The Figge Art Museum has been awarded a million-dollar grant from the Iowa Economic Development Authority’s Destination Iowa Creative Placemaking Fund to install a new public light sculpture, Evanescent Field, by internationally acclaimed light artist Leo Villareal. Evanescent Field is a light installation that uses binary code and simple structures to create complex light sequences. The installation will be located at the Figge Art Museum in Iowa City, Iowa.
The Figge Museum has been planning to light the building for a long time. When British architect Sir David Chipperfield designed the museum’s current building, he wanted to light it up with light to make it look like a beautiful, ethereal glow at night. But because the construction costs for the building went over budget, this didn’t happen. But over time, an idea came up to use light and art to transform the Figge Museum into a public artwork that everyone can experience.
Governor Reynolds and Destination Iowa have donated money to the Figge Art Museum so that Leo Villareal’s work can be seen by everyone in Davenport. This donation is in addition to other contributions from the Regional Development Authority, the Bechtel Charitable Trusts, and other generous donors. This will help energize the riverfront for residents and visitors and make Davenport a more exciting place to live.
Leo Villareal will work with RDG Lighting and Figge staff to create Evanescent Field, a light sculpture made up of over 3,000 linear feet of powerful full-color LED fixtures. The sculpture will be integrated into all four sides of the building, and will be activated at nightfall so that it can brilliantly illuminate, Figge’s landmark glass building. This light sculpture will help to enhance the riverfront by providing cultural, educational, recreational, and community-building opportunities for residents and tourists, and will increase tourism to the region.
Villareal is creating a light sculpture that will light up all four sides of the Figge Art Museum. The sculpture will be integrated into David Chipperfield’s beautiful architecture, and the goal is for it to be enjoyable for everyone in the Quad Cities. Sir David Chipperfield, the architect of the Figge Art Museum, is excited about it.
The Figge Art Museum will spend $4 million to install a light sculpture on its façade. The Destination Iowa award will provide $1.6 million of that money, and the Figge will contribute the additional $2.4 million.
The Figge partnered with the City of Davenport on a project called “Creative Placemaking.” This project received $8 million from the government to improve the downtown area of Davenport. One part of this project is installing public art sculptures, like the one by artist Villareal. This artwork has the potential to increase tourism and have an economic impact. For example, according to the project’s economic impact assessment, the artwork has been seen by over 50 million people and has added $97 million to the local economy.
The Evanescent Field art installation will be a big attraction for people visiting downtown Davenport and the waterfront. It will be easy to see and free to visit, making it a great place to spend an evening. Everyone within a few miles of the Figge will be able to see the building’s illumination at night. This will help make downtown more vibrant and inviting, and help create a sense of community among people in the area.
Evanescent Field was made possible by donations from people who care about the environment. The Iowa Economic Development Authority and the Regional Development Authority helped give the project a boost, and a leadership gift from the Bechtel Charitable Trusts made it possible to add lights to the sculpture. Additional support came from people who donated money in memory of John Kahl Figge, Thomas K. and Jennifer Figge, the William and Marie Wise Family Foundation, and the late Don and Connie Decker. Evanescent Field is also made possible through generous donations from Carmen and Jack Darland, John Anderson, Joseph D’Souza, Don Doucette and Lynn Drazinski, Patrick and Kristena Downing, Ken Koupal and Tom Kersting, Carolyn and Joseph Martin, Anonymous, Aleeza Singh and Kyle Ekberg, Mark and Dana Wilkinson, Matt and Tracy Schwind, and Annika Tunberg.
The Figge Art Museum is a place where you can see beautiful art, learn about it, and share your ideas with other people. It’s located near the river in downtown Davenport, and its landmark glass building is filled with beautiful art. You can come see world-class exhibitions, attend art classes, or just hang out and enjoy the beautiful paintings and sculptures.