The Figge Art Museum in downtown Davenport has a lot to celebrate - it opened 15 years ago this month, and it's paid off its construction debt. So Friday night it'll end 15 days of special anniversary events by burning its mortgage.
Executive Director and CEO Michelle Hargrave says people can join the party online, while a few invited guests will be on hand in person for what she calls the "safe detonation."
"We actually have a three foot mortgage that we will be detonating and lighting on fire to symbolically say good-bye to that debt."
That'll be held at Tony and Joyce Singh's property, Prairie Oaks.
Hargrave says the anniversary and celebration are made possible by strong community support, with donations through the years ranging from 50 dollars to 13 million dollars.
"I think that the museum has really become a place that's the gathering center - it's the cultural anchor of the Quad Cities. And for many people it's not only a place where they get to experience world class art but it's also a place where they can connect with others."
It began as the Davenport Municipal Art Galley, opening in 1928, then became the Davenport Museum of Art in the 1960's, when it moved to Museum Hill next to the Putnam Museum. The Figge opened at its current downtown Davenport site in August 2005.
The next major exhibition will open in February - "For America: 200 Years of Painting from the National Academy of Design."
