John Frederick Kensett's "The Bash-Bish" in the Figge Art Museum's “For America: 200 Years of Painting from the National Academy of Design" -- After-Hours event on March 19.

Friday, March 19, 5 p.m.

Figge Art Museum, 225 West Second Street, Davenport IA

A special in-person event held in conjunction with the current exhibition For America: 200 Years of Painting from the National Academy of Design, the Figge Art Museum's March 19 “After Hours” celebration will treat guests to a socially distanced and semi-private evening at the museum to view the exhibit, wine and individual charcuterie plates from the Figge Cafe, and guides available in the exhibition space to answer questions.

From its founding in 1825 to the present, the National Academy has required all Academicians elected to donate a representative work to the Academy’s collection. From 1839 to 1994, the Academy also required associates to present a portrait of themselves, whether painted by their own hand or that of a fellow artist. This has resulted in a collection of over 8,000 works by historical and contemporary masters such as Winslow Homer, William Merritt Chase, John Singer Sargent, Andrew Wyeth, Jaune Quick-to-See-Smith, Charles White, Jane Freilicher, and many others. Exhibition co-curator Jeremiah William McCarthy, Curator at the National Academy of Design, says: “This exhibition presents the way artists see the world alongside the way they see themselves inhabiting that world. It’s an unprecedented look at the history of American painting written by its makers.”

Offering many opportunities for community collaborations with other Quad City cultural organizations for musical, literary and historical programs, For America: 200 Years of Painting from the National Academy of Design provides a new perspective on the American works in the City of Davenport and Figge collections, and is the second exhibition made possible by the museum’s Major Exhibitions Endowment. For America will tour to eight venues across the United States including the Figge, bringing important paintings to audiences across the country while also enriching the dialogue of scholars, students, and artists of all ages with the firsthand experience of American masterpieces. The exhibition is organized by the American Federation of Arts and the National Academy of Design, and support for the national tour is provided by the JFM Foundation, Monique Schoen Warshaw, and Steph & Jody La Nasa.

The “After Hours” tours of For America will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. on March 19, admission is $50, and the For America: 200 Years of Painting from the National Academy of Design exhibition will be on display through May 16. For more information, call (563)326-7804 or visit FiggeArtMuseum.org.

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