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    • The German Immigrant Experience
    • German Expressionist Prints
    • Immigrant Innovators: The Fruehauf Trailer Company
    • Past Exhibitions
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    • GAHC From Home
    • Internships
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The Prints of David and Sarojini Johnson

The Prints of David and Sarojini Johnson

Plan your visit

July 19th, 2025 – January 4th, 2026

3rd Floor Gallery

Collectors, educators, and artists David and Sarojini Johnson have spent decades sharing and practicing the art of printmaking. Each with their own vision and inspiration, together, their works represent a beautiful partnership and interpretation of the medium.

Explore the themes of nostalgia, community, nature, and perspective in is wonderful collection of works.

 

Companion events: 

Sunday August 10th –  Kaffee und Kuchen

 

Artist Statements

David Johnson

I don’t need a photograph to tell me what the world looks like. And we all see the world differently. Two peoples’ versions of any occurrence are always different.  

Drawing is a way of attempting to see and understand the world.  It is a graphic representation, a translation of vision into pencil lines. Sometimes we have to draw quickly, with haste. Perhaps it is getting dark or it is going to rain, the model has things to do and doesn’t want to sit all day.  There is such a thing as urgency.

An etching or a relief print elaborates and enriches the drawing and often translates it into something with added dynamics.   

What does it feel like to walk down the street, to be in the world?

He lives in Iowa City.

Sarojini Jha Johnson

My family came to the United States from India many years ago. My work reflects my preoccupation with my knowledge of India as I have experienced it through my journeys there and through stories told by my parents. Certain objects and images are persistent in my mind and are emblematic or evocative of many things, from mundane to sublime.


Some of these objects are plants such as datura and images of favorite deities such as Ganesha and Lakshmi. Uprooted people often experience a longing for things that remind them of their former home. This sort of nostalgia or yearning for familiar things, especially food, has been a part of my family’s experience for as long as I can remember.


My father grew exotic vegetables with names I do not even know in English. This amuses and amazes me. I believe that the dialog about culture and nationality is vital and that the visual arts are an important forum for communication of the subtleties and variations of individual viewpoints. Recently I have been making artist’s books that delve into the issues of climate change and the effects of human folly on the natural world. I also sometimes celebrate the beauty and mystery of the universe in these works.

Biography

Sarojini Jha Johnson has taught printmaking and foundations at Ball State University since 1985. She grew up in Ohio and earned undergraduate degrees in French and drawing from the University of Cincinnati. She received an MFA in printmaking from Miami University where she began working with animal and plant forms in her prints.  Her work places natural forms in a fictional context. An essential theme expressed is the human desire to make time stand still in order to experience a particular moment in time. Her main medium is color intaglio printmaking, a medium that allows for great creativity and invention in terms of surface and color. Recently, she has been exploring memories and impressions of India, her country of origin. Animal images such as fish and birds still emerge in this work. She also makes books that highlight the devastating effects of humankind’s tampering with nature by introducing flora and fauna that take over. 

ON INSTAGRAM
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German American Heritage Center and Museum

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Museum exploring the German immigrant experience and history of Davenport and Iowa!

Open
🎆 The museum will be closed on Friday July 4th in observance of Independence Day. 

Have a safe and fun holiday! We will be back open regular hours on Saturday.

🎆 The museum will be closed on Friday July 4th in observance of Independence Day.

Have a safe and fun holiday! We will be back open regular hours on Saturday.
…

Open
Haven't been to the museum before or has it been a while? Need something to do with out-of-town guests or kids on summer break? We are thrilled to offer FREE ADMISSION for the entire month of July! 

With new exhibitions including, "German Expressionist Prints," and "The Prints of David and Sarojini Johnson," along with our permanent exhibition, "The German Immigrant Experience," there is something for all ages and interest levels. Or just come take a look out of our 4th floor windows and take in a beautiful view of downtown Davenport and the Mississippi River.

Thank you to Cal and Jill Werner for making Free Admission in July possible.

Haven`t been to the museum before or has it been a while? Need something to do with out-of-town guests or kids on summer break? We are thrilled to offer FREE ADMISSION for the entire month of July!

With new exhibitions including, "German Expressionist Prints," and "The Prints of David and Sarojini Johnson," along with our permanent exhibition, "The German Immigrant Experience," there is something for all ages and interest levels. Or just come take a look out of our 4th floor windows and take in a beautiful view of downtown Davenport and the Mississippi River.

Thank you to Cal and Jill Werner for making Free Admission in July possible.
…

Open
Wow!
In 2024, we raised over $41,000 through Birdies for Charity! As of June 25, 2025, we have just over $34,000 pledged to the GAHC+M through Birdies for charity. Our goal for this year is to reach $42,000.

If you have already given, we express our sincere gratitude for your gift this year. If you have not given yet, consider giving a gift in any amount to help support our mission and ensure we are here for generations to come.

If you give through Birdies for Charity by July 4th, your gift will be matched 5-10%, adding to the impact you can make for present and future generations.

HOW TO DONATE:
MAIL - Send us a check made out to "Birdies for Charity"
ONLINE - Visit https://birdiesforcharity.com/donate?charity=1002#/

Wow!
In 2024, we raised over $41,000 through Birdies for Charity! As of June 25, 2025, we have just over $34,000 pledged to the GAHC+M through Birdies for charity. Our goal for this year is to reach $42,000.

If you have already given, we express our sincere gratitude for your gift this year. If you have not given yet, consider giving a gift in any amount to help support our mission and ensure we are here for generations to come.

