Davenport, Iowa or nearby

[El Rhino]

Originally Posted by mfrerkes

The Figge Art museum blows away anything you'll find in Des Moines or Iowa City. It's brand new downtown and, at 10 stories tall, has a massive collection of art most cities much larger than Davenport would kill for.
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I've never been to the Figge Museum, but it does look impressive from the website. Have you actually been to the Des Moines Art Center though? That museum is nothing to scoff at and there's another smaller branch of it downtown now. I don't know if it is better than Davenport's, just wondering if you really know what the Des Moines one is like.

[mfrerkes]

Originally Posted by El Rhino

I don't know if it is better than Davenport's, just wondering if you really know what the Des Moines one is like.

I've been to the Des Moines art museum and it is also very nice. The circular atrium is pretty cool looking, and they have a nice collection of art as well. My intentions are not to get into some p*ssing contest about who has the better museum or who has the better riverfront or who has the better hockey team.

I was only debunking the myth that Davenport is a dying city with rampant crime and nothing to do. People who make those type of idiotic blanket statements have either never been to Davenport, or just spent five minutes in one unsavory neighborhood without exploring the rest of it.

[RonnieJonez]

Davenport may have their museum, but Des Moines has the 4th biggest art show in the country!

I'm not sure what measuring stick they use for that...but you hear about it way too much.

So basically in terms of art, one needs to goto London, Paris, New York, and Des Moines. Oddly enough, there's too many residents in Des Moines who consider it to be more like those cities than Davenport.

Somebody will ask me to prove this (thinking they are being smart in the process), but anyone from a bigger city who has been here can easily verify. If you really need hard proof pick up a DMJuice or Core magazine.

[El Rhino]

Originally Posted by RonnieJonez

Somebody will ask me to prove this (thinking they are being smart in the process), but anyone from a bigger city who has been here can easily verify. If you really need hard proof pick up a DMJuice or Core magazine.

Because they're smarter, right?

[jeffs]

London, Paris, New York, and ....... Des Moines?? LOL. Im assuming the only people that say that, have never been out of the state of Iowa.

[metro223]

Originally Posted by jeffs

London, Paris, New York, and ....... Des Moines?? LOL. Im assuming the only people that say that, have never been out of the state of Iowa.

No one in IA thinks the museums in IA are like those of 'World Cities.' ... that being said, just because a museum is in IA or any other state doesn't mean that the art is worthless and the museum is in a double-wide trailer. It's all relative, and I think everyone understands that. I don't understand what RonnieJonez was talking about.

[HeneryHawk]

Look the Figge is a beautiful facility, great location, and some nice art ( actually some very good pieces, the Sol Lewitt pieces, plus a nice Grant Wood collection, the Haitian stuff , but is has a bunch of crappy Mexican colonial stuff that looks like bad copies or 1600 and 1700s European stuff, and some bad landscape stuff...the last two are a collection that would kill in my opinion ).

The Des Moines Art Center is neat for its setting, the Eliel Saarineen, I M Pei, and Meier designed wings, the collection is nice, good pieces.

Go to Iowa City if you really want to see some very reknowned art works ( the University facility is not distinct at all ), with a huge Pollock, a smaller one, a real real nice Motherwell, a Rothko and Gottlieb among the many nice ones.

Davenport isnt a dangerous city and for anyone to say that is simply small minded, as is saying that there is more to do in Iowa City, or Des Moines for that matter. It really comes down to what you like to do, what you are interested in ( for if you dont look around, it doesnt matter where you go, you wont find much ), and how proactive you are.