09/03/2026
The โ44th Rock Island Art Guild Fine Arts Exhibitionโ opens this Saturday at the Figge!
Featuring 65 works by 58 artists living within 200 miles of the museum, this yearโs exhibition offers a compelling look at the breadth of artistic practice in our region today, from painting, sculpture, and photography to experimental video, assemblage, and collage.
What can 65 works by 58 artists tell us about art being made in our region today? Co-Senior Curator Joshua Johnson takes us inside this year's exhibition, sharing what surprised him as it came together, the connections he discovered among the works, and what the exhibition reveals about contemporary art in the Midwest.
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ฒ๐
๐ต๐ถ๐ฏ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ฒ๐น๐น ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐?
First and foremost, it demonstrates that the Midwest is home to an extraordinary range of talented artists. Because arts coverage tends to focus on the coasts and major urban centers, there can be an assumption that the middle of the country does not have the same richness of cultural and artistic activity. Exhibitions like the Rock Island Art Guild Fine Arts Exhibition prove that is simply not true.
The exhibition also reflect certain artistic traditions that have long been associated with the Midwest. Figuration has deep roots in the region, from American Regionalism to the Chicago Imagists and the Hairy Who. Although this exhibition includes some excellent abstract work, most of the selected pieces are representational, and many incorporate the human figure in some way. It is interesting to see contemporary artists continuing that history while bringing their own perspectives and concerns to it.
๐ Plan your visit today!
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๐ผ๏ธ Installation view: "44th Rock Island Art Guild Fine Arts Exhibition," Figge Art Museum, 2026
EXHIBITION SPONSORS ๐
Premier Sponsor: Rock Island Art Guild
Media Sponsor: KLJB FOX-18
