Sporting Fashion and Storms and Silver Linings: Art at the Figge
We are so lucky to have the Figge Art Museum here in the Quad Cities. I stopped by to check out the fantastic traveling exhibit called Sporting Fashion: Outdoor Girls 1800 to 1960 and also had a chance to take in Storms and Silver Linings.
Sporting Fashion: Outdoor Girls 1800 to 1960
At the Figge: February 14 – May 7, 2023
3rd & 4th Floor Galleries
WOW! What an exhibit.
The mannequins, the material, the merchandise, and the marvelous detail brought us right to the space where female athletes were dressing for their activities. The balance of safety and comportment clearly warred with the need for movement and prowess as the dress altered over the years.
We were entertained by the athletic efforts of promenading and picnicking along with “summer motoring.” The 1965 Harley Davidson FLHB Electra Glide Motorcycle from the Harley Davidson Museum and a model A Lindsay Roadster, Circa 1890, from Antique Archaeology brought the activities to life.
One of our favorite displays included early inline skates that looked like bicycle wheels and shoulder cages that held up poofy sleeves.
Croquet was a leading reason for higher hemlines showing how sports and leisure impacted fashion and decorum rules. The shorter skirt length kept the shirts out of the muck and made for fairer playing between the genders. Anyone that has been watching Bridgerton on Netflix will attest to the popularity of the sport and the importance of altered fashion due to the competitive croquet precursor called pall-mall.
Having a young son who is very particular about changing behind curtains, I wish the displayed cabine de deshabillage – a personal changing tent - was an option when we need to switch athletic gear in the back of our van or at the beach.
My favorite display of the collection was the section about Mountaineering. Women were climbing rock faces in what I would call long cumbersome skirts! The photos and video along with the delightfully decorated mannequin clearly showcased hiking for women at that time.
She wore a “split skirt made of heavy cotton duck; the center-front flap conceals the division between the legs, and could be folded over and buttoned along the left side to supposedly allow greater mobility.” What?? I can’t even imagine. I’m grateful for those that paved the way for lighter outerwear for women.
The wonderful docent suggested the colors (often a brownish tan) were selected to keep up the appearance of cleanliness even if the outfits got dusty.
Sporting Fashion is organized by the American Federation of Arts and the FIDM Museum at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, Los Angeles. Its stop in Davenport is made possible due to the MME: the Figge Art Museum’s Major Exhibitions Endowment. “The endowment was established through the generous donations of individuals, families, businesses, and organizations across the Quad Cities community in 2018 and enables the museum to present a major exhibition every other year in perpetuity.” (Press Release)
I am continuously grateful for area patrons funding such fantastic exhibitions for our enjoyment.
Zaiga Minka Thorson: Storms sand Silver Linings
At the Figge: January 28 – May 7, 2023
1st Floor: Gildehaus Gallery
As a wonderful bonus, I also toured Zaiga Minka Thorson’s moving exhibition Storms and Silver Linings. I was truly touched by this deeply emotional collection. While it is unfortunate some of her art was inspired by her father’s murder, the art developed from that absolutely cuts to the heart of pain and healing providing us with a powerful message.
You’ll read “the imagery evoked in Thorson’s paintings and installation recall memories of childhood, her concept of spirituality, life’s joyous moments, and the power of the divine in nature.”
Members of the art community worked together on the piece hanging from the ceiling titled: Spirit Vessel. During the creating process, “participants were encouraged to reflect on what they were grateful for while releasing their burdens by writing, drawing, or manipulating fabric strips attached to the vessel.” The deep meaning and emotion roll off this piece in waves. It was hard to catch my breath.
My favorite piece from this exhibit was called Seeking Closure. As someone who lost a parent at a younger age, I felt this one deep in my bones. The piece captured my feelings of closure and never being able to gain closure. It was amazing. Ms. Thorson’s work is not to be missed!
This site-specific installation from a very talented Thorson invites you to interact. You can tell your story by writing on cloth and adding them to the boat in the center of the exhibit. The supporting sponsor is The Current Iowa Hotel and contributing sponsors are Wynne and David Schafer.
Written by Meghan Cooley
Meghan Cooley moved to the Quad Cities from St. Charles, IL, as an Augustana College student over 20 years ago. She left briefly after graduation and then returned to work in admissions and then marketing at Augustana College for 18 years. She now works as a consultant for admissions marketing and social media. She also does copy editing and writes for the Quad City Moms Blog. Now a true Quad Cities transplant, Meghan lives in Rock Island with her husband, Luke (R.O.W.V.A. and Augustana grad and Modern Woodmen employee) and four boys. She loves living in the Quad Cities and finds it the perfect place to raise a family, plan a date night, and go on adventures.