Davenport, Iowa (October 14, 2015) - Chicago artist Kenneth Josephson is best known for his witty images that explore the illusory nature of photography. An exhibition of his work will open in the second floor Katz Gallery at the Figge Art Museum on Saturday titled: Wit and Whimsy: the Photographs of Kenneth Josephson.

The exhibition, sponsored by the Hunt and Diane Harris Family Foundation, will include 42 Josephson photographs from the Figge's permanent collection, the Stephen Daiter Gallery in Chicago, Illinois and one from Terry Etherton Gallery in Tucson, Arizona.

Included will be one of Josephson's best works, New York State 1970, where the artist's arm and hand are seen holding the image of an ocean liner against a backdrop of ocean, making it clear that neither ocean nor ship are "real"?both are just recognizable images. In another popular work, LA, 1982, Josephson photographs his arm holding up a square of paper to frame a small, squiggly section of a painted white crosswalk, defining its curves as "art" as selected by the photographer, whose shadow can be seen in the corner of the image.

Many of Josephson's works can either be considered a discovery or an alteration of a scene that questions our tendency to accept the photographic image as "truth" and expose the photographer's role as the manipulator of information.

A native of Detroit, Josephson studied photography at the Rochester Institute of Technology and at the Illinois Institute of Technology with well-known photographers Harry Calahan and Aaron Siskind. He taught photography at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago for 30 years. His work is included in museum collections worldwide, including the Figge Art Museum.

Visitors will have the opportunity to view classic images from Josephson's early work along with more recent investigations of the potential of the photographic image.

Wit and Whimsy: The Photographs of Kenneth Josephson will be on display through February 7, 2016.  

COMPANION EVENTS:
Opening Reception/Artist Talk 

Thursday, November 12 

5:30 p.m. Opening Reception with light hors d'oeuvres

7 p.m. Artist Talk with Kenneth Josephson

Members are invited to mingle in the lobby with light hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar to celebrate the opening of the exhibition. Join artists Kenneth Josephson and Marilyn Zimmerwoman at 7 p.m. for a conversation about Josephson's artwork and the current exhibition. Free!

Family Day

10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Saturday, January 9, 2016

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 noon to 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. to 9 p.m. To contact the museum, please call 563.326.7804, or visit www.figgeartmuseum.org.

Speakers: Karen and Denis Dolan, Volunteers with Linden Hill

In the Music Room at the Muscatine Art Center

Thursday, October 22, 2015 from Noon to 1 p.m.

FREE ADMISSION

Built in 1898, the neighboring homes of Charles A. Weyerhaeuser and Richard "Drew" Musser are physical reminders of the "Lumber Era" in Minnesota. Linden Hill volunteers, Karen and Denis Dolan, will present on the homes which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The nine-acre estate, including both homes, was used by the Musser family until 20 years ago, and is now an event center run by the non-profit Friends of Linden Hill. The group host weddings, receptions, teas, retreats, Christmas tours, and other special occasions throughout the year. Visitors can even stay overnight in the bedrooms in the beautiful Musser mansion.

Laura Musser McColm frequently visited her brother Drew and his family at Linden Hill. Her journal describes family gatherings in Minnesota: "Wednesday, January 1, 1936 - A very pleasant day in my brother's home. Mary & "Lotsie" at home for the holidays. Sarah dear, so kind to me and Drew such a wonderful brother make me feel very much at home and I do love to be with them.... Sarah & Drew had twenty people in to welcome the New Year.  We had a jolly time."

The Musser family began calling the estate "Linden Hill" in the 1920s, because of the many linden, or basswood, trees on the property. One of the Linden Hill homes - the white Musser Mansion - had been virtually closed off after Drew Musser's death in 1958. When it was reopened decades later, his toothbrush and razor were still in place in the bathroom as if still waiting for Mr. Musser's return. Most of the furniture and furnishings remain intact and undamaged, making it a living example of life for the upper class in the area during the early 20th century.

The program on October 22nd is free and open to the public. Reservations are not required. Please contact Melanie Alexander, Director, with any questions or concerns at 563-263-8282 or by email at malexander@muscatineiowa.gov.

Davenport, Iowa (October 9, 2015) - Edward S. Curtis: One Hundred Masterworks will be on view at the Figge Art Museum beginning Saturday in the third floor gallery. The exhibition features a selection of 100 images of the Native American people of the United States taken by renowned photographer Edward S. Curtis.

In 1900, Edward Curtis (born in 1868) set out on a monumental quest to make an unprecedented, comprehensive record of the North American Indian. He traveled to Alaska, the Southwest and the Great Plains in search of his subjects. Over the next 30 years he produced more than 40,000 photographs of Native peoples. The culmination of his project resulted in a 20-volume, 20 portfolio set of handmade books entitled: The North American Indian?one of the most ambitious publishing projects in American history.

With an approximate cost of $35 million in today's dollars, Curtis' effort involved more than 100 assistants, artisans, salespeople and support staff, and required the collaboration of an estimated 10,000 Native Americans who posed or otherwise assisted the photographer. The project bankrupted him and ruined his health, and he died in obscurity in 1952, but today his work is considered a masterpiece of photography and a priceless record of Native American culture.

Visitors to the One Hundred Masterworks exhibition will have the opportunity to view well-known and rare images of Native Americans that range from portraits, including notables such as Red Cloud, to traditional scenes and ceremonies. Included are platinum prints, goldtones, cyanotypes and the more common photogravures, drawn from the largest existing collection of Curtis' work. The photographs are increasingly prized for their artistic value and present a historical record of enormous and irreplaceable importance.

One Hundred Masterworks will be on display October 10, 2015-January 17, 2016 and is sponsored by The Hunt and Diane Harris Family Foundation.

The Edward S. Curtis: One Hundred Masterworks book by collector, curator and Curtis authority Christopher Cardozo will be available for purchase in the Museum Store.

COMPANION EVENTS:
Opening Reception 

Friday, October 9

5:30 p.m. Members' Reception

7 p.m. Curator Talk

Members are invited to partake in light appetizers in the lobby to celebrate the opening of the exhibition. All are welcome at 7 p.m. to listen to collector, curator and Curtis authority Christopher Cardozo speak.

Documentary Film

7 p.m. Thursday, November 5

Language Healers tells the story of Native peoples striving to revitalize their languages and explores the importance of Native languages and cultures to Alaskans.

Talk

7 p.m. Thursday, November 19

Jane Simonsen, PhD, will present her research on Native American visual culture as it relates to the exhibition.

Family Day

10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Saturday, January 9, 2016

Docent-led Tours

1:30 p.m. Saturday, October 17

1:30 p.m. Sunday, October 18

Free with museum admission

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 noon to 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. to 9 p.m. To contact the museum, please call 563.326.7804, or visit www.figgeartmuseum.org.