Davenport, IOWA (July 2012) The Figge Art Museum's upcoming exhibition, NASA | ART: 50 Years of Exploration, features a companion display of spaceflight instruments and models designed and built at the Department of Physics and Astronomy in the University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

The department led investigations of the upper atmosphere and magnetosphere under the direction of James Van Allen, and UI scientists since have built instruments flown on more than 60 space missions. Faculty members Mary Hall Reno and Kathy Kurth, along with UI Libraries Special Collections and Archives, were eager to help coordinate the display. "These historic instruments aren't normally available for people to walk in and view," notes Kurth. "We're grateful for the chance to make them accessible to the public."

"We're always trying to find ways to collaborate with other institutions," says Rima Girnius, associate curator for the Figge. "And since the University of Iowa has always been at the forefront of space research, we couldn't pass up this opportunity."

Alongside 72 paintings, drawings, photographs, and sculptures by such artists as Annie Leibovitz, Norman Rockwell, Andy Warhol, and Jamie Wyeth, visitors to the museum can view 11 spaceflight instruments associated with the missions referenced by the art.

The UI instruments include a spare Rockoon (a rocket-borne instrument launched by Van Allen in 1953); a spare of the UI instrument flown on the first successful U.S. satellite, Explorer 1; a spare of the UI-built Hawkeye satellite; and models of the currently operating Juno and Cassini spacecraft.

Exhibiting the spaceflight instruments alongside the artwork they made possible reinforces, says Girnius, "the connection between science and art." The exhibition will also feature a music production by the Kronos Quartet based on sounds of space gathered by Don Gurnett, UI professor of physics and astronomy.

The exhibitions will run from July 14 to October 7. For more information and a schedule of accompanying events and activities, visit www.figgeartmuseum.org.

About NASA | ART: 50 Years of Exploration 

In celebration of its 50th anniversary in 2008, NASA collaborated with the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum on the exhibition NASA | ART: 50 Years of Exploration. Drawn from the collections of NASA and the National Air and Space Museum, the exhibition features 72 works of art commissioned by the NASA Art Program. Established soon after the inception of the U.S. space program in 1958, NASA's Art Program provides a unique way to communicate the accomplishments, setbacks, and sheer excitement of space exploration to the public. The selected works span the entire history of NASA and include paintings, drawings, photographs, sculptures, and other media by such artists as Annie Leibovitz, Nam June Paik, Robert Rauschenberg, Norman Rockwell, Andy Warhol, William Wegman, and Jamie Wyeth.

NASA | ART at the Figge Art Museum is generously sponsored by the ALCOA Foundation, John Deere, Genesis Health Systems and Cobham, plc.

NASA | ART was organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in cooperation with the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. The Smithsonian Community Grant program, funded by MetLife Foundation, is a proud sponsor of "NASA | ART" public programs.

STORY SOURCE: Iowa Now, News from the University of Iowa; Figge Art Museum

WHAT: Engineering Kids Day Camp 

WHEN: July 30 (Grades 2-3) July 31, August 1, or August 2 (Grades 4-6).  

WHERE: Putnam Museum 

COST: $35, includes activities, lunch and a t-shirt! 

DAVENPORT - Engineering Kids Day Camp is back by popular demand! We have added an extra day to ensure everyone has the best engineering experience possible. This camp is an exciting, engaging experience for your young engineer. Fun, imaginative sessions including LEGO robotics and the opportunity to create and learn side by side with engineering students from Iowa State University and Quad City Professional Engineers!

Fee: $35: includes activities, lunch and a t-shirt. Choose one-day; July 30 (Grades 2-3) July 31, August 1, or August 2 (Grades 4-6). Space is limited - sign up today! Register now at www.putnam.org/summercamps or call 563-324-1054 ext. 266!

This program is a partnership sponsored by the Putnam Museum, Quad City Engineering and Science Council, and Iowa State University College of Engineering.

