11 Jan 2011

Rock Island Fine Arts Exhibition Call for Entries

By Jane Fraser
The "Call for Entries" is out for the Thirty-fifth Annual Rock Island Fine Arts Exhibition, with a discount for entries received by January 14, 2011 ($20 for two entries). Final entry deadline is January 20, 2011 ($30 for two entries). The annual juried competition, co-sponsored by the Rock Island Art Guild and Augustana College, is open to visual artists working in any media except video, and residing within a 150-mile radius of the Quad Cities. Entry forms, specifications and size limits are on the Call for Entries prospectus. The entry form can be found and downloaded on the Augustana College in Rock Island web page by clicking on: Arts, then Art Museum, then the exhibit. For phone assistance, call 309-794-7231. We hope that you will enter; we count on the participation of area artists to continue the program.
06 Jan 2011

The Death of an Exhibition

By Stephen Mohr

The Figge Art Museum is saving the last dance for you; come see the Figge Art Museum's exhibition, Dancing Towards Death: The Richard Harris Collection, before it closes this Sunday, January 9th. Although the show is about to meet its end, the opportunity still remains to experience a fabulously Figge-curated exhibit that centers on the inevitable and futile struggle with mortality.  With themes played out in print, oil, and sculpture, Dancing Towards Death addresses the certain fate bestowed upon all people; death is inexorable and spares none, regardless of status and wealth. The exhibition highlights a popular theme addressed throughout the art of Western Europe for the past six centuries, most often as a decaying corpse or skeleton embracing a victim in a dance foretelling his or her demise. Works from Albrecht Dürer, Rembrandt, Georg Grosz, and Sue Coe are featured.

For more information, contact the Figge Art Museum at 563.326.7804 or visit online at figgeart.org.

 

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03 Jan 2011

Railroad photography rolls into the Figge

By Stephen Mohr

Tracks: The Railroad in Photographs from the George Eastman House Collection makes its way to the Figge Art Museum, Davenport, on January 15th, 2011. Organized by the George Eastman House, Tracks covers 160 years of railroad history in photography. Both the railway and photography developed concurrently at the beginning of the 19th century and shared similar impressions on people's view of previously unseen landscapes. These inventions permitted, for the first time, a person's ability to be transported, both visually and physically, to worlds they had only previously imagined. Both forever changed the way the world was perceived.

Tracks offers the opportunity to learn about the history of the railroad and to visualize its impact on our country's development. The exhibition contains some of the earliest photographs of trains and railway scenes up through the end of the 20th century. In this survey of railroad images from around the world, trains appear as potent emblems of the modern industrial age and as crucial role players in transformation of the social and physical landscape. Included is the work of legendary photographers: Bisson Frères, Aaron Siskind, Henri Cartier-Bresson, and William Henry Jackson.

Tracks will be accompanied by a companion exhibition of photographic prints in a separate gallery that will explore the history and significance of the railway in the Quad Cities area. Crossing the Mississippi: The Quad Cities, the Railroad and Art includes works on loan from the Rock Island Arsenal Museum, the Richardson-Sloane Special Collections Center of the Davenport Public Library and the Putnam Museum.

Both exhibitions are sure to please a variety of audiences; including history buffs, lovers of the American West, but especially photography and rail enthusiasts.

Guided group tours are available for the exhibition as well as full museum tours to enhance your visit. Contact the Figge Art Museum at 563.326.7804 or visit online at figgeart.org for more information.

Tracks is funded, in part, by the Riverboat Development Authority and the Iowa Arts Council.

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20 Dec 2010

New works at the Figge Art Museum

By Stephen Mohr

the Figge is "Flooded" with New Art

The past several weeks have brought numerous changes to the Figge Art Museum that includes new works hanging in the permanent and special exhibition galleries. New photographic images from the Figge's Brent Sikkema Collection are up in the permanent galleries that address the human form, including portraits of famous artists (Dali, O'Keeffe, and Miro) shot by Horst P Horst, Eliot Porter and Irving Penn. Also new to the permanent galleries are prints by the English Romantic John Martin (The Deluge) and Mexican-Costa Rican artist Francisco Zunig (Yucateca con Fruta). Furthermore, the John Deere Collection has several new additions of works by Streeter Blair, Fritz Scholder and illustrator Walter Haskell Hinton.