If you give through Birdies for Charity by July 4th, your gift will be matched 5-10%, adding to the impact you can make for present and future generations.

HOW TO DONATE:
MAIL – Send us a check made out to "Birdies for Charity"
ONLINE – Visit https://birdiesforcharity.com/donate?charity=1002#/
…

Open
Cruise the Historic Rhine June 2026!

This is the LAST CHANCE to book our river cruise trip with FREE AIRFARE from the Quad Cities Airport. This offer is only good through Monday June 30th, 2025. There are still a few spaces left, but the free air offer expires tomorrow. 

Contact Linda Meadors from Blue Horizon Travel at 309-235-5806 or linda@bluehorizon.net.

For 10 days, cruise along the beautiful Rhine from Amsterdam to Lucerne, exploring all of the history, landscapes, cultures, and more on a gorgeous Emerald Cruise Star Ship.

Learn more about the trip and see the full itinerary here: https://gahc.org/travel/

Cruise the Historic Rhine June 2026!

This is the LAST CHANCE to book our river cruise trip with FREE AIRFARE from the Quad Cities Airport. This offer is only good through Monday June 30th, 2025. There are still a few spaces left, but the free air offer expires tomorrow.

Contact Linda Meadors from Blue Horizon Travel at 309-235-5806 or [email protected].

For 10 days, cruise along the beautiful Rhine from Amsterdam to Lucerne, exploring all of the history, landscapes, cultures, and more on a gorgeous Emerald Cruise Star Ship.

Learn more about the trip and see the full itinerary here: https://gahc.org/travel/
…

Open
Our Historic Summer Walking Tours kickoff this weekend! Our tours start downtown at our historic building and explore the homes and businesses of the German immigrants who lived and worked here. Learn their stories, explore history of Davenport, and appreciate the amazing architecture of the Gold Coast homes.

Tours are $10 per person and are around 1.5 miles over a 2 hour time span. Register online in our bio or call 563-322-8844. 

Upcoming tour dates: 
June 14, 28
July 12, 26
August 9, 23

https://events.humanitix.com/summer-walking-tours

Our Historic Summer Walking Tours kickoff this weekend! Our tours start downtown at our historic building and explore the homes and businesses of the German immigrants who lived and worked here. Learn their stories, explore history of Davenport, and appreciate the amazing architecture of the Gold Coast homes.

Tours are $10 per person and are around 1.5 miles over a 2 hour time span. Register online in our bio or call 563-322-8844.

Upcoming tour dates:
June 14, 28
July 12, 26
August 9, 23

https://events.humanitix.com/summer-walking-tours
…

Open
Our next Kaffee und Kuchen is this Sunday! Russ Baldner will join us and share the incredible history and architecture of Dresden. 

This program will be offered both in-person and virtually. Register online here: https://events.humanitix.com/kaffee-und-kuchen-dresden-a-royal-saxon-jewel

Our next Kaffee und Kuchen is this Sunday! Russ Baldner will join us and share the incredible history and architecture of Dresden.

This program will be offered both in-person and virtually. Register online here: https://events.humanitix.com/kaffee-und-kuchen-dresden-a-royal-saxon-jewel
…

Open
Downtown Davenport Lemonade Sip N' Shop:
🍋 Saturday, May 31 in Downtown Davenport. Stroll through locally loved shops, enjoy refreshing lemonade and take advantage of special deals at participating businesses. 

🛍️ The museum will be open 10 am - 4 pm and visitors can get 10% off any gift shop purchase! (Members get 20%)!

We have lots of neat gifts and goods from Germany. Also, all of our merchandise is tax-free! Funds generated from sales go back to supporting the museum's mission. Check out our selection of beer, canvas tote bags, kitchen and home decor, books, games, and much more.
Learn more here: https://www.downtowndavenport.com/blog-news/lemonade-sip-n-shop

Downtown Davenport Lemonade Sip N` Shop:
🍋 Saturday, May 31 in Downtown Davenport. Stroll through locally loved shops, enjoy refreshing lemonade and take advantage of special deals at participating businesses.

🛍️ The museum will be open 10 am – 4 pm and visitors can get 10% off any gift shop purchase! (Members get 20%)!

We have lots of neat gifts and goods from Germany. Also, all of our merchandise is tax-free! Funds generated from sales go back to supporting the museum`s mission. Check out our selection of beer, canvas tote bags, kitchen and home decor, books, games, and much more.
Learn more here: https://www.downtowndavenport.com/blog-news/lemonade-sip-n-shop
…

Open
We are a proud participant in Blue Star Museums which offers free admission for active military and their immediate families. The 2025 program will begin on Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 17, 2025, and run through Labor Day, September 1, 2025.

Come view our exhibitions, attend a Kaffee und Kuchen program, and more. Check out all of the participating museums here: https://www.arts.gov/blue-star-museums-map

We are a proud participant in Blue Star Museums which offers free admission for active military and their immediate families. The 2025 program will begin on Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 17, 2025, and run through Labor Day, September 1, 2025.

Come view our exhibitions, attend a Kaffee und Kuchen program, and more. Check out all of the participating museums here: https://www.arts.gov/blue-star-museums-map
…

VISIT US

German American Heritage Center & Museum
712 W 2nd St.
Davenport, IA 52802

HOURS

Tuesdays – Saturdays open 10 am – 4 pm
Sundays open 12 – 4 pm
Closed Mondays

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German American Heritage Center & Museum
712 W 2nd St.
Davenport, IA 52802
Tuesdays – Saturdays open 10 am – 4 pm
Sundays open 12 – 4 pm
Closed Mondays

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