PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Quad City Favorite Back on View Beginning Saturday
Davenport, Iowa (October 14, 2019) – A Quad-City favorite returns to the Figge Art Museum this fall. Artist Rose Frantzen’s nationally celebrated Portrait of Maquoketa will be on view in the Figge’s third floor gallery beginning Saturday, October 19.
Acquired for the Figge’s permanent collection in 2015, Portrait of Maquoketa is a large scale painting installation that combines an amazing 315 square foot landscape of the town on 34 individually suspended panels. The panels are hung in such a way that when viewed from one location, they combine to create a 3-dimensional panoramic view of Maquoketa as seen from a hilltop outside of the town. On the other side of the landscape hangs 180 12x12" oil portraits of Maquoketa, Iowa residents who posed for Frantzen between July 2005-July 2006. The portrait sittings were free and open to any resident willing to have their portrait painted. The sitters range in age from 4 weeks to 99 years old!
Frantzen’s installation will be joined by a wonderful suite of illustrations for a new children’s book – The Storytelling Tree – by artist and Rose’s partner Chuck Morris. Just as Portrait of Maquoketa reminds us of the importance of family and community, The Storytelling Tree tells the story of a young girl’s special bond with her father, the owner of a small bookstore and writer of magical stories. Through his enchanting story and playfully surreal imagery, Morris’s reminds us of the boundless worlds we can experience through reading.
A special limited run first edition of The Storytelling Tree will be available in the Figge’s Museum Store.
Sponsored by Cal and Jill Werner, Don A. and Connie Decker, Ohnward Bank Shares Inc. / The Ohnward Foundation, Portrait of Maquoketa & The Storytelling Tree will be on view through February 2, 2020.
Companion Programs:
Artist Talk: Chuck Morris and Rose Frantzen
Thursday, October 24
4 p.m. Happy hour menu / cash bar
6:30 p.m. Talk
Artists Chuck Morris and Rose Frantzen will discuss Morris's process and development of The Storytelling Tree, on display alongside Frantzen's Portrait of Maquoketa.
Collection and Exhibition Highlights Tours
1:30 p.m. Saturday, October 26, November 9 and December 7, 14
1:30 p.m. Sunday, October 20, November 3, 17 and December 1
Members-only tours 1:30 p.m. Friday, December 6, Sunday, December 8 and Tuesday, December 10
Free Family Day
10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, November 23
Admission is free all day. Radar, the mascot from the Quad City Storm, will be making an appearance!
Sponsored by Quad-City Times and Wells Fargo
About the Figge Art Museum:
The Figge Art Museum is located on the Mississippi River in downtown Davenport at 225 West Second Street. Hours are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Thursdays the museum is open until 9 p.m. Admission to the museum and tour 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 always free to all on Thursday evenings from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. The Figge Café is open 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday-Friday. To contact the museum, please call 563.326.7804, or visit www.figgeartmuseum.org.
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