Drop in anytime between 9am and 10pm the first Wednesday of every month and experience coworking for yourself.

Can’t make our open coworking days but want to learn more? Drop us a line to set up a tour.

Official Movement Bash Poster (Click for Large Version)

DES MOINES, Iowa (October 8, 2009) – Impromptu Studio plays host to movers and shakers from across the Midwest at the first ever Movement Bash on Thursday, October 22. A select group from Des Moines’ growing tech and creative communities are joining forces to celebrate entrepreneurship with free food, free beverages, and free entertainment. Organizers are creating a casual networking evening for entrepreneurs and creatives from the Omaha, Kansas City, and Des Moines metro areas coming to town for Highlight Midwest.

“There’s a lot of good energy in Des Moines right now, and it’s connected in a big way to the same energy that’s growing across the whole Midwest,” said Dan Shipton, an organizer of the event and co-founder of Impromptu Studio. “Movement Bash will be a great way for big brains and big ideas to come together, network, and have a good time. No presentations, just conversations.”

To keep the event free and open, organizers tapped 18 19 different local businesses for support including tech start-ups, law firms, and creative agencies.

“Everyone I called was really excited,” Shipton said. “[Our sponsors] are a broad mix and involve a lot of businesses that are part of this movement of genuine innovation in flyover country. Events like Movement Bash, BarCamp, BIG Omaha, Ignite Des Moines, Advance Week…they’re tied to the new platform that real movers and shakers in the Midwest are building.”

Organizers are encouraging Movement Bash attendees to cut loose and come share their passions over food, drink, and activities. Rock Band, social games, an anonymous “suggestion box” for entrepreneurs, conversation-sparking nametags and other activities will help prevent wallflower-ing and keep the evening lively, Shipton said.

Movement Bash is being presented by Paragon IT, BitMethod, Law Offices Of Brett J. Trout, P.C., Public Relations Project, Grand Consulting, Click! Photography, Internet Solver, Napkin Sketch, Tweetup Badges, Test of Time Design, createWOWmedia, Market Street Media Foundry, Catchwind, 25 Connections, 48Web, Spindustry, SmartyPig, Olde Main Brewing Co. and Mars Café.

An RSVP is requested but not required and available at http://movementbash.eventbrite.com. Impromptu Studio is located at 300 SW 5th St, Des Moines IA 50309.

Des Moines, Iowa - Impromptu Studio, a membership-based coworking community in downtown Des Moines, will house a salon-style art gallery featuring work from members of Market Street Media Foundry beginning in June.

MSMF member Cat Rocketship – recently named Best Artist in Cityview’s Best of Des Moines reader survey – will be curating the exhibits. Work will be updated every other month and feature an assortment of pieces from MSMF members.

“We’re really excited to be able to share this space with our friends at Market Street,” said Daniel Shipton, founder of Impromptu Studio. “Their business and our business are different sides of the same coin. I hope that the entreprenuers and professionals working at Impromptu find inspiration for their projects in this gallery.”

Market Street Media Foundry (MSMF) is a collaborative art and media studio located in Des Moines’ downtown Market District just south of Court Avenue on East 4th. Members of MSMF include photographers, painters, textile artists, video editors and other creative entreprenuers.

Scott Kubie, co-owner of MSMF, said that he is excited to offer this benefit to their members. “Unless you want to rent your own space or deal with the same stale crowds, there aren’t a lot of options to get your work on display in Des Moines. Impromptu attracts a uniquely connected crowd and wil be a great outlet for our artists.”

The MSMF gallery at Impromptu will only occupy a portion of their available wall space, leaving the coworking space free to host larger exhibitions for individual artists.

Artists interested in participating in MSMF are encouraged to visit http://www.marketstreetmediafoundry.com or contact Kubie at scott@therevuecreative.com.

Visitors are always welcome at Impromptu Studio and coworking plans start at $25 a month. Impromptu is located at 300 Southwest 5th Street.

Websites: Market Street Media Foundry – http://www.marketstreetmediafoundry.com
Impromptu Studio – http://www.impromptustudio.com

Doug Mitchell and J. Michael McCoy in the studio.

Impromptu Studio is excited and to announce that we now have a full audio and video recording studio. Our most recent additions to the space are Doug Mitchell and Paul Gratton of CreateWow Media who made the new studio a possibility. Doug Mitchell and Andy Brudtkuhl along with the help of Paul Gratton as producer will be putting out a weekly podcast from the new studio. We want to invite those of you thinking about starting a video blog or podcast, or even looking to try out a new studio,  to stop in a take a look at our facilities.  More pictures coming soon!

Senator Chuck Grassley Speaking to YPs

Last month Chuck Grassley was at Impromptu Studio to speak with young professionals of Des Moines about among other things the financial crisis and its implications.  The Business Record posted even posted a nice video recap.  Jennie Smith who along with Gabriel Glynn organized the event. She first came across Impromptu Studio when she attended the “Big Dream Gathering” at our space.

Michael Libbie has a great show we hope he had as much fun with Dan as we did listening. Make sure to check out Michael’s advertising blog for Insight Advertising.

You can find Michael’s post show recap, the podcast, as well as a lovely picture of Dan at the Highway 6 blog.

The Technology Association of Iowa bills themselves as the voice of Iowa’s high tech industry:

The Technology Association of Iowa (TAI) is a member-based, not-for-profit organization accelerating the success of Iowa’s technology industry.  TAI works to create and sustain a positive environment for technology-based economic growth and job creation through innovation, advocacy and leadership.  Visit their website at www.technologyiowa.org.

The Technology Association of Iowa also runs the “academy awards” of Iowa’s technology industry, the Prometheus Awards:

Iowa’s largest and most prestigious awards devoted to promoting and celebrating the innovation and high-tech excellence in Iowa. This showcase honors companies and individuals who represent the best and brightest in technology and business and have demonstrated outstanding leadership and innovation. For more information on the 2009 Prometheus Awards and to see the criteria for the 17 award categories, visit www.technologyiowa.org/awards/2009/.  The nomination period ends December 22, 2008.

So, please visit their website to submit your nomination for the 2009 Prometheus Awards. You can also check out @TechnologyIowa on Twitter.

We also want to acknowledge one of our guests favorite sponsors, which is Olde Main Brewery. We reached out to Olde Main through their @OldeMain Twitter account which is ran by Jill Haverkamp.  Jill and the folks at Olde Main have been great to work with and we are glad to work with them again for the Ugly Sweater Party! They will be supplying two kinds of their tasty beer that are brewed locally in Ames, Iowa.  Everyone should stop in at Olde Main when they are in Ames for good eats and great beer.

All of the event info: The Epic Ugly Sweater Party

Click! Photography

Grab your family and pets this weekend and head over for a great way to jump-start the holiday season! You can choose from three different unique Click! designed 5×7″ photo cards and take advantage of specials on print prices too! Session bookings can be made for Saturday December 6 from 10am – 4pm. You can call Click! Photography at  (515) 229-2825 to get your session booked.

Dan Welk from Click! has graciously offered to waive the $10 session fee if you are participating in ActionCamp (which is also taking place this weekend at Impromptu Studio). So grab your spouse or significant other, give back to the community, and cross Holiday pictures off your todo list this weekend!