The Taste of New Orleans is Coming to the Figge on Fat Tuesday

Davenport, Iowa (February 5, 2013) – The taste of New Orleans will be invading the Figge Art Museum for the 9^th annual Mardi Gras Rajun Cajun Fest taking place one week from today on Fat Tuesday, February 12.

Area chefs from the Figge, Thunder Bay, Machine Shed, Gendler’s Black Ram, Crow Valley Country Club, Johnny’s Italian Steakhouse, Gramma’s Kitchen and Select Specialty Hospital will be cooking Cajun-inspired appetizers, entrees and desserts in the lobby of the museum from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Guests will have the opportunity to sample each chef’s Cajun creations including chicken and sausage jambalaya, crawfish tails with alligator gumbo, oyster po’boys, beignets and much more. There will be live music by local artist Lewis Knudsen, the option to participate in a make-your-own Mardi Gras mask art activity, a cash bar and a chance to cast votes for your favorite chef.

This is the first year the Figge has hosted the event and all proceeds will benefit the museum’s outreach programs for thousands of area students. Advance tickets are $25 each or two for $45. To purchase tickets, visit www.figgeartmuseum.org or call 563-326-7804 x2046. Tickets at the door are $30 each or two for $55. Doors open at 5:00 p.m.

About the Figge Art Museum

The Figge Art Museum is located on the riverfront in downtown Davenport at 225 West Second Street. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday and Sundays 12-5 p.m. Thursdays the museum is open until 9 p.m. Admission to the museum and tour is $7. Admission is free to Figge members and institutional members. To contact the museum, please call 563.326.7804, or visit www.figgeartmuseum.org.

Davenport, IA- The German American Heritage Center is happy to announce the Grand Opening of the new exhibit, Eye of the Beholder: The Photography of Bradley W. Schaupp on Sunday, February 10th from 12-4 during our Fasching Open House. In this exhibit, Christine Powers shares the photography of her grandfather, Bradley W. Schaupp and the images he captured over a lifetime. Educated at the famed Fred Archer School of Photography, his works range from portraiture to nature and still life.

The open house will feature this new exhibit along with information on the German Mardi Gras, Fasching. Enjoy treats and the music of renownd pianist Troy Harris of Enjoy With Troy! Free Admission! GAHC is located at 712 W 2nd St. Davenport, IA, off of  the base of the Centennial Bridge. For more information contact Kelly at 563-322-8844 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The Muscatine Art Center will provide visitors with an escape from Iowa winter with the opening of an exhibition of works by Beth Van Hoesen. This exhibition will be the first opportunity for the public to view the twenty-six prints and drawings of flowers gifted to the Art Center in 2012. The exhibition will be on view from February 1 through June 16, 2013.

Van Hoesen’s flowers are richly colored and draw attention to the idea of art being all around us. Van Hoesen takes everyday objects and highlights the sublime hidden in small things. Her works are nearly scientific in detail but also quite charming.

For much of her career, Van Hoesen functioned outside of the “fleeting and fashionable” movements of the time. Van Hoesen was a realist when many artists tended towards abstraction. Her printmaking technique was highly regarded, and her work is represented in the collections of major art museums. These include the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Art Institute of Chicago, Boise Art Museum, Brooklyn Museum, Cincinnati Art Museum, Honolulu Academy of Arts, Smithsonian Institution and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

Born in Boise, Idaho in 1926, Van Hoesen studied art at Stanford University, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1948. After graduating from Stanford she studied art in France and later at the California School of Fine Arts (San Francisco Art Institute). Her career spanned more than five decades.

The E. Mark Adams and Beth Van Hoesen Trust of San Francisco, California gifted the works to the Muscatine Art Center. The collection includes the medias of graphite, colored pencil, watercolor, aquatint, etching, drypoint, engraving and lithography.

The Muscatine Art Center is located at 1314 Mulberry Avenue in Muscatine, Iowa. Hours are Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Thursday evenings until 7:00 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Admission is free. Donations are appreciated.

The Muscatine Art Center is pleased to announce the upcoming exhibition, “The Other Side of the Earth” by Chun Arthur Wang. The exhibition will open on Sunday, March 10 and run through Sunday, April 21, 2013.

In conjunction with Wang’s exhibit, the Muscatine Art Center is offering a class on the art of Chinese calligraphy. An instructor from the Confucius Institute, a branch of the University of Iowa’s International Program will be conducting the class. There is no experience needed, and all supplies will be provided.

The English word "calligraphy" refers to that which is "beautiful writing", which includes both aspects of calligraphy- as a practice and as an art form. Chinese calligraphy is functional as a means of communication- at its basic level calligraphy is focused on writing well. However, calligraphy is also considered an art form in its own right, where works are appreciated more or only for their aesthetic qualities. Calligraphy has also led to the development of many different forms of art in China, including seal carvings, ornate paperweights, and inkstones.

CLASS DETAILS:

What: Chinese Calligraphy Class

When: Thursday, March 28, 2013

Time: 5:15 PM

Fee: $10.00 /$9.00 for Friends Members

Where: The Muscatine Art Center’s Art Studio

To register, please contact Katy Doherty, Program Coordinator, at 563-263-8282 or by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Registration is appreciated no later than Wednesday, March 27. Class size is limited. For more information about the University of Iowa’s Confucius Institute, please visit: http://international.uiowa.edu/confucius.

The Muscatine Art Center is located at 1314 Mulberry Avenue in Muscatine, Iowa. Hours are Tuesday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Thursday evenings until 7:00 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Admission is free. Donations are appreciated. Go to www.muscatineartcenter.org for more information about programs and events and to download a class brochure.