Music lovers and blues enthusiasts alike will revel in the live performances on Brucemore's First Avenue lawn at the 19th annual Bluesmore on Saturday, August 4 from 4:00 to 9:30 p.m. Presented by Brucemore and the Linn County Blues Society, Bluesmore will feature Janiva Magness, The Chris Beard Band, and BF Burt and the Instigators.  Cedar Rapids Bank and Trust sponsors Bluesmore 2012. Home Town Restyling sponsors the Back Porch Stage. The co-media sponsors are The Gazette and KCRG-TV9.

Janiva Magness, a charismatic performer known for her electrifying shows, is among the premier blues and R&B singers in the world today. Her voice possesses an earthy, raw honesty and beauty born from her life experience. As a teenager, Janiva discovered her musical calling at an Otis Rush show. She formed her first band in 1985, Janiva Magness and the Mojomatics. She released a series of Indy albums before making her major label debut, What Love Will Do, on Alligator Records in 2008. Janiva has given her heart and soul to the blues during her nearly 30-year career, but the award-winning singer has reached a whole new level of intimacy in her recently released tenth studio album, Stronger for It. A gusty and dynamic musical powerhouse, Janiva has received a total of 17 Blues Music Award nominations to date. In 2009, she received the coveted Blues Music Award for B.B. King Entertainer Of The Year?only the second woman to ever win this award?and Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year for the third time.

Chris Beard, "The Prince of Blues," is a modern blues guitarist and singer like few others. His assertive voice and exciting guitar are a seamless combination of traditional blues with a contemporary edge. Born in 1957, Chris is the son of Joe Beard, a blues guitarist who grew up on Beale Street in the 1950s before moving to Rochester, New York. When family friends like Matt "Guitar" Murphy and Buddy Guy stopped by, young Chris became their willing pupil.?After years of playing the clubs in and around Rochester, Chris was offered the opportunity to record. In 1998, he released his debut record, Barwalkin', and earned a W.C. Handy nomination as Best New Blues Artist.

BF Burt and the Instigators have been touring the Midwest for over a decade with what they call "American Music," a mix of American blues, rock, soul, and funk. The band met in Iowa City at the Yacht Club's Monday night Blues Jam and formed a four piece group of drums, bass, guitar, harmonica, and vocals. They have had the opportunity to observe, work with, interview, and perform with blues legends like Koko Taylor, B.B.King, David "Honeyboy" Edwards, Robert Jr. Lockwood, Albert Collins, Luther Allison, and many more. From local "battle of the bands" and Iowa Blues Challenge winners, the Instigators have won numerous awards. They have been featured at the Top 25 Unsigned Blues Band Competition and the International Blues Band Contest.

Advance Bluesmore tickets are $13 per adult and $12 per student or Brucemore/Linn County Blues Society member. All tickets are $15 at the gate - no discounts are available the day of the event. Children age 10 and under are free when accompanied by an adult.  Advance tickets must be purchased by August 3 and are available through Brucemore by calling (319) 362-7375, by visiting www.brucemore.org, or at the following outlets: Brewed Awakenings, Chappy's Safari Lounge, Checkers Tavern, Music Loft, Guitar Center, J.M. O'Malley's, The Longbranch Hotel, Music-Go-Round, Parlor City Pub and Eatery, and West Music (Cedar Rapids). Tickets are non-refundable.

Gates open at 3:00 p.m. Bands will perform from 4:00 to 9:30 p.m. on the First Avenue lawn at Brucemore, 2160 Linden Drive SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. No on-site parking is available except handicap parking by entering on Dows Lane. No pets, coolers, or outside food is allowed during the event. Food and beverage vendors are available on-site, including the Jaycees beer tent. For further information on Bluesmore, please visit www.brucemore.org, www.lcbs.org, or call (319) 362-7375 or (319) 399-5105.

Experience Brucemore, an unparalleled blend of tradition and culture, located at 2160 Linden Drive SE, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. At the heart of the historic 26-acre estate stands a nineteenth-century mansion filled with the stories of three Cedar Rapids families.  Concerts, theater, programs, and tours enliven the site and celebrate the heritage of a community.  For more information, call (319) 362-7375 or visit www.brucemore.org.

