Davenport, Iowa (July 9, 2014) - The Figge Art Museum will have a Free Family Day this Saturday.  Admission will be free all day.

Kids and adults will have the opportunity to weave their way through the galleries, exploring the amazing fiber and textile art on display in the Innovators & Legends and Local Threads exhibitions. Interact with docents who will be available in the galleries to answer questions and share fun facts.

The art studios will offer hands-on activities and projects inspired by the current exhibitions including weaving activities, make-your-own woven vessel, collage projects, a film featuring fiber artists, artist demos, art object handling, a community weaving project, snacks and more!

This Free Family Day is sponsored by Schafer Interiors and the Quad-City Times.  

About the Figge Art Museum

The Figge Art Museum is located on the riverfront in downtown Davenport at 225 West Second Street. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday and Sundays 12-5 p.m. Thursdays the museum is open until 9 p.m. Admission to the museum and tour is $7. Admission is free to Figge members and institutional members and free to all on Thursday evenings from 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. The museum is also free for Active Duty Military members and their families all year round and free to seniors the first Thursday of every month. To contact the museum, please call 563.326.7804, or visit www.figgeartmuseum.org.

Davenport, Iowa (June 25, 2014) - The Figge Art Museum has received a major gift of $500,000 from the estate of Ruth Evelyn Katz gifted by son Marty Katz of Moline in honor of his late parents Isador and Ruth Evelyn Katz and his late sister Judith Katz.

The second floor Print Gallery will be renamed The Katz Gallery gifted in memory of Isador, Ruth Evelyn and Judith Katz by the Katz Family. A private invitation-only dedication will take place on July 3 when 200 guests will gather to honor the extraordinary contributions of the Katz family to the Quad Cities arts community.

"The Katz family is pleased to make this contribution to the Figge Art Museum," said Marty Katz, son of Isador and Ruth Evelyn. "My parents loved this country and the community. Though they were not immigrants, they were not far removed from the immigrant experience and realized how fortunate they were to have been born in a country which allowed them to prosper, to find their talents and to pursue their aptitudes. What finer date to celebrate this than the birthdate of a nation which gave them that opportunity."

The $500,000 has been gifted to museum and will be attributed to the endowment of the museum, which according to Director of Development Raelene Pullen, "is the lifeblood of our institution and ensures that the Figge will be here in perpetuity for children and adults in our community to experience. The Katz name and impact on the Quad Cities will always be remembered thanks to their generous contribution."

"The Katz Gallery is located at the heart of the museum, adjacent to our art studios and the Mary Waterman Gildehaus Community Gallery," said Figge Executive Director Tim Schiffer. "It hosts some of our most popular and important exhibitions. We are so grateful to the Katz family for helping us to fulfill our mission of 'bringing art and people together.'"

Grandson Matt Katz added, "It is such an honor for our family to be involved with the Figge. I think it would be an accurate reflection of my grandparents to say that a city without a foundation of arts and culture is merely just a "place". A spot on a map. The arts add a dimension of depth and social integrity to any community. My grandparents were two very different people from extremely different backgrounds.

They had two very different personas, but the one common thread that brought them together was celebrating culture. It is so exciting to know that even though they are not physically involved in the community anymore, that through the Figge they can be involved in spirit."

Isador and Ruth Evelyn were advocates for the arts dating back to the mid-50s when Ruth Evelyn joined the Rock Island Art Guild. Her Maka Gallery became the first serious art presence in downtown Rock island in 1966 bringing fine arts to the Quad Cities through gifts like the many public sculptures that now are an important part of the Quad Cities' urban landscape. Ruth Evelyn was devoted to numerous cultural and civic organizations and served as a member of the Acquisitions Commission of the Figge Art Museum and the Davenport Museum of Art, its predecessor.

Isador was a prominent attorney who received an individual award in philanthropy and served on the boards of the Rock Island Public Library Foundation, Rock Island Community Foundation and Trinity Health Foundation.

The two worked very hard to help make the Quad-Cities a more beautiful place through their philanthropic efforts and devotion to bettering the community. Grandson Steven Katz explained, "They believed strongly in the notion of philanthropy and in "giving back" to the community. With the establishment of this gallery it's nice to see them honored for their many contributions to the community. I hope that this gallery will be able to enrich the lives of people in the Quad Cities for many years to come and perhaps even serve as a source of inspiration for future dreamers and artists and offer people new insights and ways of looking at our world. If it does, then I think my grandparents would be very pleased."

