Installation view: Connie and Michael Roberts: Portrait of America, Figge Art Museum, 2026
Sunday, July 5, through Sunday, January 3
Figge Art Museum, 225 West Second Street, Davenport IA
Timed to the 250th anniversary of the signing of the United States' Declaration of Independence, the Figge Art Museum exhibition Connie & Michael Roberts: Portrait of America will be on display in the Davenport venue's Lewis Gallery July 5 through January 3, this arresting collection of works inviting audiences to reflect on the individuals who helped shape our nation’s history.
Connie & Michael Roberts: Portrait of America presents a remarkable series of collaborative portrait panels by Iowa City artists Connie and Michael Roberts, featuring notable figures from American history. Combining painting, sculpture, and storytelling, the works offer visitors an engaging and often surprising look at the lives behind familiar names.
Michael Roberts’ realistic and emotionally resonant portraits are paired with Connie Roberts’ hand-carved sculptural whistles which create whimsical symbols representing key moments in the life of the portrait’s subject.
“Connie Roberts has developed a distinctive artistic language that blends music, sculpture, and story in ways that are both inventive and deeply engaging,” said Co-Senior Curator Joshua Johnson. “In these collaborative works, her carved narrative elements create a rich dialogue with Michael Roberts’ portraits, generating curiosity about these distinguished figures from history by infusing them with a bit of humor.”
This exhibition is presented in honor of former U.S. Representative Jim Leach, who worked closely with the artists and inspired many of the artworks represented in the exhibition. Together the Roberts and Leach generated a specific perspective on American history shaped by their time in Iowa.
Connie & Michael Roberts: Portrait of America will be on display in the Davenport venue's Lewis Gallery July 5 through January 3 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 $8-14, and more information on the exhibit is available by calling (563)326-7804 and visiting FiggeArtMuseum.org.
