Groundbreaking Touring Exhibition Made Possible by a Generous Grant from the Henry Luce Foundation as part of its 75th Anniversary Initiative

Davenport, Iowa (November 10, 2014) - A groundbreaking exhibition originated by the American Folk Art Museum in New York will be making its first stop on a national tour at the Figge Art Museum in downtown Davenport. The exhibition opens this Saturday, November 15.

Self-Taught Genius: Treasures from the American Folk Art Museum features 115 artworks made between the early 18th and 21st centuries, ranging from portraits and needleworks to wooden shop figures and found-object sculptures. All are the compelling, beautifully realized work of self-taught artists which provide a fresh perspective on artistic impulse and our national character.

The exhibition and the national tour of Self-Taught Genius: Treasures from the American Folk Art Museum are made possible by generous funding from the Henry Luce Foundation as part of its 75th anniversary initiative. Dr. Michael Gilligan, president of the Foundation said, "For 75 years, the Henry Luce Foundation has fostered scholarship, innovation, and leadership?also attributes of the American Folk Art Museum. We are proud to sponsor a national tour of their exemplary collection that represents distinctive American creativity."

"This exhibition serves as a landmark," commented Anne-Imelda Radice, Ph.D., Executive Director of the American Folk Art Museum, "by locating the genesis of a field that has grown and become even more complex than ever before, and by clarifying its scope and substance. Self-Taught Genius: Treasures from the American Folk Art Museum provides new insight into the critical role of artists all-too-often overlooked."

Developed and organized by Deputy Director for Curatorial Affairs, Chief Curator, and Director of Exhibitions Stacy C. Hollander and Curator of Art of the Self-Taught and Art Brut Valérie Rousseau, Ph.D., the exhibition highlights the roles of self-taught artists as figures central to the shared history of America whose contributions to the national life and conversation are paramount. The works are by a diverse group of artists and represent more than 50 years of institutional collecting.

Works on view will include : Girl in Red Dress with Cat and Dog, c. 1830-1835, an oil on canvas by Ammi Phillips (1788-1865); The Encyclopedic Palace of the World, c. 1950s, a towering model designed by Marino Auriti (1891-1980) for a new museum meant to hold all of human discovery in every field; Flag Gate, c. 1876, a once-working gate by an unidentified artist to celebrate the nation's centennial, which was a donation to the American Folk Art Museum in 1962 and its first acquisition; a 6'-wide paneled watercolor, and various bound and unbound volumes of the writings of Henry Darger (1892-1973), whose archive was established at the Museum in 2000; an exquisitely stitched Whig Rose and Swag Border Quilt, c. 1850, made by unidentified slaves on the Morton Plantation in Russellville, Kentucky; the monumental Mother Symbolically Represented/The Kathredal, 1936, an ink rendering on rag paper by Achilles Rizzoli (1896-1981), who loved to play with words, and frequently used anagrams, acronyms, and neologisms in his work; works by Morris Hirschfield (1872-1946); Sister Gertrude Morgan (1900-1980); Horace Pippin (1888-1946); Martín Ramírez (1895-1963); Judith Scott (1943-2005); Mary T. Smith (c. 1904-1995); and other artists from many parts of the country, working in such media as drawing, painting, textiles, bones, wood, ceramics and more.

"The Figge Art Museum is honored to have the opportunity to make these American masterworks available to audiences in the Midwest. Our region has a rich tradition of folk arts, from duck decoys to weathervanes, and the exhibition will deepen our understanding and appreciation of our artistic heritage," commented Tim Schiffer, Executive Director.

A fully-illustrated color catalog with essays by the curators, published by the American Folk Art Museum and Marquand Books, will accompany the exhibition, and is available for purchase in the Museum Store.

This exhibition is sponsored locally by John Deere Foundation and Genesis. It is funded in part with a grant from the Iowa Arts Council, a division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Self-Taught Genius will be on view at the Figge through March 15, 2015.

Companion Programming:

Exhibition Opening Reception/Curator Talk

Thursday, November 20

5:30 p.m. Opening Reception

7 p.m. Curator Talk

Stacy Hollander, deputy director for curatorial affairs, chief curator and director of exhibitions at the American Folk Art Museum, will discuss the vision behind Self-Taught Genius and share new discoveries about select artworks in the exhibition.

