Davenport, Iowa (February 19, 2014) - Kids and adults alike can explore the world of art through video and glass during the Figge Art Museum's Free Family Day on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sponsored by U.S. Bank, the museum's studios, lobby, galleries and auditorium will be open for exploration.

Families will have the opportunity to engage in hands-on fun that directly relates to Kids Design Glass, Katja Loher: Videoplanet-Orchestra, Roman Glass Works and Landscape: Ingalena Klenell and Beth Lipman all currently on display.

The day's activities will include an interactive installation explaining the history of glass, a special Kids Design Glass contest where children under the age of 12 are invited to draw a picture that could be selected to be turned into a glass sculpture, an opportunity to design a glass magnet, create a sun catcher and take part in a special project inspired by artist Katja Loher where families can produce the word Figge using their bodies to form letters. 

The auditorium will feature short films about creating glass art that will be looped throughout the day. Stained glass artist and owner of The Glass Advocate, Eric Van Hese, will demonstrate the art of stained glass making in the lobby and Gallery Quest guides with extra family-friendly facts about each exhibition will be available to all.

In addition, the Quad City Audubon Society will have spotting scopes set up to enjoy eagle watching along the Mississippi River in the Wintergarden. Families may also enjoy $5 burger baskets in the Dining Room until 1:30 p.m.

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 (January 29, 2014) - For the second year in a row, the Mississippi Valley Quilters Guild (MVQG) is partnering with the Figge Art Museum for an exhibition of quilts that will be on display in the lobby. MVQG: Encore will begin Tuesday, February 4 and run through Sunday, February 9.

The exhibition features a selection of quilts by MVQG members and showcases the talent and remarkable skills of these area quilters. Last year's show was held in conjunction with Quilts: Masterworks from the American Folk Art Museum. This year it will be the only quilt-themed exhibition on view.

"It's a win, win," according to Director of Education Melissa Mohr. "The Figge experienced an increase in attendance during last year's MVQG show, which demonstrates how much this community supports quilting as an art form, and we're glad we can continue to celebrate area talent in this way. Doing this exhibition every year in the Lobby is a good way for us to stay connected with the quilting community, especially during years when we don't have a large quilt exhibition on display."

In conjunction with MVQG: Encore, the Figge will conduct a "People's Choice" competition, in which visitors are welcome to vote for their favorite quilt. Voting will occur onsite until 6 p.m. on Thursday, February 6. The winner will be announced that evening before an Art-Quilting Talk scheduled for 7 p.m. A quilt raffle will also be taking place throughout the week and quilt appraisals will be available by appointment only from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Thursday, February 6.

The exhibition is free with paid admission or membership and free after 5 p.m. on Thursday, February 6.

Companion Programming:

Thursday, February 6
9 a.m.-5 p.m. Quilt Appraisals (appointment required)*

Janette Dwyer, professional quilt appraiser and lecturer, will be available all day Thursday to perform quilt appraisals in the Dining Room. Contact Heather at haaronson@figgeartmuseum.org or call 563.345.6630 to schedule an appointment.

Thursday, February 6
7 p.m. Art-Quilting Talk
Art quilters Rosalie Baker and Colleen Curry will present two stylistic perspectives on art-quilting in the Auditorium. Curry will focus on new quilting techniques, while Baker will demonstrate the process she uses when creating her award-winning pictorial quilts. Both speakers are members of Professional Art Quilt Alliance (PAQA).

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.

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Davenport, Iowa (January 15, 2014) - Kids Design Glass, sponsored locally by U.S. Bank, will open at the Figge Art Museum on Saturday. This traveling exhibition of 52 colorful glass sculptures, along with the original drawings that inspired them, originated as an educational program where master glass artists from the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Washington selected drawings of mythical monsters by local school children and turned them into glass sculptures.

The exhibition explores the creative process, from pure imagination to advanced technical skills. As Benjamin W. Cobb, one of the lead artists on the project, wrote in the exhibition catalog, "For the kids, it is several minutes of creativity and fun in the studio. For the glassblowers, the program means several hours of sweating it out in the Hot Shop, staying true to a design with unrealistic dimensions, unforgiving irregularities, and strange color combinations...we, the glassblowers, have to let go of everything we have learned about symmetry, form, color and perfection and embrace an artistry that colors outside the lines."

To personalize the experience of presenting Kids Design Glass at the Figge, a drawing by a young artist (12 and under) from the Quad Cities will be selected by the Hot Shop artists from the Museum of Glass. The lucky child's artwork will be translated into a glass sculpture. This process will be streamed live from the Hot Shop in Tacoma, Washington from 2-7 p.m. on March 30 in the Figge Art Museum auditorium. The contest will run from February 1 - February 22. Visit www.figgeartmuseum.org for an entry form.

Kids Design Glass will be on view through May 4, 2014.  

Companion Programming:

FREE Family Day

10 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Beat the winter blues during this family celebration. Explore the amazing world of glass and video through art projects, gallery quests and more. $5 burger baskets will be served in the Dining Room until 1:30 p.m.

Kids Talk about Kids Design Glass

7 p.m. Thursday, March 6

Melissa Mohr, director of education, introduces the exhibition. Local children will also share their perspectives.

Art Talk: Kids Design Glass

7 p.m. Thursday, March 20

Alex Stisser, one of the original Hot Shop artists, will discuss the exhibition and his involvement with the initial project at the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Washington.

Kids Design Glass LIVE 

2-7 p.m. Sunday, March 30

Join the local winner of the Kids Design Glass drawing contest as he/she Skypes with the glass team from the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Washington live in the Figge Art Museum auditorium. Watch as the glass sculpture comes to life on the live feed.

Kids Design Glass Exhibition Tours 

1:30 p.m. Saturdays • February 1, 15, 22 and March 8, 29

1:30 p.m. Sundays • February 2 and March 16

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.

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Davenport, Iowa (December 2, 2013) - The Figge Art Museum will be offering Advent Tours on Sundays at 1:30 p.m. beginning this Sunday through December 22. Each week a different docent will be giving a themed tour of specially selected artworks from the permanent collection related to Advent.

December 8 will be the Art for Meditation tour which will feature several pieces of religious art as well as two secular pieces with a focus on how this art was used for meditation in the past and how it can be used for meditation today. Tour participants will also learn about the relationship between meditation and devotions.

The December 15 tour will explain how Advent is a time of preparation, waiting and watching laced with wonder. Emphasis will be placed on how art can facilitate preparation and add beauty, insight and hope.  The objective is to get participants to realize that waiting, watching and wonder can be exciting in different ways than shopping, decorating and hustle and bustle.

For the December 22 tour participants will explore a selection of beautiful religious paintings, most of them painted in the 15th and 16th centuries. The history and purpose of religious art will be covered.

No reservations are required and the tours are free with paid admission or membership.

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.