A new series of abstract art celebrating the Iowa Landscape will be unveiled in Cedar Rapids.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA, December 5th 2014 - January 31st 2015 - Nationally acclaimed local artist Mary Zeran will be exhibiting her recent body of work at Gilded Pear Gallery in a show titled: "La Tierra de Mi Corazón...The Land of My Heart"

The new series comprised of Zeran's trademark joyous color, will be unveiled Friday, December 5th at an opening reception from 5:00-7:00 at Gilded Pear Gallery, 808 Third Ave SE, Cedar Rapids, IA. For more information regarding the exhibit contact Suzy McGrane-Hop at 319-366-0205, gildedpeargallery.com

Mary Zeran is known for her innovative painting and collage techniques using archival polyester film. Zeran's work evolves over time. The final pieces are compilations of scraps, isolated brushstrokes and forms created from her stock of individually painted polyester sheets. She finds this spontaneous, painterly way of working allows her to be responsive to the cutting and gluing, collaborating directly with the process and materials.

The new abstracted landscapes celebrate the land of Zeran's heart, Iowa; a place flowing with small rivers, and creeks, bursting with bountiful fields of corn, powerful oak trees, and expansive skies.

"When Zeran and her husband first moved back to Iowa from Seattle, WA, the thing that surprised her most was how much calmer she felt. The bustle of the city was invigorating at first, but then became exhausting. Life turned into endless traffic jams, loud noises, and cramped spaces. The only way to contact family was by phone or plane. Luckily older parents, new generations, and memories of a better quality of life called them back to Iowa. What she and her husband found was a much welcomed calm and ever inspiring landscape that has fueled Zeran's artwork for the last 5 years."

"I've been working to develop a series of abstract brush marks that describe the sense of joy and wonder I feel when I look at the Iowa landscape. One of the symbols I've been using is wood. Not only is this my way of honoring Iowa's majestic Oak trees, it is a way of celebrating my rich family."

"I'm fascinated with tree rings and how they are an annual record of a life well lived."

About Mary Zeran

Mary Zeran is a third generation American artist known for her innovative painting and collage techniques using polyester film. She grew up in a family of women folk artists.  Textiles, embroidery, and woodcarving, were the visual language of her family. Each time Zeran picks up a brush or scissors, she immerses herself in the language of her family. When she abstracts flowers, trees, and all the colors of nature, she speaks her mother tongue. This language brings her closer to her family's traditions, history and stories. For more information about her work, visit maryzeran.com

Davenport, Iowa (November 17, 2014) - The Figge Art Museum will be offering free admission all day Saturday, November 22  to kick off the holiday season and to celebrate the Festival of Trees parade.

Sponsored by MidAmerican Energy and the Quad-City Times, all are invited to take a break from the cold to decorate ornaments in the museum lobby to be hung on the Figge's holiday trees. Complimentary treats will be available while supplies last.

The Festival of Trees Holiday parade kicks off at 10:30 a.m. Reserve a spot on the Bechtel Plaza in front of the museum to watch the largest helium-balloon parade in the Midwest. With over twenty large helium balloons, pageant queens, dance groups, bands, clowns , floats, tractors and antique cars, the parade is a must-see event.

The current exhibitions at the Figge will be open for viewing including Self-Taught Genius: Treasures from the American Folk Art Museum, the 2014 College Invitational, African American Art since 1950 and the permanent collection galleries. The family galleries will be open for kids who want to get creative as well.

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 12-5 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. - 9 p.m. To contact the museum, please call 563.326.7804, or visit www.figgeartmuseum.org.

Groundbreaking Touring Exhibition Made Possible by a Generous Grant from the Henry Luce Foundation as part of its 75th Anniversary Initiative

Davenport, Iowa (November 10, 2014) - A groundbreaking exhibition originated by the American Folk Art Museum in New York will be making its first stop on a national tour at the Figge Art Museum in downtown Davenport. The exhibition opens this Saturday, November 15.

Self-Taught Genius: Treasures from the American Folk Art Museum features 115 artworks made between the early 18th and 21st centuries, ranging from portraits and needleworks to wooden shop figures and found-object sculptures. All are the compelling, beautifully realized work of self-taught artists which provide a fresh perspective on artistic impulse and our national character.

The exhibition and the national tour of Self-Taught Genius: Treasures from the American Folk Art Museum are made possible by generous funding from the Henry Luce Foundation as part of its 75th anniversary initiative. Dr. Michael Gilligan, president of the Foundation said, "For 75 years, the Henry Luce Foundation has fostered scholarship, innovation, and leadership?also attributes of the American Folk Art Museum. We are proud to sponsor a national tour of their exemplary collection that represents distinctive American creativity."

"This exhibition serves as a landmark," commented Anne-Imelda Radice, Ph.D., Executive Director of the American Folk Art Museum, "by locating the genesis of a field that has grown and become even more complex than ever before, and by clarifying its scope and substance. Self-Taught Genius: Treasures from the American Folk Art Museum provides new insight into the critical role of artists all-too-often overlooked."

