Rose Frantzen's portrait of her hometown of Maquoketa, Iowa, is a multi-layered installation that began in 2006 when she invited townspeople to sit and have their portraits painted in a public studio she set up in a downtown storefront. The resulting 180 portraits, of sitters ranging in age from a few weeks to over 90, were shown at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC, in 2009. Subsequently, Frantzen painted a panoramic view of the town, seen across autumn fields, on 34 vertical panels. In the finished work, the panels hang in arcs across the gallery, with the portraits installed on their reverse sides, creating a composite portrait of a typical Midwestern town. An audio element by John Frantzen completes the scene. Created with an initial grant from the Iowa Arts Council, the work was acquired by the Figge Art Museum for its permanent collection in 2013, thanks to the generous efforts of multiple donors.
On view October 1, 2016-February 12, 2017
Exhibition sponsors:
Companion Events:
Exhibition Tours
2-4 pm Sunday, October 2
7 pm Thursday, October 20
Curator Talk
Rose Frantzen, with engineering assistance from Chuck Morris and audio compositions by John Frantzen, Portrait of Maquoketa: The Dimensional View, 2005–2012, oil on multiple panels with audio, Figge Art Museum Collection, Museum purchase with funds contributed by: Judy Kern and Kent Whealy, James and Marcia Borel, Andrew and Debi Butler, Mark and Deborah Schwiebert, The Henry Family Foundation, Amir and Lisa Arbisser, The Beaux Arts Fund Committee, Frances Emerson and Robert McClurg, J. Hunt and Diane Harris II, Chris and Mary Rayburn, Susan Quail, Barney and Sandra Barnhill, Don Doucette and Lynn Drazinski, James Havercamp, Delia and Dave Meier, Jim and Michelle Russell, Mark and Dana Wilkinson, Tara Barney, Cynthia Carlson, John and Kay Hall, Kay Runge, Rick and Nancy Seidler, the Friends of the Figge and the Figge Art Museum Acquisitions Fund, 2015.1
Seating By Design