Davenport, Iowa (August 2012) The Figge Art Museum will present the talk "The History of the Space Suit" at 7pm on Thursday, August 9.  The talk, presented by Dr. Cathleen S. Lewis, will utilize a slide presentation to take participants on a historical tour through the National Air and Space Museum's spacesuit collection. During the art talk guests will learn why space suits were developed, how and by whom and what the elusive standard of creating a form-fitting spacecraft that allows a human to do most anything that he or she can do on Earth really means.  This talk is offered in conjunction with the current exhibition "NASA | ART 50 Years of Exploration" and is sponsored by KWQC-TV6.

Dr. Lewis is Curator of International Space Programs and Spacesuits at the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum, specializing in Soviet and Russian programs.  Lewis has completed both bachelor's and a master's degrees in Russian and East European Studies at Yale University and completed her dissertation for her PhD in History, "The Red Stuff: A History of the Public and Material Culture of Early Human Spaceflight in the USSR, 1959-1968," at George Washington University in 2008.

Her current research is on the history of the public and popular culture of Russian fascination with the idea of human spaceflight in the Soviet Union.  She has written about the artifacts in the Smithsonian's Soviet and Russian collection and has published articles comparing the Soviet and American approaches to exhibiting spaceflight during the Space Race and the history of film portrayals of spaceflight prior to Yuri Gagarin's historic flight.  She is also working on a comparative history of the development of American and Russian spacesuits.

NASA | ART: 50 Years of Exploration presents an unparalleled selection of works commissioned by the NASA Art Program. Ranging from the illustrative to the abstract, more than 70 diverse artworks highlight the accomplishments, setbacks, and sheer excitement of space exploration over the past five decades.

NASA | ART 50 Years of Exploration was organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in cooperation with the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.  The exhibition is sponsored locally by ALCOA, John Deere and Cobham, plc. The Smithsonian Community Grant program, funded by MetLife Foundation, is a proud sponsor of this public program.

Davenport, IOWA (July 2012) The Figge Art Museum will be hosting the one-day exhibit Papergirl Quad Cities, which will run from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm on Thursday, July 19^th in the Figge's Lobby. Papergirl Quad Cities will showcase works that will be distributed as part of the Papergirl Quad Cities project. Papergirl collects all kinds of artwork from anywhere to be bundled up and distributed for free by bicycle.

Papergirl Quad Cities is part of a global project that aims to open the art world into the urban streets of everyday life. What began in Berlin in 2006 as a response to other forms of street art?such as graffiti and stencils?is now an international movement that seeks to surprise people by upturning the predictability of day-to-day life. Papergirl also seeks to make people aware of how art is ever-present in daily living. In short, Papergirl is participatory, analogue, non-commercial and impulsive.

Papergirl Quad Cities has been organized by East Moline native Glorie Iaccarino.  Ms. Iaccarino will give the talk "Public Art Philanthropy" at 6:00pm on Thursday, July 19.  This talk will focus on the three core areas of the Papergirl project: Art, Philanthropy and Bikes.  During the talk Ms. Iaccarino will discuss the importance of Public Art and will provide examples of public art, places that benefit from public art, and the five types of public art.  This talk is offered in conjunction with "Thursdays at the Figge". From 5pm-8pm guests will have the opportunity to create their own original works to donate to the project.

"As an artist and community-teaching artist, I believe anyone can learn how to create art and develop his or her creativity. I see a formula: Skill, perception, and product. It is in the perception that passion is born and the product is a gift in which we, as observers, engage. With Papergirl Quad Cities, we are offering opportunities in which to engage," stated Ms. Iaccarino.

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. To contact the museum, please call 563.326.7804, or visit our website, www.figgeartmuseum.org.

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Figge Art Museum Celebrates NASA with a Smithsonian Art Exhibition

Davenport, IOWA (July 2012) NASA's historic triumphs and pioneering legacy are well known to millions, but the inspiring rocket launches, moon landings and planetary explorations also have had an impact on the imaginations of America's leading artists. In celebration of the space agency's 50^th anniversary in 2008, the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) presented "NASA | ART 50 Years of Exploration," featuring 72 works from those artists.

"NASA | ART" will be on view at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport, Iowa July 14 through October 7, 2012. The exhibition is organized by SITES and NASA in cooperation with the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.

"NASA | ART" features nearly five decades of creations by artists as diverse as Annie Leibovitz, Nam June Paik, Norman Rockwell, Andy Warhol and William Wegman. Drawn from the collections of NASA and the National Air and Space Museum, the exhibition includes drawings, photographs, sculpture and other art forms and media. These works?ranging from the illustrative to the abstract?offer unparalleled insight into the private and personal moments, triumphant victories and tragic accidents that form the storied history of NASA.