 

The Figge partnership with the University of Iowa Museum of Art continues, as well, with a new, ongoing exhibition of African Art from the university's world-class collection. Selections from the Stanley Collection features numerous wooden, three-dimensional objects from cultural groups throughout West and Central Africa, such as masks from the Bwa peoples of Burkina Faso and statuettes by the Dogon from Mali.

 

The Figge will be closed for the holidays on Friday, December 24th and Saturday, December 25th. The museum will re-open on Sunday, December 26th - noon to 5pm. For more information call the Figge at 563.326.7804 or visit figgeartmuseum.org.

 

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16 Dec 2010

Call for Artists!

By Shelley Oehler
Amana - The Old Creamery Theatre Company in Amana is sending out a call to area artists to participate in helping us line the hallway of our Studio Stage in Middle Amana with local artwork during our production of Art, opening March 31 and running through April 17, 2011.

Art by Yasmina Reza focuses on three longtime friends who differ greatly on their definition of art. When Serge invests in an expensive painting - an immense all white canvas - Marc believes he's lost his mind while Yvan finds himself deeply in the middle.

The deadline to submit an application for a piece of art is March 1 and finished pieces would need to be dropped off at The Old Creamery's Studio Stage by March 15 and picked up after April 17. Only one piece per artist will be allowed and art can be in any medium.

Artists should include the title of the artwork and name/contact information on an 8.5 by 5.5 card to be displayed along with the artwork. If the art is for sale, that information can also be included on the card.

Please call The Old Creamery Theatre Company business office after Jan. 10 for more information and an application. 319-622-6034 ext. 110.

The Old Creamery Theatre Company is a not-for-profit professional theatre founded in 1971 in Garrison, Iowa. Voted #1 Theatre Group on the 2010 KCRG A-List, the company is celebrating 40 years of bringing live, professional theatre to the people of Iowa and the Midwest in 2011.

16 Dec 2010

Artist Sandra Principe teaches a Create-a-Painting Workshop at Maquoketa Art Experience

By Paula Neuhaus

(MAQUOKETA, IA) Maquoketa Art Experience is hosting a "Create-a-Painting" Workshop led by artist and writer Sandra Principe of Hanover, Illinois on Saturday January 8 from 12-3 p.m. at 124 S. main Street in Maquoketa. This workshop is the second in a series of winter painting workshops.

Principe has created a painting event for anyone who is interested in exploring work with acrylic paints. In this class, participants will create a portrait of a winter landscape during a three-hour session led step-by-step by Principe. This class is designed for beginners or for anyone who wants to try something new. The registration fee is $35 for the three hour session. There is an optional materials fee of $15 that covers the cost of supplies if you choose not to bring your own. The registration form and materials list are available at www.maquoketa-arts.org. For further information or to request a registration form contact Paula at Maquoketa Art Experience, maquoketaartexperience@hotmail.com or call 563.652.9925.

In her work Sandra Principe's oil paintings capture light and are reminiscent of the American painter, Martin Johnson Heade and are included in numerious private and corporate collections.  Her work has been shown in solo shows across the country, from West Palm Beach and Vero Beach, Florida to Laguna Beach, California. She is represented by Meghan Candler Gallery in Vero Beach, Florida; and Brio Gallery in Galena, Illinois. View Sandra's paintings at www.sandraprincipe.com
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22 Nov 2010

New Family Gallery and December Family Tour at the Figge

By Stephen Mohr

Figge tour focuses on works that are popular with children.

Take a break from the hectic holiday season at the Figge Art Museum, where you can enjoy a special family-oriented tour. "Celebrating Family" is offered the first three Sundays in December at 1:30 pm (Dec. 5, 12, 19).  The tour begins in the Family Gallery with Doris Lee's print Thanksgiving, which depicts women preparing Thanksgiving dinner during the Great Depression. Families will then be introduced to colorful and whimsical works in the College Invitational exhibition, and several paintings and sculptures by famous artists Alexander Calder, Marc Chagall, Joan Miró, and Deborah Butterfield. The works were selected for the "Celebrating Family" tour because they are popular with both children and adults.  After the tour, participants can enjoy free hot chocolate.

