Actor Tom Milligan performed American Dreamer, written by Cynthia Mercoti, a one-act play that tells the tale of Iowa native Henry A. Wallace's life as a geneticist, author, economist, businessman, and politician. The play is based on the book American Dreamer: The Life and Times of Henry A. Wallace by John C. Culver and John Hyde.

Author Steven Biel and filmmaker Sasha Waters Freyer gave a presentation on Grant Wood's American Gothic, an iconic painting from the Regionalism movement.

Des Moines Register’s Dave Elbert explained the Des Moines downtown renaissance.