(DES MOINES) - Governor Terry Branstad, Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds, Board of Regents President Craig Lang, Homeland Security and Emergency Management Administrator Mark Schouten, and University of Iowa President Sally Mason today released the following statements upon learning of the decision by U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) leadership to reaffirm the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) previous decisions to replace the University of Iowa's Hancher Voxman Clapp and Art Building East facilities.

Governor Branstad and Lt. Governor Reynolds issued the following joint statement: "We are pleased that this long-standing Federal policy dispute has been settled, as resolution was long-overdue. DHS leaders have reaffirmed FEMA's previous commitments to the State and the University of Iowa.  Thankfully, common sense has prevailed. We appreciate the Iowa congressional delegation's active involvement in this issue and FEMA leadership's openness to discuss our concerns throughout their policy dispute with the DHS Office of Inspector General."

Governor Branstad and Lt. Governor Reynolds continued:  "We recently wrote Secretary Napolitano (See the letter) and encouraged other Federal officials via phone to make a final decision before the October meeting of the Board of Regents. It is unfortunate that this Federal bureaucratic squabble dragged-on for so long, but now the University of Iowa can finally move closer to a full recovery from the historic 2008 floods by expediting the replacement of these important facilities."

Board of Regents President Craig Lang stated the following: "We are pleased that the University of Iowa can now move ahead with certainty to replace these damaged buildings.  The support of Iowa's congressional delegation and Governor Branstad has been crucial and we are so thankful for their continued advocacy.  Finally, the leadership and persistence at the University of Iowa has enabled students within the arts to achieve their academic goals under adverse circumstances and within temporary facilities.  The opportunity to replace these facilities is long overdue."

University of Iowa President Sally Mason said: "The students, faculty and staff of the University of Iowa are grateful for the strong and continuous support of our congressional delegation, the Governor, State Legislature and the Board of Regents.  This final action on our replacement buildings clears the way for construction - and we are ready.  Our students and campus can now move forward with certainty that they will have the facilities they need."

Mark Schouten, Administrator of the Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division, stated the following: "I am thankful that FEMA's previous guidance to replace these facilities has been upheld. Replacing these facilities outside of the flood plain is in the best interest of tax payers.  This decision also avoids potentially serious and expensive complications that would have flowed from repairing buildings that have sat vacant for over four years, including mold removal and foundation stabilization measures."

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Davenport, IOWA (October 2012) ? The Figge Art Museum is pleased to present Quilts: Masterworks from the American Folk Art Museum, a special exhibition of 27 priceless quilts from the collection of the American Folk Art Museum (AFAM), opening November 3, 2012, and continuing through February 3, 2013.

Featured will be classic examples of many major quilt types from the beginning of the 19th century to the end of the 20th century, including wholecloth, whitework, pieced, appliqued and album quilts, and a selection of Amish and African American pieces, all drawn from the AFAM's celebrated collection.

As curator Elizabeth V. Warren explains, "The present exhibition highlights the best of the best, quilts that represent the finest examples in a variety of techniques, time periods and regions." The Figge will present an array of public programs and films in conjunction with the exhibition (see below).

The American tradition of quiltmaking dates back to colonial times when English immigrants sewed heavy woolen bedcovers for the New England winters. As a greater variety of fabrics and threads became available, and the practice of sewing bedcovers spread through the nation, quiltmaking evolved into a rich and diverse artistic tradition.

While countless quilts were used and washed into oblivion, many remarkable examples have survived, and are now admired both for their visual beauty and their extraordinary craftsmanship. The quilting tradition?using remnants of fabrics from clothing and other sewing projects, gathering together for the quilting bee, and adorning the bed with the finished quilt?has come to epitomize the domestic side of the "pioneer spirit" in America. Today, quilting is a vibrant art form practiced by an estimated 20 million men and women around the world.

Quilts: Masterworks from the American Folk Art Museum was organized by the American Folk Art Museum, New York.

Associated Programming

Quilters Appreciation Day

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Quilt Appraisals · 10 am-7 pm

Quilt appraiser Janette Dwyer will be available to conduct written and/or verbal appraisals. Each appraisal will take between 30-45 minutes and will cost $40 for a written appraisal (with a monetary value) or $25 for a verbal appraisal. A portion of the proceeds from each appraisal will be used to support Quilts programs. Visitors must schedule their appointment in advance?space is limited. Contact Heather Aaronson to schedule an appointment: haaronson@figgeartmuseum.org or 563.326.7804 x2045.

Warm Up with Quilts · 5-7 pm, Free

Drop in and create family-friendly art activities inspired by Quilts.

"Quilts as Art?or Not" · 7 pm

Presenter: Tim Schiffer

Figge's Executive Director Tim Schiffer will discuss the myriad ways in which we look at quilts?from works of fine art to historical artifacts or crafts?and how quilts reflect the cultural context of the time and place in which they were made.

