Davenport, IOWA (May 2012) In celebration of National Bike Month, the Figge has re-installed Lance Armstrong, a photograph by famed photographer Annie Leibovitz.  The photo, taken in 1999, depicts the seven time Tour de France champion nude on his bike riding through rain.  The photo is on view in the museum lobby and there is no admission fee to view the work.  The museum encourages bikers on the Mississippi waterfront trail to make a stop at the Figge a part of their ride. A bike rack is available on the east side of the Figge Plaza on 2nd Street.

 

This installation is offered in partnership with Bicycle Friendly Quad Cities and Bike Month. To learn more about Bicycle Friendly Quad Cities and Bike Month activities, visit www.qcbikemonth.com.

 

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 9pm. To contact the museum, please call 563.326.7804, or visit our website, www.figgeartmuseum.org.

Davenport, IOWA (May 2012). David Plowden's Iowa will open at the Figge Art Museum on Saturday, May 12 and run through August 19, 2012.   The product of a collaboration between Humanities Iowa, the Figge and several other museums in the state, the exhibition features over fifty black and white photographs that showcase familiar as well as never seen images of Plowden's beloved Iowa.

 

Iowa has been a subject of David Plowden's photography since 1983 when a commission by Smithsonian magazine to photograph corn first introduced the native of the East Coast to Iowa. Since this initial visit, Plowden has returned to Iowa time and again, seeking to convey his impressions and experience of Iowa as a uniquely American "place."

 

"The notion that home is a place integral to a person's sense of self is not a novel concept. Identifying a geographic region as the Middle-West or the heartland implies that it is a place central to a country's identity - the very heart of America. In Plowden's own words, it is not possible to understand America without a visit to the Midwest," says Figge Associate Curator Rima Girnius.

 

Mr. Plowden will be featured in at 7pm Art Talk at the Figge on Thursday, May 17.  During the Art Talk, Associate Curator Rima Girnius will interview Mr. Plowden about his long career, and his photographs on display in David Plowden's Iowa.  The Figge will host a public reception for the exhibition prior to Mr. Plowden's talk.  The reception begins at 6pm.  The reception and Art Talk are free with membership or paid admission.

 

The Figge Art Museum is located on the riverfront in Davenport at 225 West Second Street. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, Sundays 12-5 p.m. and Thursdays 10 a.m.-9 p.m. To contact the museum, please call 563.326.7804, or visit our website, www.figgeartmuseum.org.

 

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The Figge Art Museum is opening its new Artica Gallery on Saturday, February 25th, at 2 pm. A formal program in the auditorium will honor all project participants, followed by a ribbon cutting. Light refreshments will be served. The installation was made possible with support from the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust.

 

Artica helps visitors discover where artists find inspiration, how artists use their imagination to be creative, and how artists express their ideas. Artica also encourages visitors to look, imagine, and create. Five images from the Figge's permanent collection, reproduced in vinyl, serve as the inspiration for the displays and hands-on activities. "Artica Guides" offer tips for parents and caregivers on what to talk about with children when viewing the five works of art.

 

Activities are designed for children, but many activities can be adapted to visitors of all ages. A brief description of each station is listed below:

 

Station 1:  Artists challenge us to see the world differently.

A linoleum print of a woman's face by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso is the inspiration for the drawing activities at this station. To learn about the relief printmaking process, watch the 7-minute video featuring St. Ambrose University Art professor Joseph Lappie demonstrating how a multi-colored linoleum print is made. The film was produced by Matt Carroll, a professor in the Communications Department at St. Ambrose University. Self-portraits drawn by students who attend elementary schools in Bettendorf, Davenport, Geneseo, Moline, and Pleasant Valley are sprinkled throughout the gallery.

 

Station 2: Artists express what we feel.

Why are penguins vacationing in the Caribbean? After viewing this humorous picture painted by Haitian artist Jasmin Joseph, make your own penguin finger puppet or draw a picture of your favorite animal playing a musical instrument. Colorful pictures depicting animals playing musical instruments drawn by students who attend elementary schools in Bettendorf, Davenport, Geneseo, Moline, and Pleasant Valley will serve as inspiration.

 

Station 3: Artists make the ordinary extraordinary.

