We invite you to the GAHC for two intriguing programs this weekend. We hope you will join us!

Join GAHC's roundtable discussion on the Berlin Wall, 25 years after its fall. Members Michael Hustedde and Nick Pitz lead the panel discussion for anyone who experienced the wall, the fall, and the aftermath. Participation encouraged!

This program is part of our exhibition "Berlin: Divided Past/United Future" that is open now through November 9, the 25th anniversary to the day of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

The "Forty-eighters" were a relatively small number of individuals who emigrated from Europe in the late 1840s and early 1850s after fighting unsuccessfully with both pen and sword for liberty, democracy, and national unity. Many of the German Forty-eighters immigrated to the United States, with a large number from the present-day state of Schleswig-Holstein choosing Davenport & Scott County, Iowa as their adopted home. After settling in America, these unique and talented individuals provided an intellectual transfusion affecting not only their fellow German immigrants, but also the political and social history of the United States during one of its most critical periods. -http://yogireppmann.wordpress.com/

Dr. Reppmann will deliver a lively talk on this interesting group, focusing in on some of the famous 48ers from Davenport including Christian Müller!

Feel free to contact us with any questions regarding the tips details. We can be reached at 563-322-8844.

Children are invited to Brucemore for a festive and memorable evening of holiday tradition?Santa, Snacks, and Stories on Sunday, December 7 and Tuesday, December 9 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The estate's holiday décor and the seasonal spirit add to the evening's activities. Children will enjoy activities in both the Visitor Center and mansion, including story time, craft-making, a snack, and giving their wish-lists to Santa. In between activities, children and parents are invited to view the first and second floors of the mansion and to ask any questions to the available stationary guides.

Admission is $7 per child and $5 per child of a Brucemore member in advance. One adult is free per child admission; each additional adult is $5. Space is limited; purchase tickets online at www.brucemore.org or by calling (319) 362-7375. If space is available, all child tickets at the door will be $10. Santa, Snacks, and Stories is sponsored by US Bank.

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.

Muscatine Art Center's collections were significantly enriched by a gift of art by Georgia O'Keeffe. White Lotus

was given in honor of Elizabeth Mabel Holthues Stanley by her family. O'Keeffe created this work in 1939 while working in Hawaii on a commission from the Hawaiian Pineapple Company (shortly thereafter known as Dole Company). White Lotus recently traveled to Honolulu and Santa Fe to be exhibited with works by O'Keeffe and Ansel Adams. The painting has now returned to Muscatine and will be on display during the art talk about O'Keeffe.

Art History Speaker, Carol Ehlers will present "Georgia O'Keeffe: A Sense of Place" on November 13, the third Thursday of the month. The lecture will begin promptly at 5:30 p.m. in the Muscatine Art Center's Music Room. The lecture will feature images of O'Keeffe's work as well as photos from her life from 1929 to 1986. The lecture is FREE and open to the public.

Beginning in 1929, Georgia O'Keeffe began spending part of almost every year painting in New Mexico, first in Taos and later in and about Alcaide, Abiguiu, and Ghost Ranch. Her early subjects in New Mexico were the black crosses of the Penitentes. After her second and third trip to New Mexico, O'Keeffe returned home to the East Coast with an assortment of bone and skulls. Later she captured scenes of the vastness and beauty of the landscapes of New Mexico.

Photo images of O'Keeffe's New Mexico homes tell the compelling story of her life in New Mexico with each home satisfying different aspects of the artist's personal life. From these homes, she created paintings of the houses, surrounding landscape forms, and specific architectural components of the Abiquiu house. Her houses in New Mexico became essential elements in her painting. Ghost Ranch was isolated and gave her immediate access to the natural world. The Abiquiu house perched on a bluff overlooking the Chama River Valley made it possible for O'Keeffe to live more comfortably in the winter in New Mexico. Both houses are characterized by simple furnishing and minimalist esthetics.

By 1938, Dole Company invited O'Keeffe to the islands of Hawaii as its guest and, in exchange, requested two paintings of unspecified subjects for use in a national magazine advertising campaign. The Muscatine Art Center's White Lotus was one of the painting she created from Hawaii.

Georgia O'Keeffe: A Sense of Place

EVENT DETAILS:

What: "Georgia O'Keeffe: A Sense of Place" Lecture on her later life - Thursday, November 13

Who: Carol Ehlers

When: Third Thursday, November 13

Time: 5:30 PM

Where: The Muscatine Art Center's Music Room

Admission to this lecture is FREE.

Please contact Melanie Alexander, Director, with any questions or concerns at  563-263-8282 or by email at malexander@muscatineiowa.gov or www.muscatineartcenter.org

What do the towns of Summit, Bayfield, Adams, Black Bass, Garden City and Madera have in common? They were all long ago stops on railroads in Muscatine County. Join local railroad enthusiast, Bill Lindsay, for a Railroad "Share your Stories" Show and Tell in conjunction with the exhibition, "Railroads of Muscatine County". Participants are encouraged to bring railroad related items and stories to share. The event will be held on Sunday, October 19, 2014 from 2:00 - 4:00 PM at the Muscatine Art Center. Admission is FREE.

Learn how Summit was on the original Rock Island main line from Wilton Junction that ran into Muscatine. The town had a depot, stock yards and a store. Bayfield (yes it was on Bayfield road) was on the Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern branch that ran from Nichols to Muscatine through the Heinz property. Adams was further west from Bayfield and also had a small depot. Black Bass and Garden City were one in the same.

Discover interesting tidbits about the local railroad and share your own stories! Do you have a great piece of history you would like to share with other railroad fans? Do you have a mysterious railroad-related item in your collection? Bring it with you, and perhaps Bill Lindsay can share some information about your item.

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.

Please contact Melanie Alexander, Director, with any questions at 563-263-8282 or by email at malexander@muscatineiowa.gov .