistic inspiration from The Black Crown, which is the form of two stags. The dish of venison tartare with a fresh English peas, mint, and a crown of squid ink was featured in the video and on Harbinger‘s five-course special Chef’s Tasting menu that week.
ITINERARY: Cocktails, Trails & Vibes
The Myth of the Koi
One of Ingersoll’s newest public art installations was the final piece to be featured. The Myth of the Koi is a one-of-a-kind pedestrian pathway and staircase mural at 2300 Ingersoll created in 2023 by local artists Jordan Sandquist and Chris Sullivan thanks to a Polk County Community Development Grant.
Lucky Lotus
To match the colorful palate and Asian-inspiration of the koi fish mural, we headed to Lucky Lotus for a family-sized feast of orange chicken (a special dish usually only available at Lunar New Year), crispy rice wraps, egg rolls, rangoonies and Thai Tea. Our youngest models even tested their skills with chopsticks!
ITINERARY: Public Art & Parks for Families