For example, in Henry Caselli's "When Thoughts Turned Inward," the artist captures the serene, almost spiritual moment before takeoff, when an astronaut must prepare mentally for a mission. In Chakaia Booker's "Remembering Columbia," the tragedy and pain of the lost Space Shuttle Columbia and its crew are transformed in the twisting tire remnants preserved from one of the shuttle's earlier missions. And Andy Warhol melds Buzz Aldrin's historic steps on the lunar surface with the unbridled exuberance and flashiness of the 1960s in his neon-highlighted "Moonwalk" silkscreen.

The works featured in the exhibit date from the inception of the NASA Art Program in 1962, when NASA administrator James E. Webb asked a group of artists to illustrate interpret and elucidate the space agency's missions and projects. Since then, painters, musicians and conceptual artists have been with NASA every step of the way, strolling along launch pads, training in flight simulators, talking with engineers and technicians and visiting with astronauts before and after their flights.

The Figge Art Museum will offer a variety of exhibition programs, lectures and tours in conjunction with this exhibition.  Admission to the exhibition is included in the price of admission.

"NASA | ART" at the Figge Art Museum is generously sponsored by the ALCOA Foundation, John Deere and Cobham, plc.

"NASA | ART"  was organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in cooperation with the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. The Smithsonian Community Grant program, funded by MetLife Foundation, is a proud sponsor of "NASA | ART" public programs.

NASA was established by Congress in 1958 "to provide for research into the problems of flight within and outside the Earth's atmosphere, and for other purposes." The agency is headquartered in Washington, D.C., with 10 field centers and other facilities across the nation. NASA's mission is to pioneer the future in space exploration, scientific discovery and aeronautics research. www.nasa.gov

The National Air and Space Museum, composed of the flagship building on the National Mall in Washington and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va., is home to the world's finest collection of flight artifacts. From aircraft and space vehicles to engines, art and models, the wide array of the museum's holdings tells the story of the history and technology of air and space exploration. The museum is also a key resource for research into the history, science and technology of aviation and space flight. www.nasm.si.edu

SITES has been sharing the wealth of Smithsonian collections and research programs with millions of people outside Washington, D.C., for more than 50 years. SITES connects Americans to their shared cultural heritage through a wide range of exhibitions about art, science and history, which are shown wherever people live, work and play.

Companion Exhibitions at the Figge

University of Iowa Space Pioneers: 54 Years of Exploration

July 14-October 7

3rd and 4th floors

The University of Iowa is considered a pioneer of space research and has received international recognition for the development of spaceflight instruments flown on more than 63 successful missions. Included within NASA | ART are spaceflight instruments designed and built at the University of Iowa in the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

Exploring NASA

On selected dates July 14-October 7

Figge exterior and lobby

The Figge will light up the night sky this summer with a one-of-a-kind projection installation. The Hubble Telescope images, local children's drawings of astronauts and rockets, launch sequences and radio telescope images projected in the lobby and on the western exterior of the Figge building in the evening hours are intended to communicate a feeling of optimism about the future and to convey a sense of collective effort and pursuit of knowledge.

STUDIO1 Blast Off!

July 14-October 7

Let your little ones do what NASA did: be inspired by outer space and create! In this interactive family studio, visitors can make projects at hands-on stations like Wonders of Space, Creature Critters from Space, Lunar Lookout, and What Do You Take to the Moon?

Exhibition Programs

"Discovering a Universe Beyond the Cosmic Shore"

Presenter: John D. Johnson, PhD

7 pm Thursday, July 19

"NASA | Art: 50 Years of Exploration"

Presenter: Rima Girnius, PhD

7 pm Thursday, July 26

"Physics 101: The Challenges of Reaching Space"

Presenter: Brett McCarty

7 pm Thursday, August 2

"The History of the Spacesuit"

Presenter: Cathleen S. Lewis, PhD

7 pm Thursday, August 9

Sponsored by KWQC News 6

"How NASA's Space Technology Has Changed the World"

Presenter: Brett McCarty

7 pm Thursday, August 16

"Artists Talk about NASA Art"

Presenters: Amy Nielsen, Ralph Iaccarino, Bruce Walters and

Dawn Wohlford-Metallo

7 pm Thursday, August 23

"How Telescopes Work"

Presenter: Dana Taylor, President of the Quad Cities Astronomical Society

7 pm Thursday, August 30

"Aeronautics and Aerodynamics" and "Robotics 101"

Presenters: Brett McCarty, Michael LeGate, Jon Burgstrum and student members of the QC Elite Robotics Team #648

6 pm & 7 pm Thursday, September 6

"The Shuttle Era Has Ended: A History and Its Meaning"

Presenter: Brett McCarty

7 pm Thursday, September 13

"Wonders of the Heavens"

Presenter: Dana Taylor

7 pm Thursday, October 4

Free Community Event

"3...2...1...BLAST OFF!"

