Entry No. 18 — the Des Moines file — filed under: records
The Dust Collective
An artist-run 'neighborhood clubhouse' of curated vintage, antiques, handmade goods and ice-cold soda pop that doubles as an offbeat exhibition space — it hosted a pop-up of Adam Oestreich's FolkArtwork Collective (self-taught and outsider art) in April 2025. Owned by Garrett Cornelison, it's a makers' space and community gathering spot, not a white-cube gallery.
The story
Garrett Cornelison didn't set out to build another sterile, high-rent art gallery when he took over 509 East 5th Street. Instead, the photographer took a converted old horse stable in the East Village and turned it into an artist-run neighborhood clubhouse. Behind the brick facade sits a working space grounded in vintage garments, antiques, handmade gear, and ice-cold soda pop, all operating under a sly, self-deprecating ethos aimed at keeping the local scene grounded.
What makes the room interesting is its refusal to pick a lane. It acts as a cut-and-sew atelier, a buy-sell-trade vintage hub, and an unpredictable pop-up exhibition floor. You're just as likely to find racks of curated denim as you are a rogue art drop—like the April 2025 pop-up with Adam Oestreich’s FolkArtwork Collective, which packed the brick walls with self-taught and outsider art. It’s a community gathering spot built by makers for people who prefer dirty hands to white-cube galas.
What it's like
You’ll find the stable doors right across the street from the Bellhop tiki bar. Step through onto raw concrete floors lined with vintage racks, oddment shelves, and glass-front sodas. A heads-up before you roll up: the building has no air conditioning. A humid July afternoon will turn your crate-digging into an improvised sauna, so time your visit for cooler shoulder seasons or early mornings. Operating hours typically run Wednesday through Saturday between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m., but because the art exhibits and workshop drops happen on an irregular rhythm, double-check their Instagram before making the trip.
The move: Dig through the vintage racks and oddment shelves together, then time a visit to one of their rotating pop-up art shows or workshops for a low-key creative date.
📍 Before you go Find it in Des Moines' East Village at 509 E 5th St, tucked into a converted old horse stable with exposed brick and concrete floors — if you're orienting, look just across the street from the Tiki bar Bellhop. There's no air conditioning inside, so cooler shoulder seasons or a morning stop beat a humid summer afternoon. It opens only a handful of days a week and the rotating pop-up art shows are intermittent, so check their socials before you make the trip. Being in the walkable East Village, you'll find easy street parking and plenty of bars, coffee shops, and restaurants nearby to fold into the date.
- 📍 East Village
- 💸 $
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 509 E 5th St, Des Moines, IA
Hours: Reported open Wed-Sat ~11am-6pm; art exhibits are intermittent pop-ups, so check their socials before going.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- Alleged Lee's — Cross the street after digging through vintage racks for a drink inside an East Village speakeasy built around Prohibition-era Iowa art.
- Goldeneye Curations — Keep your vintage and streetwear hunt going just two blocks away at another local buy-sell-trade shop.
- Up-Down Des Moines — Pair your clubhouse browsing with a round of 80s arcade cabinets and skee-ball right down the street.
Good to know
What kind of venue is The Dust Collective?
It's an artist-run neighborhood clubhouse and makers' space that combines curated vintage clothing, antiques, handmade goods, and soda with intermittent art pop-ups.
Does the space have air conditioning?
No. The converted horse stable keeps its raw brick and concrete character but lacks modern AC, making spring and autumn visits much more comfortable than hot summer afternoons.
Where in the East Village is it located?
You'll find it at 509 E 5th St in Des Moines, directly across the street from Bellhop tiki bar.
When is it open?
Regular retail hours run Wednesday through Saturday from roughly 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., though exhibition pop-ups occur intermittently.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · folkartwork.art · desmoinesregister.com
last checked: 2026-06-06