Kaleidoscope art classes moving to Figge

Kaleidoscope, Augustana College Art Department’s children’s art program, will soon be moving to the Figge Art Museum. The Art Department has offered children’s art classes for nearly 100 years, including 42 years under the title Kaleidoscope. 

Kaleidoscope at the Figge will begin March 8. Registration information will be available in the near future at figgeartmuseum.org. 

“We are proud to have offered joyful art experiences to children of the Quad Cities for decades,” said Kaleidoscope’s long-time director Rowen Schussheim-Anderson. “We are excited to see the spirit and engagement of Kaleidoscope live on at the Figge, where we know this community art tradition will continue to thrive.”

Schussheim-Anderson, now professor emerita, founded Kaleidoscope when she joined the Augustana art faculty in 1982. Kaleidoscope has served thousands of children aged 3 to 15. Classes have met on Saturdays throughout the academic year and daily in June, which will continue at the Figge Art Museum. 

Classes taught by artists and art educators stress innovative creativity while also teaching art fundamentals. Drawing, painting, clay construction, puppetry and mixed media will continue to be explored and led by the same enthusiastic teachers.

In addition to Schussheim-Anderson, dedicated Kaleidoscope organizers include registrar Julie Schneider, past co-directors Corrine Smith and Megan Quinn, and Heike Ehlers ’86, who taught 33 years of Kaleidoscope classes.

“Kaleidoscope’s innovative approach to hands-on artmaking will continue in the Figge’s sun-filled studios, just a seven-minute drive from campus,” said Schussheim-Anderson. “Classes will be similarly affordably priced and maintain a similar schedule. We are grateful to all the parents who brought their children to the Augustana College Art Department for art-filled mornings, and we look forward to seeing returning and new families at Kaleidoscope at the Studio School at the Figge.”

Located in downtown Davenport since 2005, the Figge is a premier art exhibition and education facility. The museum offers classes to kids, teens and adults of all skill levels. 

"We're excited to welcome Kaleidoscope to the Figge, a program that has positively impacted so many children in our community through its creative, hands-on approach," said Melissa Mohr, executive director and CEO of the Figge Art Museum. "Art education is such an important part of a child's growth, fostering everything from creativity to problem-solving skills. With Kaleidoscope at the Figge, we're ensuring that this important program continues to enrich the lives of children across the QC."