PWP Community Partner Spotlight: Figge Art Museum
People with Purpose have been volunteering at the Figge Art Museum for about two years. The group helps the museum maintain their Family Activity Center. The Center is a space where families with children, or the young at heart, can play, draw, making fun craft projects, dress up, or just generally get creative. People with Purpose helps the Figge staff ensure that the space is always well stocked with art supplies, that everything is organized and put back in its designated space, and that everything is clean and tidy as possible after having many visitors walk through the museum and use the space.
The Figge Art Museum’s mission is to bring art and people together. Located on the Mississippi River in downtown Davenport at 225 West Second Street, the Figge is the premier art exhibition and education facility between Chicago and Des Moines. Its landmark glass building, designed by British architect David Chipperfield, is home to one of the Midwest’s finest art collections and presents world-class exhibitions, art classes, lectures, and special events that attract visitors of all ages from across the Quad Cities region and beyond.
“People with Purpose volunteers perform a necessary function of preparing our Family Activity Center for visitors. Without their support this task would need to be done by members of Figge staff which would diminish their ability to complete other assignments,” said Joshua Johnson, Studio School Manager for the Figge. Joshua helps facilitate the wide variety of class offerings at the museum. This includes over 200 art camps and classes a year serving over 8,000 students of all ages. He most recently took on the new challenge of being the Co-Senior Curator at the museum, where he oversees exhibitions and collections.
To get involved like People with Purpose, there are many volunteer opportunities at the Figge. Volunteers work in education, curatorial, administrative support, and visitor services. Volunteers serve as Figge ambassadors and active advocates for the museum daily. Together, volunteers and staff members work to adhere to the museum’s mission of public service through the use of art. If you are interested in becoming a Figge volunteer, please visit https://figgeartmuseum.org/join-and-support/volunteer.
The museum is open to the public 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. on Thursdays; and 12-5 p.m. on Sundays. Reservations are not required but can be made at www.figgeartmuseum.org or by calling 563-345-6632. Admission to the museum 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 to all on Thursday evenings. You can become a member for as little as $50 by visiting the Figge website.