How could an artist transform a simple chair into a throne? One Haitian painter did just that by embellishing it with painted designs and flowers. After viewing this colorful work, try making your own miniature chair using a variety of materials.

 

Station 4: Artists engage our imagination.

The colorful "gingerbread" houses that were constructed in Haiti around the turn of the 20th century are characterized by bright colors, tall ceilings, decorative latticework, and wrap-around porches. After viewing this imaginative painting, construct your own "gingerbread" house using the provided template. Colorful blocks and Legos are also available for aspiring young architects.

 

Station 5: Artists play with line, shape and color.

The Spanish artist Joan Miró created playful images using expressive lines, unique shapes, and bright colors. Experiment with color using the large wall board or the computer software programs.

 

The Artica Gallery also includes picture books that help teach children about the Artica concepts of inspiration, imagination, and expression.

 

Leanne Paetz of Pederson Paetz, Omaha, designed the Artica Gallery. The palette of cool colors including aqua, blue, and green was inspired by the colors in the painting of the penguins described above. The playful font and design elements create a lively, animated space that will appeal to children and those young at heart.

 

Admission to the reception is $10 per families. Admission is free to Figge members and institutional members. The Artica Gallery is open during regular museum hours and is free with admission or membership.

 

For information about museum programs, visit the Figge website at www.figgeart.org.

 

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(Davenport, IA) - Thursdays at the Figge is back for another season of fun, food, music and art talks. The season opener on February 2 celebrates the exhibition Fins and Feathers: Children's Book Illustrations from The Eric Carle Museum of Art. Populated by an array of dazzling animals both real and imaginary, Fins and Feathers introduces viewers of all ages to memorable creatures from children's literature. The community is invited to an exhibition reception with complimentary appetizers and a cash bar at 6pm in the Figge Reading Room.  Rima Girnius, Figge associate curator, will lead an art talk about the exhibition at 7 pm.

 

Each Thursdays at the Figge in February will feature a 7pm art talk on a different subject.  On Thursday, February 9, Western Illinois University professor Jo-Ann Morgan will present the talk "Illustrating Uncle Tom, Topsy, and Little Eva: How Children Learned About 'Race' and 'Place.'" Professor Morgan will review illustrations of the main characters in Uncle Tom's Cabin, and will take a look at other children's books in which black children and white children interact, in order to consider how these portrayals may have impacted young reader's understanding of racial relations in the nineteenth century and since.  This art talk is offered in conjunction with Black History Month.

 

Myriam Stangherlin will present a program on Italy on Thursday, February 16 at 7pm.  Myriam's program, "Italian: The Language of Love," will use pictures of Venice, Florence, Rome, Naples and other "art" cities in Italy to introduce visitors to the beautiful language.  This program is an introduction to the five-week Italian language course Myriam will teach at the Figge beginning Wednesday, March 7.

 

"The Life and Times of Edward M. Catich" will be the topic of the art talk on Thursday, February 23.  Father Catich has an international reputation as a calligrapher and scholar.  In addition to being an artist in various media, Catich was also an accomplished musician.  The presenter, Paul Herrera, was a student, apprentice and friend of Father Catich, and he also worked with him at St Ambrose University. This talk is offered in conjunction with the many calligraphy workshops offered at the Figge this winter and spring.

 

Thursdays at the Figge programming in February also include live music by Lewis Knudson. The café and bar open at 5 pm for dinner and drinks and the museum is open until 9 pm. All programs, including the exhibition reception, are included with admission to the museum and all seniors receive free admission the first Thursday of each month.

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Davenport, Iowa - November 2011 - College students looking to be immersed in French culture will find just that at the Figge Art Museum's annual College Night.  As an extension of the current exhibition, Turn of the Century Posters from the Krannert Art Museum Collection, which features works from French artists, "Paris When it Sizzles" will be a night full of engaging French-themed activities and ambiance. The event is co-sponsored with the University of Iowa Museum of Art and hosted by Western Illinois University Museum Studies students.

On Thursday, November 17 from 7-10 p.m. students, faculty and staff from any college or university will be welcome to the museum for free. Guests will be greeted by student volunteers from Western Illinois University dressed in period costumes. Guests can participate in "Cabaret Karaoke" presented by ABC Karaoke, printmaking demonstrations in the studios and various creativity challenges.