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Figge Art Museum Celebrates NASA with a Smithsonian Art Exhibition

Davenport, IOWA (July 2012) NASA's historic triumphs and pioneering legacy are well known to millions, but the inspiring rocket launches, moon landings and planetary explorations also have had an impact on the imaginations of America's leading artists. In celebration of the space agency's 50^th anniversary in 2008, the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) presented "NASA | ART 50 Years of Exploration," featuring 72 works from those artists.

"NASA | ART" will be on view at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport, Iowa July 14 through October 7, 2012. The exhibition is organized by SITES and NASA in cooperation with the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.

"NASA | ART" features nearly five decades of creations by artists as diverse as Annie Leibovitz, Nam June Paik, Norman Rockwell, Andy Warhol and William Wegman. Drawn from the collections of NASA and the National Air and Space Museum, the exhibition includes drawings, photographs, sculpture and other art forms and media. These works?ranging from the illustrative to the abstract?offer unparalleled insight into the private and personal moments, triumphant victories and tragic accidents that form the storied history of NASA.

For example, in Henry Caselli's "When Thoughts Turned Inward," the artist captures the serene, almost spiritual moment before takeoff, when an astronaut must prepare mentally for a mission. In Chakaia Booker's "Remembering Columbia," the tragedy and pain of the lost Space Shuttle Columbia and its crew are transformed in the twisting tire remnants preserved from one of the shuttle's earlier missions. And Andy Warhol melds Buzz Aldrin's historic steps on the lunar surface with the unbridled exuberance and flashiness of the 1960s in his neon-highlighted "Moonwalk" silkscreen.

The works featured in the exhibit date from the inception of the NASA Art Program in 1962, when NASA administrator James E. Webb asked a group of artists to illustrate interpret and elucidate the space agency's missions and projects. Since then, painters, musicians and conceptual artists have been with NASA every step of the way, strolling along launch pads, training in flight simulators, talking with engineers and technicians and visiting with astronauts before and after their flights.

The Figge Art Museum will offer a variety of exhibition programs, lectures and tours in conjunction with this exhibition.  Admission to the exhibition is included in the price of admission.

"NASA | ART" at the Figge Art Museum is generously sponsored by the ALCOA Foundation, John Deere and Cobham, plc.

"NASA | ART"  was organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in cooperation with the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. The Smithsonian Community Grant program, funded by MetLife Foundation, is a proud sponsor of "NASA | ART" public programs.

NASA was established by Congress in 1958 "to provide for research into the problems of flight within and outside the Earth's atmosphere, and for other purposes." The agency is headquartered in Washington, D.C., with 10 field centers and other facilities across the nation. NASA's mission is to pioneer the future in space exploration, scientific discovery and aeronautics research. www.nasa.gov

The National Air and Space Museum, composed of the flagship building on the National Mall in Washington and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va., is home to the world's finest collection of flight artifacts. From aircraft and space vehicles to engines, art and models, the wide array of the museum's holdings tells the story of the history and technology of air and space exploration. The museum is also a key resource for research into the history, science and technology of aviation and space flight. www.nasm.si.edu

SITES has been sharing the wealth of Smithsonian collections and research programs with millions of people outside Washington, D.C., for more than 50 years. SITES connects Americans to their shared cultural heritage through a wide range of exhibitions about art, science and history, which are shown wherever people live, work and play.

Companion Exhibitions at the Figge

University of Iowa Space Pioneers: 54 Years of Exploration

July 14-October 7

3rd and 4th floors

The University of Iowa is considered a pioneer of space research and has received international recognition for the development of spaceflight instruments flown on more than 63 successful missions. Included within NASA | ART are spaceflight instruments designed and built at the University of Iowa in the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

Exploring NASA

On selected dates July 14-October 7

Figge exterior and lobby

The Figge will light up the night sky this summer with a one-of-a-kind projection installation. The Hubble Telescope images, local children's drawings of astronauts and rockets, launch sequences and radio telescope images projected in the lobby and on the western exterior of the Figge building in the evening hours are intended to communicate a feeling of optimism about the future and to convey a sense of collective effort and pursuit of knowledge.