Thanksgiving is now up in the Family Gallery, so if you can't wait for the tour, bring your family into the Figge today or anytime through the holiday season and enjoy art activities in the gallery with your loved ones!

Tour is free with price of admission.  Admission is $7 for adults, $6 for seniors, and $4 for children. Open Sundays : Noon-5pm.

 

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22 Nov 2010

The Arc's One of a Kind Seeking Consignments

By Rick Martin

With the holiday retail season upon us, The Arc of Rock Island County announces it is currently accepting new consignments from area artists for The Arc's One of a Kind shop.

One of a Kind sells unique handmade gifts made by local artisans. Products include jewelry, paintings, weavings, carved walking sticks, candles, soaps and lotions, and many other unique gift options.

Consigning artists set the retail price and receive 75% of the sale price. The Arc retains 25% which supports programming, developmental training, and wages for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. One of a Kind provides paid employment opportunities for individuals in a retail setting. Individuals are trained and involved in all aspects of store operations-creating original artwork, cashiering, maintaining displays, inventory control, and customer service.

One of a Kind is located at 4016 9th Street in Rock Island.

Hours are Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4:30 pm.

Founded in 1952, The Arc of Rock Island County promotes living and working in partnership with the community to support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. The Arc serves more than 325 individuals throughout the Quad Cities community on a daily basis.

15 Nov 2010

Brent Houzenga Mixed Media Exhibit at Maquoketa Art Experience

By Paula Neuhaus

(MAQUOKETA, IA) Iowa artist Brent Houzenga brings his street art stylings to Maquoketa this month. His mixed media works are influenced by modern art, comic books, graffiti, and punk rock poster art.

Houzenga's work offers an eclectic mix of painting styles incorporating drips and graffiti with stencils on found objects including reclaimed windows, rustic frames, and antique photographs. The artist has exhibited throughout Iowa and across the U.S. including the Alcove Gallery in Atlanta, Georgia, The Hive
Gallery in Los Angeles, and Art Whino Austin at Seventy-Seven Gallery in Austin, Texas. The exhibit will also feature a screening of Hybrid Pioneer, a documentary film about Brent Houzenga and his work by Des Moines film maker Kristian Day.

Maquoketa Art Experience will host an opening reception for Brent Houzenga and Kristian Day on Friday, November 19 from 6-8 p.m. at 124 S. Main Street in Maquoketa.

The exhibit will run through January 5th.

Maquoketa Art Experience is dedicated to bringing accomplished artists to Maquoketa for short- and long-term residencies, workshops, and exhibitions. For more information contact Paula Neuhaus at maquoketaartexperience@hotmail.com or by calling 563.652.9925.

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11 Nov 2010

Undead Dance At the Figge

By Stephen Mohr

In conjunction with its exhibition, Dancing Towards Death, the Figge Art Museum will be hosting Ballet Quad Cities for a special encore performance of I, Vampire at 6:30 PM Thursday, November 18. Join us for a special night of art, dance and other activities as two great Quad Cities cultural institutions collaborate to entertain and educate on the dead and undead!  Ballet Quad Cities will give a reprise presentation of I, Vampire in the third floor gallery space at the museum. Inspired by local author Michael Romkey's1990 novel about the transformation of Chicago lawyer David Parker into one of the undead, this modern-day ballet explores the sinister yet sensual relationship between vampires and their victims.

At 7:00 PM. St Ambrose University professor of Art & Art History, Terri Switzer, will talk in the John Deere Auditorium. The lecture, "The Queen of Sins and 'la mort qui danse': Late 19th Century Femme Fatale Imagery", will explore imagery of the popular European theme of the diabolic seductress  through the deadly embrace and bewitching beauty of vampiric man-eating females, syphilis-ridden prostitutes, and the many Salomes and Judiths carrying severed male heads.

Admission to the museum and all activities is FREE after 5 PM. The Figge will be providing a free art lesson in the studios from 5:30 - 6:30 PM. Guided gallery tours start at 6 PM. The bar and café open at 5 PM. The museum is open until 9 PM.

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