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Figge Art Museum to participate in Art Bridges Collection Loan Partnership, an innovative art lending model, to display outstanding works of American art from Joslyn Museum

Davenport, Iowa (June 29, 2022) —The Figge Art Museum announces today participation in the Art Bridges Collection Loan Partnership, an innovative museum art lending model, to display outstanding works of American art from the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha, Nebraska, in Davenport, Iowa.

As part of the Art Bridges Collection Loan Partnership, more than a dozen significant works by famed American artists including Thomas Hart Benton, Mary Cassatt, and Kehinde Wiley will be presented in tandem with works by Yuriko Yamaguchi, Cara Romero, Will Wilson, and others from the Figge collection.

Starting July 1, these artworks will be presented in conversation with each other to allow for reflection and the exploration of current issues relevant to our community. Romanticized portrayals of the American West, for example, will be featured alongside works by contemporary Indigenous artists from the region, challenging us to re-evaluate how we think about the landscape and its inhabitants. As recent weather events have heightened community concerns for the environment, images of severe weather allow us to discuss how man has impacted the landscape.

This project will spark new conversations in the museum enhancing the audience’s understanding of the breadth of American art. The pairings will include insightful information that speaks to American art and the contemporary American experience from different points of view.

“By amplifying a diverse set of artistic voices, the works we are receiving will present a more comprehensive story of American art and act as a catalyst for important conversations surrounding the subject matter depicted,” said Figge Executive Director and CEO Michelle Hargrave. “The coupling of our works with the Joslyn Art Museum’s renowned collection are designed to broaden our understanding of our world and our place in it.”

The Art Bridges Collection Loan Partnership is dedicated to bringing American art out of storage and on view into communities across the U.S. The program aims to increase the display of artworks by BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, women artists, and to fill in gaps in museum collections. Additionally, the program will expand access and increase transparency in the process for borrowing artworks among museums of all sizes.

These extraordinary works will be on view in the Figge’s second floor galleries and the museum will also be offering FREE admission during the month of July thanks to the generous support of Jill and Cal Werner.

“This is our second year of sponsoring free Figge admission in July,” said Jill and Cal Werner. “We were delighted last year with the response and surprised how many people came up to us and said they attended for the first time and enjoyed it.”   

Not only will the new works from the Joslyn Art Museum be on view, but visitors will have the opportunity to see the current exhibitions including John Leslie Breck: American Impressionist, Anne Lindberg: think like the river, College Invitational, Urban Exposure: American City Seen, and Corn Zone.

To learn more about the Art Bridges Collection Loan Partnership, follow the hashtag #ArtBridges on social media and visit www.artbridgesfoundation.org.  

 Companion Program:
In Conversation: Vanessa Sage and Thomas Busciglio-Ritter
Thursday, July 21, 6:30 p.m.
Figge Assistant Curator and Richard & Mary Holland Assistant Curator of American Western Art at the Joslyn Art Museum Thomas Busciglio-Ritter will give explore the works on view as part of the Art Bridges Collection Loan Partnership at the FIgge.

About Art Bridges:  
Art Bridges is the vision of philanthropist and arts patron Alice Walton. The mission of Art Bridges is to expand access to American art in all regions across the United States. Since 2017, Art Bridges has been creating and supporting programs that bring outstanding works of American art out of storage and into communities. Art Bridges partners with a growing network of over 190 museums of all sizes and locations to provide financial and strategic support for exhibition development, loans from the Art Bridges collection, and programs designed to educate, inspire, and deepen engagement with local audiences. The Art Bridges Collection represents an expanding vision of American art from the 19th century to present day and encompasses multiple media and voices.

About the Figge Art Museum:
The Figge Art Museum is dedicated to bringing art and people together. Located on the Mississippi River in downtown Davenport at 225 West Second Street, the Figge is the premier art exhibition and education facility between Chicago and Des Moines. Its landmark glass building, designed by British architect David Chipperfield, is home to one of the Midwest’s finest art collections and presents world-class exhibitions, art classes, lectures, and special events that attract visitors of all ages. Museum hours are 10 a.m.--5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. on Thursdays; and 12-5 p.m. on Sundays. Reservations are not required but can be made at www.figgeartmuseum.org or by calling 563-345-6632. Admission to the museum is $10 for adults, $6 for seniors and students with ID and $4 children ages 4-12. Admission is free to Figge members and institutional members and to all on Thursday evenings. You can become a member for as little as $50 by visiting the Figge website. To contact the museum, please call 563.326.7804, or visit www.figgeartmuseum.org. 

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