11 am-2 pm Saturday, September 15

Free admission sponsored by John Deere and Butler Insurance

Family Programs

"Roving the Moon: Design Squad Challenge"

11 am-2 pm Saturday, August 4

$20/family of four

NASA engineers have created all-terrain vehicles that can handle the moon's dusty, rugged terrain?can you? We challenge you to design and build a rubber band-powered rover that can scramble across the floor! Space is limited; registration is required. Call 563.326.7804x2045 to register.

"Star Lab Planetarium"

12 pm - 4 pm September 11-15

12 pm - 6 pm September 13

See the changing motions of the night sky in the AEA's Star Lab Planetarium. Located in the Figge Art Museum Studios, this portable planetarium experience is offered in conjunction with the exhibition NASA | ART: 50 Years of Exploration. The Planetarium experience lasts approximately 20 minutes and is suitable to for visitors of all ages.

Film Series

"When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions"

2:30 pm Saturday and Sunday

July 21-October 7

In celebration of NASA's 50th anniversary, the Discovery Channel partnered with NASA to produce "When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions," a miniseries that explores the missions, the people and the triumphs of space exploration. Narrated by Apollo 13 actor Gary Sinise, the series chronicles the inside story of NASA's most epic endeavors. The six one-hour episodes include Ordinary Supermen, Friends and Rivals, Landing the Eagle, The Explorers, The Shuttle, and Home in Space. Check the Figge website for a complete schedule.

Docent Tours

1:30 pm Saturdays, July 21-August 25

1:30 pm Sundays, July 22-October 7

Learn about the accomplishments, setbacks and sheer excitement of space exploration during a 45-minute tour of the exhibition. During your tour, a Figge docent will lead a conversation on how the works included in the exhibition showcase the emotional impact of space exploration.

www.figgeartmuseum.org 

FIGGE ART MUSEUM

Davenport, IA (June 2012) The Board of Trustees of the Figge Art Museum is pleased to announce the appointment Tim Schiffer as the Figge's new Executive Director. He begins his new role August 1, 2012. The selection of Mr. Schiffer to head the museum is the culmination of a national search involving the review of hundreds of candidates, and it reflects the Figge's desire to hire an accomplished leader with a passion and enthusiasm for art and an engaging personality.

"We're really excited that Tim is joining the Figge team.  He has an exceptional track record of success, a unique blend of both management skills and artistic perception and has many wonderful and exciting ideas to lead the Figge Art Museum to new highs.  Tim and his wife are very talented people.  Both the Figge and the Quad Cities will benefit greatly from this addition to our community," said Andy Butler, President of the Figge Board of Trustees.

Mr. Schiffer comes to the Figge from the Museum of Ventura County, a regional history and art museum in Ventura, California, where he has been Executive Director since 1999. In that time he has led a major expansion of the museum's original facility and the creation of a new satellite agriculture museum, and has overseen significant growth in the museum's programs, membership and community support. Prior to becoming Executive Director, he was curator at the Museum for six years, planning dozens of exhibitions and leading the redesign of its long-term history exhibition, funded through grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Mr. Schiffer received his B.A. in Fine Art from Yale and his M.F.A. in Painting from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he was a lecturer in art and gallery director at the College of Creative Studies for eight years. He also managed the west coast studio of Kenneth Noland, an internationally known abstract painter. He has served on the boards of the Ventura Visitors and Convention Bureau, Ganna Walska Lotusland, and the Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum, and has been active in numerous other community groups. In 2011 he received the City of Ventura's Mayor's Arts Award as Arts Leader of the year. Mr. Schiffer is married to Pamela Kendall Schiffer, a professional artist, and they have three grown daughters.

"When we visited the Figge for the first time, Pam and I were amazed by the building and by the collection, and we liked the people we met?they were all so enthusiastic about the museum. I look forward to working with the board and staff and the community to help the Figge achieve its incredible potential. It is a real honor to be chosen for this position," said Mr. Schiffer.

About the Figge Art Museum

The Figge Art Museum, formerly the Davenport Museum of Art, was founded in 1925 as the first regional art museum in Iowa. Since then, the Museum has pursued a community-centered mission, with a focus on programs, exhibitions, and collections that have made the institution an important regional cultural destination. The 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. To contact the museum, please call 563.326.7804, or visit our website, www.figgeartmuseum.org.