Over the past three years, more than 35,000 people have taken part in Ankeny Art Center programs. The center's home base is a building of about 5,000 square feet on Ordnance Road. According to Business Record, 90% of its classes are at capacity.
A larger building is planned for Uptown, but it hasn't broken ground yet. That leaves this winter running on the current space, so the people who get in are the ones who know the deadlines and the dates. Here's how that works from now through January.
The math of a full building
The center started 45 years ago, founded by school art teachers in Ankeny. Board president Steve Van Oort told Business Record that teaching young people and adults is still "the main focus." Classes are the core of what it does, and classes are also the part that runs out of room first.
You can feel that pressure in how the center handles sign-ups:
- No drop-ins. The FAQ says the center does not accept walk-in students.
- Registration closes the Thursday before class starts. For a Saturday class, that leaves only two days between the deadline and the first session.
- Members get notified, not a head start. Membership includes email alerts when new classes open for registration. The center doesn't list a members-only early window.
When nine out of ten classes fill to capacity, the advantage goes to whoever hears first and registers early. Waiting until the Thursday cutoff usually means the seat is already gone.
Where the membership pays for itself
The center lists three personal memberships. Each lasts one year and takes 20% off classes:
- Individual: $30
- Family: $50, for one household
- Art Lover: $100
Members also get the monthly e-newsletter, 10% off art supplies at the Blok and a chance to show work in the annual Members Art Show.
On the current adult list, prices run from $85 for a one-day watercolor workshop to $305 for Pottery Studio. Pottery Basics is $255, Drawing Basics $190, Acrylic Basics $225 and Watercolor Basics $255. Take 20% off Pottery Studio and you save $61, roughly double the $30 Individual fee. For a family with two kids in the January youth block, K–4 Pottery Sculpture at $125 plus 5th–8th Pottery Wheel at $150 comes to $275. Twenty percent of that is $55, which already covers the $50 Family membership.
Check the prices on the join page before you buy, since the online membership listing is easy to misread. The math still holds: one mid-priced class covers the membership, and when most classes fill, the email alert is the real advantage.
The winter calendar, in the order you'll need it
Every date below is one where you can walk in or book a spot. Some cost nothing, and a few need registration well ahead of time.
| Date | What | Cost | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Through Nov. 24 | Main gallery group show with Lindsey Harrison, Kate Chandler, Chase Lilleholm and John Shymanski | Free | Exhibitions are open to the public |
| Through Nov. 24 | Summer & Evan Hoyt at Kirkendall Library | Free | Shown off-site at the library |
| Sat., Nov. 7 | 45th Annual Santa's North Pole Village Craft Sale | $10; kids 12 and under free | At Prairie Trail Sports Complex, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. |
| Sat., Nov. 21 | Expressive Leaves and Trees in Watercolor | $85 | 10 a.m.–3 p.m., beginner level, bring your own paints, brushes and palette |
| Thu., Dec. 3 | "Connections" members show reception | Free | 5–7 p.m. |
| Dec. 3 into January | Isaac Prior, "Illusionary Lines," at Kirkendall Library | Free | Runs through Jan. 26, 2027 |
| Sat., Dec. 5 | Family Day Art Activity: Make and Take Holiday Cards | $6 | Registration required; recommended for ages 6 and up, with an adult present for anyone 18 or under |
| Saturdays, Jan. 9–30 | Youth block: K–4 Art Exploration, K–4 Pottery Sculpture, 5th–8th Drawing, 5th–8th Pottery Wheel | $100 to $150 | 5th–8th Pottery Wheel meets 9–11 a.m. |
Two notes on the table. The "Connections" page says the show closes Jan. 16, 2027, while the main gallery schedule says Jan. 26. If you're planning a visit in mid-January, check before you go. And the youth classes fall under the Thursday rule too. For a Jan. 9 start, registration closes Thursday, Jan. 7, right after the holidays, when sign-ups are easy to forget.
Adult pottery is the class people tend to ask about first, and it's also the hardest to plan. The Pottery Basics page covers both handbuilding and wheel throwing for $255, but you have to pick a date from a menu, and no winter session dates are posted yet. A membership email alert matters most here.
Nov. 7 is the center's biggest day, held in Prairie Trail
The craft sale is the Art Center's largest fundraiser of the year, and the money supports its programs and operations. This is the 45th year, and it brings nearly 200 booths of handmade goods, artisan crafts, holiday décor, treats and gifts from makers across the Midwest to the Prairie Trail Sports Complex at 2250 SW Vintage Pkwy.
The $8 presale ended Oct. 31. Tickets are now $10 online or $10 cash at the door, and the door accepts cash only. Here's what to know for Saturday:
- Parking: You can park at the sports complex or along Vintage Parkway.
- Trolley: Free festive trolleys run from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. out of Cascade Falls Aquatic Center, 2350 SW Prairie Trail Parkway, and B&B Theater, 1580 SW Market St. Santa and the Grinch will be there for photos.
- Timing: The center recommends 1 to 3 p.m. for a quieter visit. Strollers are welcome, though the center suggests bringing them later in the afternoon.
Ticket money from the sale goes to a center whose classrooms are already full. That's a large part of why the expansion matters.
What 315 Cherry Street changes, and when
In September 2026, the center announced plans for a building of nearly 10,000 square feet at 315 Cherry St. in Uptown, about twice its current space. Here's what the plan adds:
- More classrooms and pottery studios
- A larger gallery and exhibition space
- A community meeting room
- An Art Center store
- Room for outdoor art and sculpture
- Better accessibility
Business Record reported that the site sits near the start of the High Trestle Trail. Van Oort sees that as a chance to bring public art to the area and make the center a cultural anchor for Uptown.
According to that same report, the center had raised $2.1 million toward its $4.5 million goal as of Oct. 19, 2026. That includes a $500,000 grant from Polk County and $200,000 from the City of Ankeny, which the center receives once it moves into the new building. The center says construction will start once fundraising is finished, with groundbreaking targeted for 2027. It hasn't announced a completion date. The city owns the current Ordnance Road building and plans to sell it after the center moves out.
So this winter, and probably next winter too, classes will still run out of the current building. You can visit at 1520 SW Ordnance Rd., Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. It stays open until 7 p.m. on Thursdays and is closed Sunday and Monday. The Thursday evening hours are a good time to see the group show before it closes Nov. 24.
A pottery wheel on a January Saturday and a booth of handmade ornaments in Prairie Trail are the kinds of places that make Ankeny feel like home. Jill Budden and our team are always happy to share what we know about this community, and to help you find a home close to the places you'll keep going back to. Live somewhere you love. Let's get started.