Exhibition Tours

1:30 p.m. Saturdays

November 22, December 6, 13

1:30 p.m. Sunday, November 23

Musical Tour

7p.m. Thursday, February 12

Listen to the acoustic styling of singer/songwriter Sarah Allner as she performs original songs inspired by five artworks in the Self-Taught Genius exhibition.

Free Family Day

Saturday, February 21

10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Guided Activities

Enjoy hands-on art projects, performances and gallery activities. Free admission all day!

If you buy your own health insurance, add this important date to your yearend to-do list: November 15.

That's the date open enrollment is available for individual healthcare plans offered through the Healthcare.gov site, your respective health insurance marketplace (https://www.healthcare.gov/medicaid-chip/eligibility/) or independent agents in your community.

If you're working for a company that provides your health insurance, chances are your open enrollment period has already begun. The SHOP insurance marketplace, open to small businesses and nonprofits with 50 or fewer full-time employees, also begins taking online applications November 15.

If you buy your own personal or family coverage, don't wait until November 15 to start planning your 2015 coverage decisions - do it now.

Here are six things you should know to get started:

1. Timing is tight. Last year's health insurance enrollment process lasted six months. This year, it's only three - November 15 to February 15. You may be able to enroll outside of those dates if you're facing a major life change like a divorce, birth of a child or marriage; otherwise, that's your window.

2. Sticker shock is a possibility. Obamacare didn't guarantee cheap healthcare coverage; it guaranteed available healthcare coverage. Keep in mind that if you bought health coverage last year, your insurer will automatically re-enroll you on December 15 for new coverage effective January 1. However, that's no guarantee that your monthly premium will stay the same. Some experts are predicting only modest increases (http://www.cnbc.com/id/102055144#.), but depending on where you live, your premiums might go up or down. And if your 2013 carrier grandfathered your 2014 coverage, those changes may go well beyond price.

3. Your doctors and hospitals might change. Hospitals and physician practices scrutinize the state of the health insurance market very closely. Their income depends on it. In 2013, some medical practices made news by dropping insurance plans altogether and accepting only cash or credit; others changed the insurance plans they would honor. Something to keep in mind: the best way to confirm that you'll still have access to your favorite doctor and hospital choice is to pick up the phone. Your doctor's website may list the particular insurance plans his or her practice may accept, but don't expect the list to be current. Call your practitioner or their business office to confirm they're sticking with your plan or any you've chosen to use instead. You don't want to be surprised with enormous out-of-network costs later.

4. Planning future health needs is important. If in the next year you're planning to expand your family, undergo elective surgery or other factors that could affect how you'll use the healthcare system, query the plans about specialists, prescriptions and other specific services before you sign up. It could save you thousands in potential out-of-pocket costs.

5. Coverage isn't immediate. Depending on when you enroll during the open enrollment period, your actual coverage may not start until two to six weeks later. Check effective dates of coverage for every plan you're evaluating to make sure the timing addresses your particular needs.

6. You can get help. Personal referrals from friends and fellow professionals to particular plans and agents are always a good way to start your enrollment search. There may also be nonprofit assistance within your community or state to help you evaluate individual plans. On the national level, nonprofit Enroll America runs a nationwide site (http://www.enrollamerica.org/resources/in-person-assistance/) with specific tools and resources for help in your search.

Start now to build a good toolbox full of online and personal resources to help you with your 2015 health insurance search.

George Jones Tribute

Enjoy a musical journey through the career of country superstar George Jones! Celebrate the Ol' Possum in this all new concert event starring Larry Tobias at Circa '21 in Rock Island on November 13th at 5:45 p.m. and November 14th at 11:45 a.m. Featuring 25 of Jones' greatest songs. www.circa21.com

SouthPark Mall Grand Opening

Make a holiday tradition by spending the day, November 22^nd, in downtown Davenport. Come in from the cold and shop indoors after the Festival of Trees parade at Bucktown Center for the Arts, 225 E. 2nd downtown Davenport. Make sure to check out our tree at Festival of Trees!

Bucktown will be open noon to 4 on Sundays, starting November 23^rd, for your holiday shopping convenience.

Black Friday, November 28^th, escape the crowds and do your shopping at Bucktown Center for the Arts.  The opening reception for the Angels Among Us juried show will be held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Art from a wide variety of talented artists, interpreting the theme "Angels Among Us," will be showcased at Boho Chic, located in Bucktown, through December 31^st.

Free gift wrapping will be available for your purchases.