Rachel Buse

It was 2012 and Rachel Buse was new to Des Moines. She answered a call PS1 had put out for people to participate in a sensory show that needed more bodies. “I wore a helmet with a GoPro and was in this giant stretchy fabric that people could crawl under and join me in,” she recalls, pausing as she realizes this is probably hard to imagine. Then she continues, “A little after that, I made a giant yellow elbow for a PS1 show.” 

Buse, who runs a publication called Art Beacon intended to connect Iowa artists, says, “PS1 is one of the few places I can count on where I can be experimental and be comfortable with sharing the results.” Even though they’re two hours apart, she views them as important collaborators. Recently, Buse and PS1’s John Engelbrecht co-edited the Iowa section of the MdW Atlas, part of a 12-state coalition of artist-run projects. 

“It’s become foundational for emerging artists in Iowa to participate in PS1,” she says. “It’s cool to see how this organization that started in a free space and now owns multiple spaces manages to remain open to people with a vision.”