“Art Bridges: Partner Loan Network" at the Figge Art Museum -- through January 4, 2026. (pictured: Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art)
Through Sunday, January 4, 2026
Figge Art Museum, 225 West Second Street, Davenport IA
From now through January 4, 2026, masterworks on loan from the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art will be presented throughout the Figge’s Art Museum's permanent collection galleries, with the exhibition Art Bridges: Partner Loan Network dedicated to bringing American art out of museum vaults and placing it on view in communities across the United States.
Many museums have significant collections in storage with only a small percentage of their works on view. By connecting museums such as the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art with such museums as the Figge, these artworks can be shown to new audiences nationwide. Spanning more than a century and varying in style and subject, the loaned artworks in Art Bridges: Partner Loan Network are presented alongside works from the Davenport museum's collection in thematic groupings. For instance, mixed-media works by Mark Messersmith and Sheila Gallagher challenge us to think about humanity’s harmful impact on the environment, while Edward Melcarth’s painting of sewer workers is installed with other works inspired by the urban environment. Additional pairings explore themes including abstraction, organic forms, and found objects in art. Interpretation and programming will evolve over the course of the exhibition and embrace collaboration and community perspectives. With the artwork generously lent by Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art as part of the Art Bridges’ Partner Loan Network, Figge staffers hope that patrons enjoy exploring the galleries and are challenged and delighted by what they see.
Founded in 2005 by philanthropist and arts patron Alice Walton as a nonprofit charitable organization for all to enjoy, Bentonville, Arkansas' Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art opened to the public on 11-11-11. The venue takes its name from a nearby natural spring and the bridge construction incorporated in the building, designed by world-renowned architect Moshe Safdie. A series of pavilions nestled around two spring-fed ponds house galleries, meeting and classroom spaces, and a large, glass-enclosed gathering hall. Guest amenities include a restaurant on a glass-enclosed bridge overlooking the ponds, a Museum Store designed by architect Marlon Blackwell, and a library featuring more than 50,000 volumes of art reference material. Sculpture and walking trails link the museum's 120-acre park to downtown Bentonville.
Crystal Bridges’ permanent collection spans five centuries of American masterworks ranging from the Colonial era to the current day. Included within the collection are iconic images such as Asher B. Durand’s Kindred Spirits, Norman Rockwell’s Rosie the Riveter, and Andy Warhol’s Coca-Cola – each reflecting a distinct moment in American artistic evolution – as well as major works by modern and contemporary American artists including Georgia O’Keeffe, John Baldessari, and James Turrell. The permanent collection, which continues to grow through a strategic acquisition plan, is on view year-round and is enhanced by an array of temporary exhibitions.
Art Bridges: Partner Loan Network will be on display through January 4, 2026, with regular museum hours 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesdays through Saturdays (10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursdays) and noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays. Museum admission is $4-10, though thanks to the generous sponsorship of Cal and Jill Werner, admission will be free throughout the month of July. For more information, call (563)326-7804 and visit FiggeArtMuseum.org.