STUDIO1 Blast Off!

July 14-October 7

Let your little ones do what NASA did: be inspired by outer space and create! In this interactive family studio, visitors can make projects at hands-on stations like Wonders of Space, Creature Critters from Space, Lunar Lookout, and What Do You Take to the Moon?

Exhibition Programs

"Discovering a Universe Beyond the Cosmic Shore"

Presenter: John D. Johnson, PhD

7 pm Thursday, July 19

"NASA | Art: 50 Years of Exploration"

Presenter: Rima Girnius, PhD

7 pm Thursday, July 26

"Physics 101: The Challenges of Reaching Space"

Presenter: Brett McCarty

7 pm Thursday, August 2

"The History of the Spacesuit"

Presenter: Cathleen S. Lewis, PhD

7 pm Thursday, August 9

Sponsored by KWQC News 6

"How NASA's Space Technology Has Changed the World"

Presenter: Brett McCarty

7 pm Thursday, August 16

"Artists Talk about NASA Art"

Presenters: Amy Nielsen, Ralph Iaccarino, Bruce Walters and

Dawn Wohlford-Metallo

7 pm Thursday, August 23

"How Telescopes Work"

Presenter: Dana Taylor, President of the Quad Cities Astronomical Society

7 pm Thursday, August 30

"Aeronautics and Aerodynamics" and "Robotics 101"

Presenters: Brett McCarty, Michael LeGate, Jon Burgstrum and student members of the QC Elite Robotics Team #648

6 pm & 7 pm Thursday, September 6

"The Shuttle Era Has Ended: A History and Its Meaning"

Presenter: Brett McCarty

7 pm Thursday, September 13

"Wonders of the Heavens"

Presenter: Dana Taylor

7 pm Thursday, October 4

Free Community Event

"3...2...1...BLAST OFF!"

11 am-2 pm Saturday, September 15

Free admission sponsored by John Deere and Butler Insurance

Family Programs

"Roving the Moon: Design Squad Challenge"

11 am-2 pm Saturday, August 4

$20/family of four

NASA engineers have created all-terrain vehicles that can handle the moon's dusty, rugged terrain?can you? We challenge you to design and build a rubber band-powered rover that can scramble across the floor! Space is limited; registration is required. Call 563.326.7804x2045 to register.

"Star Lab Planetarium"

12 pm - 4 pm September 11-15

12 pm - 6 pm September 13

See the changing motions of the night sky in the AEA's Star Lab Planetarium. Located in the Figge Art Museum Studios, this portable planetarium experience is offered in conjunction with the exhibition NASA | ART: 50 Years of Exploration. The Planetarium experience lasts approximately 20 minutes and is suitable to for visitors of all ages.

Film Series

"When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions"

2:30 pm Saturday and Sunday

July 21-October 7

In celebration of NASA's 50th anniversary, the Discovery Channel partnered with NASA to produce "When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions," a miniseries that explores the missions, the people and the triumphs of space exploration. Narrated by Apollo 13 actor Gary Sinise, the series chronicles the inside story of NASA's most epic endeavors. The six one-hour episodes include Ordinary Supermen, Friends and Rivals, Landing the Eagle, The Explorers, The Shuttle, and Home in Space. Check the Figge website for a complete schedule.

Docent Tours

1:30 pm Saturdays, July 21-August 25

1:30 pm Sundays, July 22-October 7

Learn about the accomplishments, setbacks and sheer excitement of space exploration during a 45-minute tour of the exhibition. During your tour, a Figge docent will lead a conversation on how the works included in the exhibition showcase the emotional impact of space exploration.

www.figgeartmuseum.org 

FIGGE ART MUSEUM