Come tickle the keys at the City Sounds piano which has returned to Ingersoll Avenue for the season. The sidewalk in front of Ted’s Coney Island (3020 Ingersoll) has played host to the piano since 2015.
City Sounds is an organization that installs artfully painted pianos “to transform the Des Moines community culture through music, animating common spaces and making artistic creation accessible to all.” Find a piano at 10 different locations around the Des Moines metro.
Following a call for artists earlier this spring, local creators were selected by City Sounds to design and paint the pianos. Hannah Claire, of Des Moines, is the artist behind the Ingersoll piano. She previously painted a piano for the program in 2019.
“I did nature theme last time with trees and flowers, so this time I wanted to do opposite with the nighttime scene,” said Hannah.
The piano features a celestial night sky design, complete with constellations that are tied to Greek mythology and astrology: “I love painting the stars and adding the contrast with the silhouetted trees and colorful nebulas.”
See more photos of the piano here.
All locations are generally open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week, pending weather. Accessibility of the pianos is at the discretion of the caretakers. Anyone is welcome to sit down on the bench and play a tune.
“It gives me a sense of pride after putting in all the hard work and seeing people actually enjoying it,” said Hannah.
Thank you to Stacy Velman and staff of Ted’s Coney Island for being wonderful caretakers of the Ingersoll piano over the years!
