Federated Music Teacher's Association is holding the 25^th Annual Baroque Competition. The 2008 Baroque Competition Finals will be held at FOSTER FAMILY MUSIC in Bettendorf on SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6. Elementary and Intermediate performances will be in the morning and the senior performance in the afternoon. The competition is open to the public. Refreshments will be served after each age group's competition.

Federated Music Teacher's Association is the local chapter of The National Federation of Music Clubs, an organization designed to promote study and stimulate interest in American and world music literature, and to encourage each participant to reach a high standard of musical achievement. The Baroque Competition was started 25 years ago by Richard Patterson & LaVonna Kiesele Bartlett, members of our local chapter to promote the study of baroque piano music.

Forty-five finalists will be chosen by recorded audition, judged by the University of Iowa pedagogy class under the direction of Dr. Alan Huckleberry. At the finals on December 6th fifteen students in each division will perform two pieces, one from the baroque period and one from a contrasting period of music. Our judge Dr. Rene Lecuona, from the University of Iowa will choose 1^st through 5^th place winners, who will receive trophies, cash and prizes from local sponsors. These are some young, talented, hard-working, local pianists. Let's celebrate and champion their achievements!

A Life in Chiaroscuro is a work of historical fiction, featuring narrator Benjamin Andrews.  When Andrews moved to Milwaukee in 1904 to become editor of a major newspaper, he could not have imagined the path his life would take.  Now, writing from an insane asylum ten years later, Andrews tries to explain, for the final time, his role in a year full of societal intrigue, enduring love, calculated revenge, political scandal, and cold-blooded murder.

Paul-Thomas Ferguson works as an archivist for Vista International Operations and also teaches part-time at St. Ambrose University.  A playwright, poet, and musician, Dr. Ferguson holds a B.A. in European History from Western Illinois University, as well as an M.A. in Medieval History and a Ph.D. in American, Urban, and Middle Eastern History from Marquette University.  A Life in Chiaroscuro is his first novel.

The Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Stores of Iowa announce their twenty-seventh Annual Cent-A-Gallon Day on Wednesday, November 26, 2008.  One-cent out of every gallon of petroleum product, sold on the day before Thanksgiving, by participating marketers, will go to Camp Courageous. 

Camp Courageous of Iowa is a year-round recreation and respite care facility for individuals with disabilities.  Run on donations, over 5,000 campers are served annually.

The tours focus on paintings on the birth of the Christ Child. The tour follows this familiar story from the announcement to Mary that she will bear a Son, to the young boy in His mother's arms.

A tour guide will meet visitors in the main lobby. Holiday cookies and hot beverages will be served after the tour. For more information call 563-326-7804 or visit figgeartmuseum.org.

Free with the price of paid admission or membership.
ADMISSION: $7 adults, $6 seniors (60+), students, educators, $4 Youth (12 & under)

About the Figge Art Museum
The Figge Art Museum actively serves the public by promoting appreciation and creation of visual art through education, and by collecting, conserving and exhibiting art. The museum collection includes more than 3,500 paintings, photographs, sculpture, and works on paper from the 16th century to the present.

During your visit to the museum, we encourage you to explore our expansive galleries, special exhibitions, and the Family Activity Center. For an in-depth experience, we offer a variety of art classes, gallery talks and lectures. Each year, several special events--from film presentations to family days?are held at the museum and expand on the themes of the exhibitions.