Ceramics, jewelry, paintings and several other types of artwork will be displayed on Saturday and Sunday at the 15th Annual Two Rivers Art Expo in Des Moines.

“[The Expo] serves as a fundraiser for Metro Arts Alliance, which does a lot of free events in the community and schools,” says Cindy DePond, event coordinator for the Two Rivers Art Expo.

“It helps support free activities provided to the community, serves our mission to bring the community and arts together, serves artists, and provides a venue for regional artists to display their work,” she says.

The Two Rivers Art Expo will feature 150 artists, mostly from the Midwest. DePond says the artists are chosen by a jury of three or four judges from different backgrounds such as being an artist or being from the academic world.

“About one-third of the artists are from Iowa. It’s a juried show, meaning everyone submits slides and judges blindly pick who’s going to be at the show. It speaks well to the quality of artists from Iowa,” DePond says.

In addition to viewing art at the Expo, people can listen to musical entertainment, purchase artwork, enjoy refreshments, attend art discussions and listen to guest speakers.

Something new to experience at the expo this year is a discussion series called the Art of Collecting Series. “It’s a discussion relating to collecting art. There will be a number of experts from the community that talk about a wide array of collecting art,” DePond says.

Experts participating in this discussion include two editors from the Meredith Corporation, a ceramics artist and shop owner and the deputy director of the Des Moines Art Center.

“The two editors from Meredith have two books coming out about how to decorate and display a collection, and Jessica Rowe, deputy director of the Des Moines Art Center, will talk about collecting from the heart,” DePond says.

The “Art of Collecting Series” is the main new component of this year’s Expo, she says.

Tracy Levine, executive director of the Two Rivers Art Expo, says the objective of the Expo has remained almost unchanged since it first began.

“It originated as an art expo meant to showcase artists from the Midwest. It gives people the opportunity to buy pieces and gives artists a chance to display their work,” Levine says.

The prices of artwork range in price from $10 to $2500, so there are affordable pieces in almost anyone’s price range to purchase for gift giving, she says.

The expo will take place at the Polk County Convention Complex in downtown Des Moines. The hours of the Expo are 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Sunday. Admission for adults is $6 and children 12 and under are free.