Quilt Workshop

Saturday, December 1 · 10 am-5 pm

Drop in and create family-friendly art activities inspired by the Quilts exhibition! Free with membership or paid admission.

Celebrating Black History Month

10 am-5 pm Saturday, February 2, 2013

Contemporary and antique African American quilts will be featured in a one-day display in Studio 4.

Quilts: Masterworks from the American

Folk Art Museum Tour · 11 am

Join a Figge docent for a tour of the Quilts exhibition.

Quilting a Community · Noon-2 pm

Figge Studios

Participants will use various materials to design a square for a quilt that will be assembled after the event as a community project.

Quilts Lecture · 2 pm

Presenter: Myrah Green, PhD

Dr. Myrah Green is the Distinguished Lecturer of Art at City College and has taught textile arts for 20 years, as well as all levels of quilt making for more than a decade. Her quilts can be found in many private collections including the Smithsonian's Anacostia Community Museum in Washington, D.C. Dr. Green will be speaking about the Quilts exhibition, as well as her own experiences with quilting, textile arts and the history of African American quilts.

Documentary Film Series

Why Quilts Matter: History, Art & Politics

Sunday, December 2 and Sunday, January 6 · 2:30-4 pm

Ep. 1: Quilts 101?Antique and Contemporary Quilts

Ep. 2: Quilts Bring History Alive

Ep. 3: The Quilt Marketplace

Sunday, December 9 and Sunday, January 13 · 2:30-4 pm

Ep. 4: What is Art?

Ep. 5: Gee's Bend: "The Most Famous Quilts in America"

Ep. 6: How Quilts Have Been Viewed and Collected

Sunday, December 16 and Sunday, January 20 · 2:30-4 pm

Ep. 7: Empowering Women One Quilt at a Time

Ep. 8: Quilt Nation: 20,000,000 and Counting!

Ep. 9: Quilt Scholarship: Romance and Reality

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Davenport, IA (October 2012)- With its strong commitment to art and education, the Figge Art Museum is pleased to announce another installation of its annual exhibition, College Invitational, on display in the Mary Waterman Gildehaus Community Gallery from October 20, 2012 through January 6, 2013. This exhibition celebrates the talents and successes of community art students, as well as the faculties and institutions that support them. Included artworks are selected by professors from the art department at each participating institution and this year's exhibition features 47 works from promising artists at: Augustana College, Black Hawk College, Eastern Iowa Community College, Knox College, Monmouth College, St. Ambrose University and Western Illinois University.

The museum invites interested parties to attend an opening reception on Saturday, October 20 from 2-4 pm. An introduction from the Figge's new Director of Education Melissa Hueting will be followed by commentary from the student artists, college faculty and staff. Light hors d'oeuvres will be served.

The opening reception is free to the public. Photography is allowed in the exhibition.

About the Figge Art Museum

The Figge Art Museum, formerly the Davenport Museum of Art, opened August 6, 2005. The award-winning building designed by architect David Chipperfield holds a collection of approximately 3,500 works that reflect artistic styles and developments from the Renaissance to contemporary art, with particular strengths in American Regionalist, Mexican Colonial, and Haitian art.  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, Sundays 12-5 p.m. and Thursdays 10 a.m.- 9p.m. To contact the museum, please call 563.326.7804, or visit our website, www.figgeartmuseum.org.

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The Muscatine Art Center is pleased to announce the return of artist Steve Gerberich with a new exhibit entitled "Holiday Springs & Sprockets".  Visitors may remember Gerberich's 2010 exhibit at the Muscatine Art Center, "Springs Sprockets & Pulleys" that broke attendance records with his masterful transformation of ordinary objects into inventive and witty mechanical sculpture.

Featuring five large-scale holiday-themed sculptures and installations, Holiday Springs & Sprockets explores scientific principles using everything from teapots to tin cans to fashion a world of blinking lights, moving parts and quirky scenarios. "This industrial strength exhibit will unite the youngest at heart with fond memories of old Americana - kitchen appliances associated with holiday traditions," says Gerberich. With a touch of a button visitors bring to life the whirling motions of assembly line automation. The Cookie Workshop shuttles cookies in and out of the oven while keeping two automatons busy washing loads of dirty dishes. An early 20th century vertical drill press is put to good use creating candy canes in the Candy Cane Assembly Plant, while Santa and his Exercycle Reindeer are propelled across the gallery by exercise bikes.

This holiday-themed installation made its debut at New York's Bloomingdale's and has been featured on The Today Show and NBC Nightly News.

Holiday Springs & Sprockets is on view October 21, 2012 through January 6, 2013. The Friends of the Muscatine Art Center will host a free public reception on Sunday, October 21 from 1 to 5 pm where visitors will meet artist Steve Gerberich and enjoy the exhibit with family and friends.

The Muscatine Art Center is open to the public Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 AM to 5 PM, Thursday from 10 AM to 7 PM and Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 5 PM. Admission is FREE.