Awarded Re-Accreditation from the American Association of Museums

Davenport, IA (3/31/10) - The Figge Art Museum has achieved re-accreditation from the American Association of Museums (AAM), the highest national recognition for a museum. Accreditation signifies excellence to the museum community, to governments, funders, outside agencies, and to the museum-going public.

"Our original museum was one of the first accredited museums in the US in 1973. This 2010 re-accreditation of our new facility, operations, and structure is confirmation that the Figge is well-run and providing a superlative service to our constituency," stated Sean O'Harrow, Executive Director of the Figge Art Museum.

AAM Accreditation is the field's primary vehicle for quality assurance, self-regulation, and public accountability, and earns national recognition for a museum for its commitment to excellence in all that it does: governance, collections stewardship, public programs, financial stability, high professional standards, and continued institutional improvement. Developed and sustained by museum professionals for 35 years, AAM's Museum Accreditation program strengthens the profession by promoting practices that enable leaders to make informed decisions, allocate resources wisely, and to provide the best possible service to the public.

"Accreditation assures the people of the Quad Cities that their museum is among the finest in the nation," said Ford W. Bell, president of AAM. "As a result, the citizens can take considerable pride in their homegrown institution, for its commitment to excellence and for the value it brings to the community."

Accreditation is a rigorous process that examines all aspects of a museum's operations.  To earn accreditation, a museum first must conduct a year of self-study, and then undergo a site visit by a team of peer reviewers.  AAM's Accreditation Commission, an independent and autonomous body of museum professionals, review and evaluate the self-study and visiting committee report to determine whether a museum should receive accreditation.  While the time to complete the process varies by museum, it generally takes three years.

Peoria, Ill. - The Peoria Art Guild is accepting applications for the 48th Annual Fine Art Fair to be held at the Peoria Riverfront on September 25-26, 2010.
Artists can only apply online at juriedartservices.com. The deadline for applications is March 15.

Rated as one of the top fine art fairs in the country, 103rd by Greg Lawler's Art Fair SourceBook, the Fine Art Fair is the largest community event on Peoria's
Riverfront with an anticipated 40,000 attendance. 150 fine art fair artists will exhibit and sell original works of art in jewelry, painting, photography, ceramics, wood, glass, mixed media, metal and fiber. Through a blind jury process, 125 artists will be invited to exhibit at the Fair along with 25 artists who were invited to attend as 2009 award winners. Jurors will consist of six practicing artists and two art collectors.

$10,000 in awards will be given to Fine Art Fair artists of all mediums.

Artists consistently give high marks to the Fine Art Fair for its superior hospitality, praising the 400 energetic community volunteers for their assistance, as well as the complimentary meals, security, and set-up accessibility provided.

Artists may apply at juriedartservices.com thru March 15th. For more information, please visit www.peoriaartguild.org, or call Stacy at 309-637-1093, or by email, artfair@peoriaartguild.org. Find us on Facebook for updates and information.

The Peoria Art Guild, one of the nation's oldest visual arts organizations, exists to serve the community and artists through the exhibition and sale of contemporary artwork, to provide education and to promote appreciation of the visual arts. The Peoria Art Guild provides the community with art exhibits, art classes, original artwork for purchase or rent, and other special events such as the Fine Art Fair. Programs are partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council.

MAQUOKETA ART EXPERIENCE ANNOUNCES NEW DATES FOR SECOND SEASONAL LANDSCAPE PAINTING WORKSHOP

Eastern Iowa Arts organization hosts weeklong workshop with renowned artist Fred Easker,

including a visit to Grant Wood's Studio at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art.

http://www.maquoketa-art.org/workshops.html

Maquoketa, Iowa, February, 2010: Maquoketa Art Experience hosts the second of four seasonal landscape workshops, each featuring a noted landscape artist as the instructor.

Dates: April 5- 9, 2010

Location: Maquoketa Art Experience Studio and Gallery, 124 S. Main Street, Maquoketa, IA 52060

Cost: $395 - Space is limited, and a $200 deposit is required to reserve a space for the workshop.

For more information or to register: Call 563-652-9925

Workshop deposits can be mailed to PO Box 993, Maquoketa, IA 52060

This spring workshop is the second of four seasonal workshops focusing on the natural resources and beauty of Eastern Iowa.  This five-day spring landscape workshop with painter Fred Easker is open to all skill levels. Using the rolling and beautiful landscapes around Maquoketa as inspiration, participants in the workshop will explore historical precedents in American landscape painting and composition with a focus on new strategies for using photography as a creative tool for the development of paintings.  The workshop will include a visit to Grant Wood's studio in Cedar Rapids, the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art as well as interaction with other artists who use their local landscape as the foundation of their work.  Participants should bring a digital camera.

Biographic Information:
Fred Easker is a Cedar Rapids native who has been painting the Iowa landscape for more than fifteen years.  His work is included in museum, corporate and private collections throughout the Midwest and has appeared in a number of periodicals and books. Like most artists he had previously worked at other things including teacher, museum educator and director of an historic house museum which was completely renovated under his guidance. He actively participates in the life of his community working on boards and organizations involved in the arts and humanities and was awarded the Friend of the Arts Award from Marion Fine Arts Council in 1993. Easker resides in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He was an Arts Midwest/NEA Regional Visual Arts Fellowship recipient in 1997.The artist holds a BA and MA in Art Education from the University of Iowa. More information about Fred Easker can be found on his website: www.easkerart.com.