2022 Beaux Arts Fall Fair at the Figge Art Museum Plaza -- September 10 and 11.

Saturday, September 10, and Sunday, September 11

Figge Art Museum Plaza, 225 West Second Street, Davenport IA

Returning to its traditional stomping grounds of the Figge Art Museum Plaza after a spring weekend at the Mississippi Valley Fairgrounds, the 2022 Beaux Arts Fall Fair will treat visitors to an outdoor celebration of visual arts and fine crafts on September 11 and 12, with the annual event featuring food, live music, children's activities, free spin art, and works for sale by dozens of gifted Midwestern artists and vendors.

The Beaux Arts Fair was established in 1967, making the weekend event one of the longest-running art fairs in the Midwest. Attendance and artist participation expanded over several years since its inception, and in 1970, the Beaux Arts Fundraising Committee started up a second fair, making this one of the few bi-annual art fairs to exist anywhere in the country. In May of 2001, Beaux Arts organizers moved the fairs downtown while the new Figge Art Museum was being built, and in September of 2008, the fairs moved back to the museum grounds. Since then, the Beaux Arts Fundraising committee has continued to donate all proceeds from the fairs to the Figge Art Museum for the venue's programs and exhibitions.

This year marks the 69th anniversary for the Beaux Arts Fundraising Committee. The committee was incorporated in 1953 to support the Davenport Art Gallery, then located on 12th Street. The Beaux Arts Costume Balls were used as the fund-raising event for many years. Through the years, the Beaux Arts Fundraising Committee purchased and donated items to the museum's collections. Many well-known area artists were listed as initial members, including Isabel Bloom, and her husband, John, both students of Grant Wood. The Isabel Bloom Handcrafted Sculpture factory and showroom continue to produce concrete statuary with artisans who have adopted techniques developed by Isabel Bloom.

With more than 30 vendor booths already scheduled for the 2022 Beaux Arts Fall Fair – their finely detailed artworks and gift options encompassing such mediums as painting, sculpture, pottery, jewelry, and more – this year's scheduled Beaux Arts artisans and art retailers include: Creative Wolfe; JimBo Designs; DinoCat Studio; Bill Borrins; Glen Arthur Lowry; Miranda Meyer Photography; Josh Meier Photography; Martha's Art; Tony Seabolt Art & Design Studio; Pat Halverson; Loel Martin Photography; Mings Studio; Handcrafter Baskets; Twisted Tree Gallery; Barbara Weets Watercolors; Tumbled Wire Designs; Mary Beth's Articulture; Chris Abigt Art; Nurit & Mick Arts; Golden Spiral Jewelry; Midwest Prairie Paintings; Watercolors by Mick; Mary Miller; Ciccotti Art Glass; Muddy River Creations; Tim's Woodworking; Stoneware Pottery by Val; Lloyd and Caroline's Kids; Irresistible Designs; Kevin Johnson; and Iowa Glass Art Studio. Examples of the artisans' works and links to their Web sites and social-media pages are available through the Beaux Arts Fair's Web site.

The 69th Beaux Arts Fair at the Figge Art Museum Plaza will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, September 10, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, September 11. Admission is free, and more information is available by calling (309)207-5614 and visiting BeauxArtsFair.com.

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