"The Naughty Tour" of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec's posters featured in the Turn of the Century Posters exhibition will show guests the wild history surrounding the artist and his subjects.  Visitors can also check out "Paris, Je T'Aime," numerous film shorts about life in the City of Love. Truffles, crêpes and other French treats will be served throughout the night to guests completing a scavenger hunt. The museum café will also be open, serving delicious croque-monsieur and croque-madame sandwiches, in addition to other menu items.

In addition the current exhibition, the 2011 College Invitational will be on view in the Mary Waterman Gildehaus Community Gallery. Over 40 works from area college students will be featured in the exhibition covering a variety of mediums, including book arts, drawing, painting, photography, and video.  This exhibition will be on view until December 31, 2011.

The Figge Art Museum is located on the riverfront in Downtown Davenport at 225 West Second Street. Hours are from 10 am to 5 pm, Tuesday through Saturday, Sundays noon to 5 pm and Thursdays 10 am to 9 pm.  To contact the museum, please call 563-326-7804, or visit www.figgeartmuseum.org.

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(Davenport, Iowa - October, 2011) On November 10, the Figge will host an event to celebrate the exhibition Restoring the Spirit: Celebrating Haitian Art which features art work that vividly portrays Haitian culture and history.  The Figge is partnering with Kids Against Hunger Your Quad-Cities to bag lifesaving food which will be delivered to Haiti.

Kids Against Hunger is an international food relief organization working to save the lives of starving people. The local chapter has provided over 700,000 meals to starving people in Haiti, Honduras, and Nicaragua, many of whom suffer from malnutrition and resort to eating mud cakes to stave off the hunger.  In addition, they have provided nearly 65,000 meals to hungry people in the Quad Cities. The bagged meals, made up of rice, soy, six vegetables and twenty-one vitamins and minerals, provide a nutritionally complete meal and cost $0.25 per meal.

The Figge is seeking over 100 volunteers to help bag food from 5pm to 6pm on November 10.  Families and children are encouraged to participate.  Suggested free will cash donations of $20 will be accepted to help cover the cost of these meals.  For a fee of $360, teams of 12 volunteers can sign up to create 1440 meals in an hour.  There will be a brief program at 5pm with remarks by John Kessler of Kids Against Hunger your Quad Cities.

At 7pm, Figge friend and Rock Island psychologist Dr. Ralph Saintfort will present a talk, "The Earthquake in Haiti and Its Aftermath." Dr. Saintfort has been a clinical volunteer with Konbit Sante Cap-Haitian Health Partnership since 2003. He was born in Haiti and lived there with his family until he was 14. This talk is offered in conjunction with the special exhibition Restoring the Spirit: Celebrating Haitian Art.

 

To volunteer at this event, please contact Jennifer Brooke at the Figge Art Museum 563.326.7804x2048 or j.brooke@figgeartmuseum.org

This event is sponsored by the Figge Art Museum, the Scott County Medical Association, the Rock Island Medical Association and the Rock Island Medical Alliance.

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The Figge Art Museum is hosting a lecture entitled "Art, Urbanism, and the Parisian Experience: An Introduction" at 2:30 pm Sunday, October 16. The lecture, presented by Dr. Heidi E. Kraus, will serve as an introduction to a four-week seminar on Paris and French art to be held next at the Figge next spring.  In addition to a broad overview of major sites, monuments, and works of art, attention will also be focused on various aspects of Parisian life, including restaurants and cafés, shopping, education, and understanding cultural differences. The October 16 lecture and spring semester seminar are offered in conjunction with the Figge's member trip to Paris April 10-19, 2012.

Dr. Heidi E. Kraus received her Ph.D. in Art History from The University of Iowa in 2010, where she specialized in Eighteenth- and Nineteenth-Century French art.  Currently Dr. Kraus is the Postdoctoral Research Fellow at The University of Iowa Museum of Art and is co-curator of "Napoleon and the Art of Propaganda," an exhibition opening at the University of Iowa Museum of Art in October 2012.

Admission to the museum and tour is $7. Admission is free to Figge members and institutional members.

