The Figge (originally the Davenport Municipal Art Gallery) opened in 1925, through a gift of 334 European and Mexican Colonial paintings. Today, the collections have grown over ten-fold and include more than 3,500 paintings, sculpture, and works on paper from the 16th century to the present.
In 2003, the museum launched its next phase of growth: relocation to the heart of downtown Davenport in an 100,000 sq. ft. facility overlooking the Mississippi designed by London architect David Chipperfield. Some of the courses will be taught at the museum as it serves as a dynamic laboratory for Museum Studies students.