Figge Art Museum

06/17/2026

One important aspect of outreach is collaborating with community partners to increase impact. Recently, the Figge hosted a booth during the Rock Island Public Library's Summer Reading Program Kickoff at the Quad City Botanical Center. Figge staff shared the Tlingit story of “Raven and the Box of Daylight” with hundreds of Quad Citians. Surrounded by statues, lush foliage, and a fish pond, visitors completed coloring pages and learned about the various opportunities the Figge has to offer.

“Preston Singletary: Raven and the Box of Daylight” is on display at the Figge until August 2nd.

06/16/2026

“The Pigeons” depicts the chaos of everyday life by juxtaposing concurrent events. A wealthy woman in a fur coat feeds the birds while a boy in torn clothes huddles on the bottom step. Heightened emotions lead to two passionate embraces: two figures engaged in a knife fight and a pair of lovers with their limbs intertwined. An old man lies upon the stairs, either sleeping or dead, while a young girl shields herself from the pigeons’ diving attacks and sharp claws.

A master of magical realism, Henry Koerner combined his childhood memories and adult observations with fantastical elements to depict the contradictions and tensions present after World War II.

Co-Curator Joshua Johnson revealed this painting’s details and its connections to surrealism during a free Thursday night tour. Every Thursday, the Figge is free and open to all with something special at 6:00 p.m.

“The Pigeons” is on view at the Figge Art Museum, presented with support from Art Bridges.
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🖼️ Henry Koerner, American 1915-1991, The Pigeons, 1948-49, Oil on board, 39 1/8 × 47 1/2 in., Loan Courtesy of Art Bridges, AB.2021.8

06/15/2026

ENTRY DEADLINE 6/21: There are just a few more days to submit your art entrues to the 44th Rock Island Art Guild Fine Arts Exhibition.

Presented by the Rock Island Art Guild and Figge Art Museum, this juried exhibition will be on view September 5, 2026, through January 10, 2027.

Artists living within 200 miles of the Figge working in any medium including, performance, sound, video, digital art, painting, sculpture, mixed media, and works on are encouraged to apply.

Submit up to three works for a $35 application fee.

🔗 Link to apply:

Read more about 44th Rock Island Art Guild Fine Arts Exhibition on CaFE

06/15/2026

Twice a month, Laura Wriedt, the Figge Outreach and Community Engagement Coordinator, facilitates an art night for high school students at Clock, Inc LGBT+ Community Center. This program provides teenagers with the opportunity to connect while creating art with Laura’s higher-end materials. Art also provides an avenue to let down barriers and share feelings. In May, this group enjoyed creating spray art with Crayola marker airbrushes and Copic and Posca markers.

The community aspect is especially important. As one student explained, “I make art a lot, but don’t often get the chance to talk to people while making art.” Laura appreciates listening to their stories and learning more about teenage culture, including Tomodachi Life character drama and their favorite DC comic heroes.

The LGBTQ+ High School Group meets at Clock, Inc. every Thursday from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Some of these students’ artwork will be for sale during the Clock, Inc. Silent Auction Night at the Figge Art Museum on Thursday, June 25 at 4:00 p.m.

06/13/2026

Looking for something to do today? Come spend your Second Saturday at the Figge and enjoy free admission and activities all day. Explore the galleries, complete a 30-minute sketch exercise, or create a mini summer masterpiece! At 2:00 p.m., Fresh Film student films will be featured in the auditorium. And you can end the day with a free session of Slow Art and Yin Yoga—a brand new Figge program!

FREE MUSEUM ADMISSION | 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

PROGRAMS & ACTIVITIES

🧘‍♂️ 10:30 a.m. | Free Yoga at the Figge (Lobby)

🖼️ 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | Art Cart in the Collection Avenue (2nd Floor)

✏️ 1:00 p.m. | Second Saturday Sketchbook Club with artist Estevan Cornejo (2nd Floor)

🖌️ 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. | Create mini summer masterpieces with artists Seth and Gina (Lobby)

🎬 2:00 p.m. | Fresh Films student film screenings with Harry Walker (Auditorium)

🧘‍♀️ 3:00 p.m. | Slow Art and Yin Yoga (NEW!) (Museum Galleries)

Don’t forget, the Figge Bar opens at 1:00 p.m. Enjoy a drink and board games with friends in the Figge Café or just take in the view.

Second Saturdays are made possible by a generous grant from the Art Bridges Foundation Access for All initiative.

06/11/2026

🤫🤫 Something is happening here.

Not in one venue.
Not for one audience.
Across an entire region.

This August, the Quad Cities will experience something new.

A celebration of creativity.
A movement built on collaboration.
A community coming together through arts and culture.

Tomorrow, we reveal what's next.

06/10/2026

On the Road with Grant.

The self-portrait, one of the Figge and the City of Davenport Art Collection’s best known and most well-traveled artworks, is on the road again—this time to Iowa’s “West Coast,” the Sioux City Art Center, for the exhibition “Pasture to Present.” Other recent trips for Grant include Manheim, Germany, and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City.

Co-Senior Curator Vanessa Sage acted as a courier for the work, supervising the unpacking and installation and checking for any condition changes to make sure Grant continues to look his best. Fun fact: he originally painted himself wearing his distinctive overalls, but later painted over them.

Opening June 13, “Pasture to Present” features five works from the Figge and the City of Davenport Art Collection, highlighting Grant Wood’s enduring influence on American art and Iowa’s cultural landscape.

If you’re exploring Iowa this summer, or headed west, stop by the Sioux City Art Center and pay Grant a visit.

06/09/2026

Facts like these make my heart happy!

King's College London performed a study and you should definitely read about it.

If you want to check it out for yourselves meet me at the Figge Art Museum this coming Saturday to try out Slow Art & Yin Yoga for free!

06/09/2026

After a week of sharing ideas, learning from colleagues, and exploring behind the scenes, the Figge's Education team spent their final day helping welcome visitors to the National Gallery of Art's America 250 Bloock Party.

Working alongside National Gallery staff and museum partners from aross the country, the team facilitated DrawTogetherStrangers, and artist-led activity that invites participants to slow down, look closely, and connect while creating a portrait of someone they've just met.

"It all felt so familiar, just on a grander scale," reflected Director of Education Heather Aaronson Martin. "Each of us were able to seamlessly slip into our roles for the day alongside the NGA staff. Welcoming people, encouraging participation, sharing moments of wonder and awe are what it's all about."

From families and friends to complete strangers, participants spent a few minutes drawing, laughing, connecting, and seeing one another in a new way.

While the setting may have been Washington, D.C., the experience reinforced something we see every day at the Figge: art has a remarkable ability to bring people together.

06/08/2026

Not every museum experience happens in a gallery.

While in Washington, D.C. members of the Figge's Education team had the opportunity to go behind the scenes with the National Gallery of Art's rare books collection, and the experience left them completely awestruck.

Among the highlights: a 15th-century book illustrated by Leonardo da Vinci and printed during his lifetime, one of only three surviving copies of Michelangelo's funeral books, and hand-painted books more than 500 years old whose colors remain as vibrant today as when they were first created.

"We were all geeking out," shared Education Director, Heather Aaronson Martin.

Moments like these are powerful reminders that museums are not only places to experience art, they are also stewards of extraordinary stories, objects, and connections that span centuries.