Developed and organized by Deputy Director for Curatorial Affairs, Chief Curator, and Director of Exhibitions Stacy C. Hollander and Curator of Art of the Self-Taught and Art Brut Valérie Rousseau, Ph.D., the exhibition highlights the roles of self-taught artists as figures central to the shared history of America whose contributions to the national life and conversation are paramount. The works are by a diverse group of artists and represent more than 50 years of institutional collecting.

Works on view will include : Girl in Red Dress with Cat and Dog, c. 1830-1835, an oil on canvas by Ammi Phillips (1788-1865); The Encyclopedic Palace of the World, c. 1950s, a towering model designed by Marino Auriti (1891-1980) for a new museum meant to hold all of human discovery in every field; Flag Gate, c. 1876, a once-working gate by an unidentified artist to celebrate the nation's centennial, which was a donation to the American Folk Art Museum in 1962 and its first acquisition; a 6'-wide paneled watercolor, and various bound and unbound volumes of the writings of Henry Darger (1892-1973), whose archive was established at the Museum in 2000; an exquisitely stitched Whig Rose and Swag Border Quilt, c. 1850, made by unidentified slaves on the Morton Plantation in Russellville, Kentucky; the monumental Mother Symbolically Represented/The Kathredal, 1936, an ink rendering on rag paper by Achilles Rizzoli (1896-1981), who loved to play with words, and frequently used anagrams, acronyms, and neologisms in his work; works by Morris Hirschfield (1872-1946); Sister Gertrude Morgan (1900-1980); Horace Pippin (1888-1946); Martín Ramírez (1895-1963); Judith Scott (1943-2005); Mary T. Smith (c. 1904-1995); and other artists from many parts of the country, working in such media as drawing, painting, textiles, bones, wood, ceramics and more.

"The Figge Art Museum is honored to have the opportunity to make these American masterworks available to audiences in the Midwest. Our region has a rich tradition of folk arts, from duck decoys to weathervanes, and the exhibition will deepen our understanding and appreciation of our artistic heritage," commented Tim Schiffer, Executive Director.

A fully-illustrated color catalog with essays by the curators, published by the American Folk Art Museum and Marquand Books, will accompany the exhibition, and is available for purchase in the Museum Store.

This exhibition is sponsored locally by John Deere Foundation and Genesis. It is funded in part with a grant from the Iowa Arts Council, a division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Self-Taught Genius will be on view at the Figge through March 15, 2015.

Companion Programming:

Exhibition Opening Reception/Curator Talk

Thursday, November 20

5:30 p.m. Opening Reception

7 p.m. Curator Talk

Stacy Hollander, deputy director for curatorial affairs, chief curator and director of exhibitions at the American Folk Art Museum, will discuss the vision behind Self-Taught Genius and share new discoveries about select artworks in the exhibition.

Exhibition Tours

1:30 p.m. Saturdays

November 22, December 6, 13

1:30 p.m. Sunday, November 23

Musical Tour

7p.m. Thursday, February 12

Listen to the acoustic styling of singer/songwriter Sarah Allner as she performs original songs inspired by five artworks in the Self-Taught Genius exhibition.

Free Family Day

Saturday, February 21

10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Guided Activities

Enjoy hands-on art projects, performances and gallery activities. Free admission all day!

GAHC Travel Opportunity - Germany Still Beckons for 2015  Seminar on Sunday, Nov. 9th

• Linda Meadors of Blue Horizon Travel, with cruise highlights, airfare info and updates on future group opportunities to prep for the trip in 2015.

• Paul Larsen with the latest on hotel accommodations and sightseeing.
• Janet Brown-Lowe, GAHC Executive Director, with announcements regarding genealogy and

All interested parties are welcome to attend!

The whole family will enjoy this tale of the first Christmas tree ship and the family who risked their lives to fill Chicago with the Christmas spirit. This critically acclaimed production features a powerful, moving story, an exquisite score of original music and traditional holiday favorites, and a company of 25 actors and musicians. Classic German and English songs performed throughout this wonderful musical.

"The Christmas Schooner has entertained audiences in hundreds of productions including a twelve year run at Chicago's Bailiwick Repertory Theatre. Last year the Mercury revived the tradition with a full orchestra and an all-star cast, garnering a "Best Production" nomination for the 2012 Jeff Awards. The Chicago Tribune calls this show "a grand family tradition" and "a sacred part of a Chicago Christmas". The Chicago Sun-Times raved, "an inheritance to be treasured", "pleases in every way", "highly recommended". A timely and uplifting tale of love and loss, The Christmas Schooner reminds us of tradition, and our responsibility to celebrate the living while honoring our heritage."

Join us by calling 563-322-8844 to reserve your place by Nov. 15th. $100 for members and $115 for non-members includes bus and theater ticket. Lunch and dinner at your own cost. Bus will depart Davenport at 7am, Lunch & shopping at Water Tower Place from 11am-1pm, Matinee performance of The Christmas Schooner at 3pm, Departure from Chicago at 5:30pm with meal enroute, and arrival in Davenport at 9:30. All times are approximate!