Announced 28 September 2026, the Des Moines Art Center's 2026 Frankenthaler Climate Initiative Grant Award places it among just 83 arts organizations nationwide — including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art — and makes it the only institution in Iowa to receive the recognition. The initiative, established by the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation with Environment & Culture Partners, awarded the Art Center a $100,000 Implementation Grant for climate action in the visual arts. Funds will replace the original 40-year-old air-handling system in the Art Center's 1985 building, designed by Pritzker laureate Richard Meier, which houses a significant portion of the collection. The new system is expected to cut overall energy use by an estimated 30–60 percent while providing more precise climate regulation for the galleries. Director and CEO Dr. Kelly Baum called the award transformative for the institution's stewardship of both its resources and its collection. The award follows the Art Center's 2024 Catalyst Grant, which funded a new LED lighting system across more than 8,500 square feet of gallery space in its landmark I.M. Pei building. Since its 2021 launch, the Frankenthaler Climate Initiative — the first nationwide program supporting energy efficiency and clean energy for the visual arts — has conferred more than $21.8 million through 401 grants to 295 institutions across 42 states and Puerto Rico.