Mainframe Studios Exterior Lighting Project Completed
Mainframe Studios is excited to celebrate the completion of our exterior lighting project and to share what this illumination means for our artists, our neighbors, and our city. As you experience Mainframe in the evenings, pause and notice the lighting in theAtrium that proudly showcases art and take in the glow of the exterior of the building as night settles in.
What you’re experiencing is more than a facility upgrade. It’s a moment of becoming. At its heart, this project was about transformation. Mainframe’s exterior lighting project was designed to transform this building and the surrounding area into a vibrant, illuminated landmark. Our goal was to install stateoftheart LED lighting that would serve multiple, interconnected purposes:
First, to highlight the architectural design of this historic building and showcase the mural and the artwork created inside these walls thoughtfully and with pride.
Second, to enhance safety and accessibility for everyone who uses this space: artists working late, visitors attending evening events, neighbors passing by, and community members experiencing Mainframe for the first time.
Third, to revitalize the entry into North Downtown Des Moines and create welcoming threshold that signals creativity, care, and cultural vitality.
And finally, to promote energy sustainability, using efficient LED technology that aligns with both our environmental responsibility and longterm stewardship of this building.
Lighting may feel subtle when it’s done well, but its impact is anything but. It changes how people move through a space, how long they stay, and how safe and welcome they feel. It shapes first impressions and lasting memories.
The addition of this lighting elevates Mainframe Studios as a year round beacon of art and culture in Des Moines. With this project complete, Mainframe becomes a visible, welcoming, and safe cultural destination for more than 174,000 annual visitors - artists, tenants, clients, and guests alike. That’s not just a number. That’s thousands of moments of connection, creativity, and community, happening in a space that now shows up fully after dark.
When the lights are on, the building speaks. It tells artists their work matters. It tells visitors they belong here. And it tells the city that art is alive, active, and central to our shared future.
None of this happens without belief. And it certainly doesn’t happen without generosity. We are deeply grateful to the funders and partners who stepped forward to support this project and help bring this vision into the world.
We extend our sincere thanks to Steve and Cathy Lacy, whose generous support reflects a longstanding commitment to arts, placemaking, and community life in Des Moines.
We are grateful to Bravo Greater Des Moines for recognizing the importance of cultural infrastructure and investing in spaces that support artists and public access to the arts.
Thank you to the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines for your thoughtful stewardship and for supporting projects that strengthen the civic and cultural fabric of our region.
We are thankful for Operation Downtown and The Greater Des Moines Partnership, whose leadership and collaboration help ensure that downtown remains vibrant, welcoming, and alive after hours.
And we extend our gratitude to the Polk County Board of Supervisors for recognizing the public value of cultural destinations like Mainframe and for supporting improvements that serve both residents and visitors alike.
Each of you saw this project for what it truly is: not just lighting, but an investment in people, place, and possibility. On behalf of Mainframe’s artists, board, staff, and community, we thank you.
It’s also important to recognize the people who turned vision into reality.
This vision was the brainchild of Justin Mandelbaum who worked for years to move it forward. Recent Board Chair, John McGowan, made it a priority and elevated its need. To make it reality, this project required coordination, persistence, problem-solving, and a lot of behind-the-scenes work. And we are incredibly grateful to the team who made it happen.
I want to thank Erin Matzen, Mainframe’s Property Manager, who coordinated this project with care, attention, and determination from start to finish.
Thank you as well goes to Deb Lawrence, Project Manager, whose expertise and steady leadership helped guide the project through planning and implementation.
We are grateful to Central Iowa Mechanical for their electrical services, and especially to Neil Young and Andy Richardson for their skill, responsiveness, and commitment to quality work.
Projects like this don’t succeed just because the lights turn on, they succeed because people show up, solve problems, and care deeply about the outcome. Today, we celebrate more than lights. We celebrate the people who believed in this space, who invested in creativity, safety, sustainability, and community.
Here’s to our artists, our generous donors and partners, our dedicated board and staff, and to a building that now shines as brightly as the ideas inside it. Thanks to all for elevating Mainframe as a beacon of art and culture, now and for years to come.
