Winter Exhibits in the QC 2023
Featuring an 18-foot, life-size model of a male narwhal, the exhibition examines “the unicorn of the sea.” The Putnam Museum and Science Center is thrilled to host the Smithsonian traveling exhibition Narwhals: Revealing an Arctic Legend. From their depiction in the 1500s as angry sea monsters to their status as icons of pop culture today, the narwhal, with its unique spiral tusk, has inspired legend in Inuit and European society and fascinated people across cultures for centuries. This mysterious animal and its changing ecosystem are highlighted in this Smithsonian traveling exhibition. It opens February 4th.
As part of Black History Month, Quad City Arts and Azubuike African American Council for the Arts have partnered to curate a juried, group exhibition of artists of African descent at the Quad City Arts gallery. Both organizations support artists in multiple ways because they believe that art matters and art is for everyone. 40 works of art by 22 artists of African descent will be on view. The gallery exhibit will be on display from February 3 to March 17, 2023.
Local artist, Black Hawk College Professor Emerita and Michigan native Zaiga Minka Thorson’s work will be featured in the Figge Art Museum’s first-floor Gildehaus Gallery at the Figge Art Museum beginning Saturday. Her work demonstrates the power of art to heal not only the viewer but the maker as well. Zaiga Minka Thorson: Storms and Silver Linings will be on view in the Figge’s first floor Gildehaus Gallery and includes a site-specific installation of Spirit Vessel, a suspended boat made of wire and fabric, serving as a repository to carry away pain and burdens. Above Spirit Vessel, glowing papier mache orbs will be suspended, representing hope, gratitude and spiritual connections. Zaiga Minka Thorson: Storms and Silver Linings will be on view through May 7, 2023.
Opening February 11 at the Figge Art Museum, Sporting Fashion: Outdoor Girls 1800 to 1960 highlights ensembles worn by women that enabled them to compete and excel. The exhibition displays the modernity, individuality, and mobility of the “new woman” and demonstrates the continued fight for equality. Sporting Fashion: Outdoor Girls 1800 to 1960 is organized into eight themes. Each explores how clothing met the needs of new pursuits for women. On display through May 7.
Blaudruck is a beautiful and tedious process that is a traditional folk art in Germany, Austria, Czechia, Hungary, and Slovakia. It translates to “blue print” and is a resist-dye technique used on textiles. This folk art traces its origins in Europe back to the 16th century. Blaudruck grew and was extremely popular in Europe through the 18th and 19th centuries. Learn about the history, process, and preservation of this special and traditional art form on display at the German American Heritage Center through May.
Operate a crane, shop for groceries, sort mail, and climb into a tree house at the fun-filled and interactive Family Museum. This hands-on museum located in Bettendorf, Iowa, is geared towards children 8 and younger and encourages families to play and learn together.