The Western Gateway Park was host to the 16th annual Des Moines Arts Festival this weekend.

Participating the in the festival were “185 professional artists, 20 emerging artists and more than 1200 volunteers,” said Stephen King, the executive director. To top that off, more than 200,000 guests attended.

The Des Moines Arts Festival is a juried art fair, and artists travel from all over the country to be a part of it. After a rigorous application process, selected artists are invited to participate. Seen by many as not only an honor, this is a career move for participating artists, and a booth space for the weekend costs up to $475.

“Most people come to sell,” said Atlanta artist Kimmy Cantrell. “No, actually, everybody comes to sell.”

There is, however, a further incentive.

The jury had $10,000 in cash to award, divided as they saw fit. Most notably, $1500 went to the overall Best of Show, Aaron Hequembourg, while $1000 was awarded to Iowa State University’s Sodam Lee, graduate in integrated studio arts, as the Best of Show in Emerging Iowa Artists.

The Arts Festival also hosted Roberto the Magnificent, a comedic stunts act, on its performing arts stage. On 12^th and Locust Street, guests watched Habitat for Humanity build an entire home.

However, the Arts Festival was interactive for guests, who were invited to have a hand in recreating a mural by Emerging Iowa artist Abigail Cooper, to be displayed in the Des Moines Skywalk.

The model for the mural is eight feet long, and guests were encouraged to take a piece and create a tile.

“All of the tiles will be put together to create a larger seven foot by 35 foot mural that will be permanently installed in the Skywalk,” King said.

Weather permitting, the mural will be installed by Monday, July 1, 2013.