DAVENPORT, IOWA (March 24, 2026) — The Quad Cities River Bandits and Figge Art Museum are partnering to celebrate the intersection of baseball, history, and art with the donation of Hank Aaron, a painting by American contemporary artist Preston Sampson.
The work, gifted to the Figge by River Bandits owner Dave Heller and his wife June Heller, will be formally presented during a joint press conference at Modern Woodmen Park on Thursday, March 26, 10AM, before being transferred to the museum for public display.
Located just steps from one another along the Mississippi River, Modern Woodmen Park, and the Figge Art Museum have long been anchors of downtown Davenport. This partnership highlights how two neighboring institutions are working together to strengthen and improve the cultural life of the Quad Cities.
Occurring less than two weeks before the River Bandits’ 2026 home opener, the presentation highlights the shared cultural connections between the region’s ballpark and its art museum.
“I’ve known Preston Sampson for nearly forty years. He’s a true American original — a brilliant and internationally renowned artist celebrated for his dynamic figurative paintings blending vibrant color, rhythmic energy, and cultural storytelling,” said River Bandits owner Dave Heller. “His art is a journey through America’s last half-century, depicted in colorful and impressionistic expression, and we could not be more proud to display his world-class expressionist pieces right here in the Quad Cities, both at Modern Woodmen Park and at the Figge Art Museum.”
With the season’s first swing, this partnership brings together sport, art, and history — honoring athletes whose influence reached far beyond the scoreboard.
Preston Sampson is a contemporary artist focused on vibrant, rhythmic, and narrative-driven work that explores the African American experience, memory, and ancestral guidance. His art is characterized by intense color, symbolic figures in motion, and a commitment to documenting Black history, resilience, and joy. Heavily influenced by Social Realism and social narrative painters such as Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett, Jacob Lawrence, and Reginald Marsh, Sampson emerged in the mid-1980s with works that elegantly merge the figurative with vibrant fluid color palettes, based on themes that depict the dignity and pride of the Black community. The beauty of Sampson’s work is founded upon his mastery of rendering the human form, exceptional ability to capture human emotion, intriguing blending of mixed-media and collage that provides even deeper nuance to his narratives, all in a dynamic, fluid field of warm colors. His paintings capture the deeper meaning of the sport beyond the field of play. Indeed, Sampson’s work not only pays homage to sports, but uses athletics as a metaphor for meritocracy and teamwork. His work highlights athletes not only as competitors, but as figures who shape conversations about identity, sport, and community.
“My intention as an artist is to create an immediate and visceral connection with the viewer,” Sampson said. “I make it a priority to represent the positive aspects of our history as African Americans. Long after we are gone, hopefully, the art will remain as a testament to both our culture and our community.”
The painting donated by Heller and his wife honors baseball legend Hank Aaron, whose record-breaking career and enduring dignity made him one of the most influential figures in American sports history.
Aaron’s early professional career included a formative season in the Midwest with the Eau Claire Bears, where he later recalled finding acceptance and encouragement that helped shape his future.
“Baseball has always been part of the cultural fabric of this region,” said Melissa Mohr, Executive Director and CEO of the Figge Art Museum. “Through Preston Sampson’s portrait, Hank Aaron’s story becomes part of the Figge’s collection and a shared point of reflection for our community. We’re grateful to Dave and June Heller for their generosity and for helping connect the worlds of baseball and art in such a meaningful way.”
After the event, the painting will be transferred to the Figge Art Museum where it will be highlighted in the museum’s Quad City Bank and Trust Grand Lobby, allowing visitors to experience the work immediately upon entering the museum. The painting will also be featured this summer in the Figge’s Learn to Look Gallery as part of the educational exhibition, Summer Pastimes, which explores the role of sport in American visual culture.
To celebrate the partnership, the Figge will offer free museum admission through April 12 to visitors who present a ticket stub or receipt from any game during the River Bandits’ opening series.
About the Figge Art Museum:
The Figge Art Museum is dedicated to bringing art and people together. Located on the Mississippi River in downtown Davenport, the Figge is the premier art exhibition and education facility between Chicago and Des Moines. Its landmark glass building houses a renowned collection, engaging exhibitions, and community-centered programs.
About the River Bandits:
The 2026 season marks the River Bandits’ sixth as the High-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals and 65th as members of the Midwest League. The River Bandits play at Modern Woodmen Park, which was, for the second time in two years and for the third-straight award cycle, named “the Best Minor League Ballpark in America” by USA Today/10Best in 2025. In 2021, the River Bandits became the first team in Midwest League history to win four championships in ten seasons (2011, 2013, 2015, and 2021) and were named Ballpark Digest’s Minor League Baseball Team of the Year. In 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2023 the River Bandits earned Ballpark Digest’s award for “Best Charitable Works” in Minor League Baseball, the only club to win that coveted award four times.