As happy as the family is about this dedication, there is also an element of the bittersweet because this gift is also to celebrate the memory of Judith Katz. Judith was the daughter of Ruth and Isador who passed away on July 3, 1997. Brother Marty Katz said, "My sister was a physically beautiful person but it was surpassed by her intellect and artistic skills. To see her name along with my parents exactly 17 years after her death is going to be very special to our entire family."

The first exhibition that will be on display in The Katz Gallery will be Two Americans in Paris: Stuart Davis and Grant Wood opening July 12, 2014.

About the Figge Art Museum

The Figge Art Museum is located on the riverfront in downtown Davenport at 225 West Second Street. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday and Sundays 12-5 p.m. Thursdays the museum is open until 9 p.m. Admission to the museum and tour is $7. Admission is free to Figge members and institutional members and free to all on Thursday evenings from 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. The museum is free for Active Duty Military members and their families all year round and free to seniors the first Thursday of every month. To contact the museum, please call 563.326.7804, or visit www.figgeartmuseum.org.

Davenport, Iowa (June 4, 2014) - The Figge Art Museum is partnering with the University of Iowa Museum of Art (UIMA) to bring an exciting, interactive exhibition to the Mary Waterman Gildehaus Community Gallery. A Moveable Museum: Works from the UIMA School Programs Collection opens Saturday and is curated by Dale Fisher, curator of education at UIMA, with the assistance of UIMA and Figge staff members.

Since the Iowa flood of 2008, the UIMA has been unable to serve audiences in traditional ways and has used the UIMA School Programs in order to continue education about art. This outreach program impacts thousands of K-12 art, social studies and language arts students across the state of Iowa each year. 

The collection is usually reserved for classrooms throughout the state, but for the first time will be on view as a comprehensive exhibition. A Moveable Museum will give visitors a unique opportunity to participate in a hands-on experience with works from five continents as well as works demonstrating a wide range of media.

Guests are encouraged to interact and familiarize themselves with the art first-hand through handling a selection of works and utilizing the Ipads which will offer a better understanding of what is on display. Docents and museum staff will be in the gallery assisting people with the interactive artwork.

From ceramics and wood carvings to quilts and graphic novels, the wide variety of artwork provides something for everyone.

UIMA Education Partners, made up of private foundations, corporate and individual sponsors, fund the purchase of artworks for this program. The works travel to schools, libraries and other educations settings. Each year teacher input is collected in regards to curricular objectives, which informs what type of new thematic collection will be added next.

A Moveable Museum will be on view through August 3, 2014.

Companion Events:

A Moveable Museum Opening Reception & Gallery Talk

Thursday, June 12
5:30 p.m. Reception for A Moveable Museum
7 p.m. Formal Remarks
Free Admission

Dale Fisher is the Curator of Education at the University of Iowa Museum of Art (UIMA). He will speak about the exhibition, including its history and the unique, hands-on opportunities that come with it. 

About the Figge Art Museum

The Figge Art Museum is located on the riverfront in downtown Davenport at 225 West Second Street. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday and Sundays 12-5 p.m. Thursdays the museum is open until 9 p.m. Admission to the museum and tour is $7. Admission is free to Figge members and institutional members and free to all on Thursday evenings from 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. To contact the museum, please call 563.326.7804, or visit www.figgeartmuseum.org.

Davenport, Iowa (May 5, 2014) The spring Beaux Arts Fair will be taking place this weekend on the plaza in front of the Figge Art Museum.

From 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday more than 200 artisans will fill the plaza and the surrounding streets with a variety of handmade crafts including jewelry, pottery, stained glass, sculptures and more. Spin art for kids of all ages will also be offered from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. both days.

Admission to the fair is free and the Figge is offering $2 admission to the museum all weekend long. This year, Beaux Arts Fair and Mother's Day share a weekend, so to celebrate the museum is offering FREE admission to all moms on Mother's Day. Treat your mom to a full day of fun free of charge.

Spend the day exploring the Beaux Arts Fair outside and enjoying the exhibits inside as well as family-friendly activities in the family gallery and studios. All proceeds from the Beaux Arts Fair benefit programming and exhibitions at the Figge.

About the Figge Art Museum

The Figge Art Museum is located on the riverfront in downtown Davenport at 225 West Second Street. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday and Sundays 12-5 p.m. Thursdays the museum is open until 9 p.m. Admission to the museum and tour is $7. Admission is free to Figge members and institutional members and free to all on Thursday evenings from 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. To contact the museum, please call 563.326.7804, or visit www.figgeartmuseum.org.