Author Wallace Stegner wrote, “One cannot be pessimistic about the West … this is the native home of hope.” And images of hope – as well as images of struggle, endurance, triumph, and astonishing landscapes – will be on display at the Figge Art Museum from June 27 through October 4, with the Davenport venue hosting glorious, thought-provoking photographs in the new exhibition Magnetic West: The Enduring Allure of the American West.

Gorgeous new works by an Iowa-based artist will soon fill the Beréskin Gallery & Art Academy, with the Bettendorf venue showcasing colorful, evocative paintings by Susan Reinier in the exhibition Shiny Objects, on display from June 27 through July 30, and with the artist herself in attendance at the exhibit's opening reception on July 3.

Stunning and elegant works by a collection of more than 30 ceramic artists are set for public viewing at the recently re-opened Figge Art Museum, with the beauty of hand-crafted objects celebrated in About Face: Contemporary Ceramic Sculpture, a new exhibition organized by the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts on display from June 20 through August 30.

With Maquoketa's Ohnward Fine Arts Center set to re-open by adhering to Iowa's social-distancing guidelines, the venue will officially welcome patrons back on June 27 in the stage celebration Joseph Hall's Elvis Rock 'n' Roll Remember Show, a salute to the King of Rock 'n' Roll led by one of the United States' most lauded tribute artists and a former competitor on America's Got Talent.

Prior to the venue's official re-opening presently scheduled for June 23, Davenport's German American Heritage Center (GAHC) will treat patrons to a live virtual guided tour on June 14, with the museum's assistant director Samantha Turner walking online guests through artifacts, photos, biographies and more in the special exhibitions Power Frauen: German Women Who Dared to Dream and The History We Hold: Highlights from the GAHC Collection.

An award-winning, bestselling author will take part in three special June 13 presentations hosted by the Davenport Public Library, with noted illustrator and picture-book creator LeUyen Pham appearing via Zoom to share her experiences and offer insights on her contributions to works ranging from the graphic-novel memoir Real Friends to Oscar winner Julianne Moore's children's-book sensation Freckleface Strawberry.

Focusing on the artist's earlier works that employ found objects as inspiration, the Figge Art Museum's exhibition George Olson: The Found Object, on display June 9 (the day of the museum's re-opening) through 28, finds its creator using a range of mediums – among them woodcut relief, ink wash, charcoal, and assemblage – to move beyond the objects he is referencing in order to create bold graphic abstractions that simulate the intriguing surface textures of his source material.

With its showcased talent acclaimed for his mixed-media paintings and prints that utilize a variety of techniques including woodcarving and collage, the exhibition Didier William: Lakou graces Davenport's Figge Art Museum from June 9 (the day of the museum's re-opening) through August 23, its artist drawing on Haitian history, mythology, and personal experience to explore significant themes of cultural identity.

With the Bettendorf venue again open to the public and welcoming children of all ages, the Family Museum will house the interactive touring exhibition Curious George: Let's Get Curious! from June 6 through September 13, leading visitors on a fun math-, science-, and engineering-based adventure while emphasizing the central roles played by parents and caregivers.

For those seeking outdoor education and entertainment after many months spent indoors, topics such as Mississippi River history, hydropower, native bird species, and more will be explored when River Action begins its annual presentations of Channel Cat Talks and Riverine Walks – “Explore the River Series” celebrations of the Quad Cities' unique culture and landscape taking place several times weekly from June 4 through 27.

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