Davenport, Iowa - An Iowa artist – and a native of Rock Island – examines the contrast and similarities between two well-known Iowa pastimes: political involvement and state fairs. “Iowa Pastimes: Politics and State Fairs – Works by Thomas C. Jackson,” sponsored by Iowa American Water, will be on view June 16-Sept. 9 at the Figge Art Museum, 225 W. 2 nd St., Davenport. Jackson himself will be on hand to present “Making American Pictures,” a lecture about his work, at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 19, at the Figge. The lecture is free with paid admission or membership. Admission is $7 for adults, $6 for students and senior citizens, and $4 for those ages 4-12.

Organized by the Figge Art Museum and sponsored by Iowa American Water, this exhibition takes place in the summer of 2007, when Iowa will again provide a political landscape for presidential campaigns and an arena for summer fun at the state fair. Both reveal excesses and visual spectacle captured gloriously by Jackson’s paintings. Iowa’s caucuses and early primaries signal the start of a long political season that features prominently in presidential campaigns. “State fairs represent activism on a different level, an annual tradition of participation and interaction,” Jackson said. “Both share crowds of people, over-the-top marketing, and a sensory overload that I have explored through my work.”

“Iowa-American Water Co. is proud to support an artist of Thomas C. Jackson’s caliber whose work not only exemplifies patriotism but also represents Iowa themes and images,” said Brock Earnhardt, general manager of Iowa American Water. “We are pleased to assist the Figge in bringing this outstanding exhibition to the Quad-Cities and our Iowa-American customers.”

 Jackson was born in Rock Island, Ill., in 1950. He studied studio art at Western Illinois University in Macomb, Ill., where he received a bachelor of arts degree in 1972 and attended the University of Notre Dame, where he earned a master of fine arts degree in 1974. After spending many years in education and marketing, Jackson has been painting full time since 2000. He often works in series, allowing the visual exploration and development of a theme, such as the paintings of American imagery presented in Iowa Pastimes.

“During the 2004 political campaign I became fascinated with how political parties used visual and verbal symbols, and used people as symbols to create a policy position in voters’ minds,” he said. “I began using pieces of images from the media in my painting. At a time when we are constantly bombarded with images from television, the internet, movies, outdoor advertising, etc., I seek images that are engaging and stand out from the “visual noise” in our society. I focus on finding the extraordinary in ordinary American life. “

Visit the Figge Art Museum. For more information, call (563) 326-7804 or visit http://www.figgeartmuseum.org