For information about museum programs, including the Figge Member trip to Paris, please visit the Figge website at www.figgeart.org.

 

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Davenport, Iowa - October 2011 - The Figge Art Museum will host an informational meeting about the Brand Boeshaar Scholarship at 6 pm Thursday, October 6. The Brand Boeshaar Foundation awards four scholarships annually to graduating high school seniors who wish to earn a degree in Fine Art, Graphic Design or Art Education. Students enrolled in schools in the museum's service area in eastern Iowa and western Illinois are eligible. Each scholarship award is $12,000. Since the establishment of this scholarship in 2000, the Brand Boeshaar Foundation has awarded $576,000 in scholarship money to 48 students. The Figge Art Museum manages the scholarship program, and the scholarship is administered by the Community Foundation of the Great River Bend. The scholarship was established by Lillian L. Brand in honor of her nephew William Brand Boeshaar, who studied art at St. Ambrose University.

At 7 pm, artist James Bray will show animated film shorts. Mr. Bray is a recent graduate of the Kansas City Art Institute and one of the 2007 Brand Boeshaar Scholarship recipients. Both the scholarship meeting and the film presentation is free to high school students and their parents, and high school teachers.

For a 2012 Brand Boeshaar Scholarship application and a list of eligible schools, please visit www.figgeartmuseum.org. For information, please contact Ann Marie Hayes-Hawkinson at 563.326.7804 x7887.

The Figge Art Museum is located on the riverfront in Downtown Davenport at 225 West Second Street. Hours are from 10 am to 5 pm, Tuesday through Saturday, Sundays noon to 5 pm and Thursdays 10 am to 9 pm.  To contact the museum, please call 563-326-7804, or visit www.figgeartmuseum.org.

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Davenport, Iowa - September 2011 - Coming to the Figge this fall is "W(h)ine & Art." Held on the first Thursday of the month, this two hour studio activity will provide a relaxed, creative outlet without the pressure of a committed class schedule. Each month will feature a different artistic project taught by local Quad Cities artists.  Participants can learn painting, sculpture, printmaking and more while enjoying a glass of wine and light hors d'oeuvres. The first "W(h)ine & Art" program is Thursday, October 1 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and the project will be printmaking. Come be a part of the casual conversation and creative atmosphere. Each program is $15 per person. The price includes wine, hors d'oeuvres and art materials.

To preregister or for additional information about this program, please contact Heather at haaronson@figgeartmuseum.org or 563-326-7804 ext. 2045.

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, Sundays noon to 5 p.m. and Thursdays 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.  To contact the museum, please call 563-326-7804, or visit www.figgeartmuseum.org.

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Installation of Plastic Debris Sculptures Opens Saturday

Davenport, Iowa - September 2011 - Environmental recovery is an issue that begins with pollution and affects each person. For some, it is a subject for inspiration. Brooklyn-based artist, Aurora Robson, uses pollution as a vehicle to communicate her nightmares, while converting the negative into something positive. She creates large scale sculptures from plastic bags, bottle caps and similarly discarded materials and shapes them into masses, composed of unique forms. Each sculpture in Everything, All at Once, Forever is unique, and when placed together, acts as visual commentary on the movement of artists against pollutants. The relayed messages of good growing from bad, light sprouting from darkness and new ideas stemming from old challenges are strong, yet poetic. In her own words, "in nature, everything occurs at once, always" and change is constant: what is negative and dark has the potential to become positive and light.

Robson's work shines a light on a growing theme in contemporary art circles. Environmental awareness and problem-solving has impacted the art community just as it has the science community. It's a topic that students are learning more about in schools, which gives this installation another facet of purpose at the Figge. The exhibition is an educational example of the power of art, as well as a thought-provoking ensemble reflecting passionate creativity.

The exhibition Everything, All at Once, Forever opens on September 24 and will be on view until January 14, 2012. The installation pieces will supplement Up Drop, a piece that the Figge has on loan from Gallery 212 in Denver. The exhibition will be located in the Orientation Gallery on the first floor.

Everything, All at Once, Forever is sponsored by Iowa American Water.

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, Sundays noon to 5 p.m. and Thursdays 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.  To contact the museum, please call 563.326.7804, or visit www.figgeartmuseum.org.

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