Published annually in January, the Des Moines Business Record’s Book of Lists is the definitive resource guide for business professionals in the Central Iowa area. The book includes more than 70 lists covering a variety of industries, profiles of local leaders, Central Iowa market facts and a community calendar. 

The cover of this year’s book features a piece by Ken Smith titled “Touch.” Ken Smith, originally from Des Moines, is a photographer that works in both digital and traditional processes. When working digitally, he produces his still life compositions by scanning an actual leaf or flower and then manipulating the color and contrast of the image. He also works in black and white and often incorporates split-toned or hand-colored images. Ken creates a strong sense of tranquility and focuses on the beauty of nature in his simple compositions. He chooses these subjects because, for him, they have a recurring theme of impermanence and change. Ken remarks, “…when I do my work well, it may be that those who view it discover not something new, but the essence of something they already deeply know, a kind of innate recognition of human connectedness. A validation and celebration of existence.” Ken’s photographs can be found in private and public collections in the United States as well as in Europe. Collections include Fifth Avenue Suites Hotel in Portland, Ore., Japanese Cultural Center in Spokane, WA., Washington State Arts Commission, Hewlett-Packard in Dublin, Ireland, Hubbell Realty, Rain & Hail Insurance, and Thomas McGee L.C. in Kansas City, and Mary Greeley Medical Center in Ames, IA. Learn more at www.kensmithart.com.

View the 2022 Book.