Love, Loss and What I Sang 

City Circle Acting Company of Coralville presents an evening celebrating the songs that etch their place in the fabric of who we are.  Love, Loss and What I Sang will be performed on Friday, February 7 at 7:30pm and 10pm at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts, 1301 - 5th Street in Coralville.

Says co-director Patrick Du Laney, "We mark the events of our lives by the songs we listen to. What was playing when you met The One?  When he broke your heart, what did you listen to over and over? What did you dance to at your wedding?  These are songs and stories from the heart."  Local performers will share their true stories and the songs that are meaningful to them.

The performance, directed by Patrick Du Laney and Christopher Okiishi, features Kristen Behrendt DeGrazia, Krista Neumann, Colin Nies, Okiishi, Du Laney, Robyn Calhoun, Drew Bielinski, Ellen Stevenson, Mary Rinderspacher, Ramya Hipp, Josh Sazon, Kevin Burford, and more.  Co-director Okiishi says, "It's always a joy to have the opportunity to work with some of our best local performers.  We had so much fun with our December Holiday Cabaret performances, and such great response from the audiences, that we decided to do a similar event, though this time with a theme of songs that touch the heart.  The title of our musical evening references the next week's main stage production of Love, Loss, and What I Wore."

City Circle is also presenting Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron's play Love, Loss, and What I Wore February 14-16.  That play presents stories of women's lives told through clothing and accessories.

Tickets for Love, Loss, and What I Sang are $10 and available online at coralvillearts.org, by phone at 319.248.9370, and in person at the CCPA box office and Coralville Recreation Center,1506 8^th Street.  Tickets for Love, Loss and What I Wore range from $12-$27 and are available in the same locations.

 ###

Davenport, Iowa (January 29, 2014) - For the second year in a row, the Mississippi Valley Quilters Guild (MVQG) is partnering with the Figge Art Museum for an exhibition of quilts that will be on display in the lobby. MVQG: Encore will begin Tuesday, February 4 and run through Sunday, February 9.

The exhibition features a selection of quilts by MVQG members and showcases the talent and remarkable skills of these area quilters. Last year's show was held in conjunction with Quilts: Masterworks from the American Folk Art Museum. This year it will be the only quilt-themed exhibition on view.

"It's a win, win," according to Director of Education Melissa Mohr. "The Figge experienced an increase in attendance during last year's MVQG show, which demonstrates how much this community supports quilting as an art form, and we're glad we can continue to celebrate area talent in this way. Doing this exhibition every year in the Lobby is a good way for us to stay connected with the quilting community, especially during years when we don't have a large quilt exhibition on display."

In conjunction with MVQG: Encore, the Figge will conduct a "People's Choice" competition, in which visitors are welcome to vote for their favorite quilt. Voting will occur onsite until 6 p.m. on Thursday, February 6. The winner will be announced that evening before an Art-Quilting Talk scheduled for 7 p.m. A quilt raffle will also be taking place throughout the week and quilt appraisals will be available by appointment only from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Thursday, February 6.

The exhibition is free with paid admission or membership and free after 5 p.m. on Thursday, February 6.

Companion Programming:

Thursday, February 6
9 a.m.-5 p.m. Quilt Appraisals (appointment required)*

Janette Dwyer, professional quilt appraiser and lecturer, will be available all day Thursday to perform quilt appraisals in the Dining Room. Contact Heather at haaronson@figgeartmuseum.org or call 563.345.6630 to schedule an appointment.

Thursday, February 6
7 p.m. Art-Quilting Talk
Art quilters Rosalie Baker and Colleen Curry will present two stylistic perspectives on art-quilting in the Auditorium. Curry will focus on new quilting techniques, while Baker will demonstrate the process she uses when creating her award-winning pictorial quilts. Both speakers are members of Professional Art Quilt Alliance (PAQA).

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 and free to all on Thursday evenings from 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. To contact the museum, please call 563.326.7804, or visit www.figgeartmuseum.org.

-end-

WASHINGTON?The ASPCA^® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals^®) today applauds the U.S. House of Representatives for passing a provision to crack down on animal fighting in the Farm Bill conference report.  This provision will make attending an animal fight a federal offense and criminalize bringing a child to an animal fight. This version of the bill also excludes the dangerous King Amendment, which would have had potentially devastating impacts for state animal protection laws across the country. The Farm Bill conference report must now be passed by the Senate before being presented to the president for his signature.

"Animal fighting and those who fuel this horrific form of cruelty will not be tolerated in our society," said Nancy Perry, senior vice president of ASPCA Government Relations. "Children need protection from the dangerous culture of animal fighting, as well as its associated illegal activities such as drugs, weapons and gambling. The ASPCA applauds the House for passing this measure as part of the Farm Bill to combat animal fighting and protect public safety."

The provision included in the Farm Bill will strengthen federal animal fighting laws by making attending an animal fight a federal offense as well as imposing penalties for bringing a child to an animal fight. This provision is similar to the Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act (S. 666 / H.R. 366), standalone legislation with strong bipartisan support in both chambers.

"In addition to strengthening laws against animal fighting," Perry added, "with this Farm Bill, Congress rejects the King Amendment, an incredible federal power-grab that could have prevented states from passing their own laws to protect animals.  The ASPCA thanks our leaders in Congress for standing up for animals and states' rights."

The King Amendment, introduced by Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), would have gutted state animal cruelty laws across the country and prevented states from passing their own laws regarding the production of "agricultural products"?a term so sweeping it could have included farm animals, dogs in puppy mills, and many other commercial enterprises involving animals. As a result, improved humane standards and animal welfare laws at the state level would have been negated.

For more information on the ASPCA and to join the ASPCA Advocacy Brigade, please visit www.aspca.org.

About the ASPCA®
Founded in 1866, the ASPCA^® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals^®) is the first animal welfare organization in North America and serves as the nation's leading voice for animals. More than two million supporters strong, the ASPCA's mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. As a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA is a national leader in the areas of anti-cruelty, community outreach and animal health services. For more information, please visit www.ASPCA.org, and be sure to follow the ASPCA on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

###

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack released the following statement after the House of Representatives passed a five-year, bipartisan farm bill.  Loebsack has been fighting for over two years to get a long term, comprehensive farm bill passed in order to give Iowa farmers and rural communities the stability they need. Loebsack led the fight to ensure the bill would include robust funding for the Energy Title, which gives farmers and rural small businesses the ability to continue to create jobs and grow the rural economy in a value-added and sustainable way. The bill now heads to the Senate for their consideration.

"This day is more than two years overdue. I am pleased that the Farm Bill finally got to this point, but the fact it took so long is another black eye for Congress. Farmers across Iowa and the nation have been waiting for this new legislation to provide the stability they need and deserve to be able to plant crops, raise livestock, and make investments that create jobs with certainty.

"While this legislation does take steps in the right direction, in the true form of compromise, not everyone got what they wanted. I am pleased that this farm bill includes a robust investment in the Energy Title so we can continue to create good jobs, provides strong crop insurance options, and found an agreeable path forward on SNAP assistance. This bill also contains other much needed reforms along with lowering the deficit."

"I urge the Senate to take up this legislation quickly so it can be sent to the President and signed into law."