DAVENPORT, IOWA (October 14, 2019) — A Quad-City favorite returns to the Figge Art Museum this fall. Artist Rose Frantzen’s nationally-celebrated Portrait of Maquoketa will be on view in the Figge’s third-floor gallery beginning Saturday, October 19.
Acquired for the Figge’s permanent collection in 2015, Portrait of Maquoketa is a large-scale painting installation that combines an amazing 315 square-foot landscape of the town on 34 individually-suspended panels. The panels are hung in such a way that when viewed from one location, they combine to create a 3-dimensional panoramic view of Maquoketa as seen from a hilltop outside of the town. On the other side of the landscape hangs 180 12x12" oil portraits of Maquoketa, Iowa residents who posed for Frantzen between July 2005-July 2006. The portrait sittings were free and open to any resident willing to have their portrait painted. The sitters range in age from 4 weeks to 99 years old!
Frantzen’s installation will be joined by a wonderful suite of illustrations for a new children’s book — The Storytelling Tree — by artist and Rose’s partner Chuck Morris. Just as Portrait of Maquoketa reminds us of the importance of family and community, The Storytelling Tree tells the story of a young girl’s special bond with her father, the owner of a small bookstore and writer of magical stories. Through his enchanting story and playfully-surreal imagery, Morris’s reminds us of the boundless worlds we can experience through reading.
A special limited run first edition of The Storytelling Tree will be available in the Figge’s Museum Store.
Sponsored by Cal and Jill Werner, Don A and Connie Decker, Ohnward Bank Shares Inc/The Ohnward Foundation, Portrait of Maquoketa & The Storytelling Tree will be on view through February 2, 2020.
Companion Programs:
Artist Talk: Chuck Morris and Rose Frantzen
Thursday, October 24
4PM Happy hour menu / cash bar
6:30PM Talk
Artists Chuck Morris and Rose Frantzen will discuss Morris's process and development of The Storytelling Tree, on display alongside Frantzen's Portrait of Maquoketa.
Collection and Exhibition Highlights Tours
1:30PM Saturday, October 26, November 9, and December 7 and 14
1:30PM Sunday, October 20, November 3, 17, and December 1
Members-only tours 1:30PM, Friday, December 6, Sunday, December 8, and Tuesday, December 10
Free Family Day
10AM-1PM Saturday, November 23
Admission is free all day. Radar, the mascot from the Quad City Storm, will be making an appearance!
Sponsored by Quad-City Times and Wells Fargo
About the Figge Art Museum:
The Figge Art Museum is located on the Mississippi River in downtown Davenport at 225 West Second Street. Hours are 10 AM-5PM, Tuesday through Saturday and Sunday, noon-5PM. Thursdays the museum is open until 9PM. Admission to the museum and tour is $10 for adults, $6 for seniors and students with ID, and $4 children ages 4-12. Admission is free to Figge members and institutional members, and always free to all on Thursday evenings, 5-9PM. The Figge Café is open, 11AM-2PM, Tuesday-Friday. To contact the museum, please call 563.326.7804, or visit www.figgeartmuseum.org.
