The Figge Art Museum and Muscatine Art Center present a Virtual Collection Tour -- April 29.
Thursday, April 29, 6:30 p.m.
Presented by the Figge Art Museum and Muscatine Art Center
Offered in conjunction with the Figge Art Museum's current exhibition For America: 200 Years of Paintings from the National Academy of Design, the Muscatine Art Center, on April 29, presents a virtual, behind-the-scenes exploration of artworks in the venue's permanent collection, with each featured artwork created by an important American artist, many of whom were associated with the gallery of the exhibit's title.
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 Muscatine Art Center's virtual collection tour is free, but advance registration is required, and participants will receive an e-mail with a Zoom link two hours before the program begins at 6:30 p.m. on April 29. For more information on the event, call (563)326-7804 and visit FiggeArtMuseum.org.
