Friends of MLK, Downtown Davenport Partnership, and Quad City Arts are seeking the design and installation of a public mural to be created in Davenport, painted on the north-facing wall of the train bridge on the southeast corner of Brady and 5^th streets.

It will be across 5^th Street from MLK Park and the MLK Interpretive Center. This mural will be the first installation in a series of installations around the center and park.

This mural project seeks to honor the resilience and vibrancy of Black Davenport in the late 1880s through the early 1900s, focusing on the intersection of race, community, entertainment, and labor, according to a release from Quad City Arts. Using archival imagery from the era, the artist should highlight daily life, entrepreneurship, and social gatherings in a style that emphasizes warmth and dignity for all.

Quad City Arts, Friends of MLK and Downtown Davenport Partnership are seeking qualified artists to paint a new mural on this wall on the train bridge on the southeast corner of Brady and 5th streets (photo by Jonathan Turner).

The mural will highlight the history of Davenport’s African-American owned businesses.

The paintable surface of the wall is approximately 105 feet long and 11 feet tall. The chosen artist will be paid $17,500.

The following dates are part of the project timetable:

• March 25, 2026 – All questions shall be submitted via email to rfq@quadcityarts.com
• March 30, 2026 – Deadline for submissions at 9 a.m. online at form.jotform.com/260627026956159 or via email to rfq@quadcityarts.com.
• March 31-April 15, 2026 – Qualifications review, 3 finalists selected. Finalists to receive $500 stipend.
• • May 2026 – Final designs submitted and selected. Selected artist to meet with mural selection committee to go over design, logistics, timeline, and budget.
  • June 2026 – mural completed, subject to weather
    • This timeline will be agreed upon with the building owner and the artist, and weather pending.
    • Targeted completion deadline of June 18, with a dedication ceremony on June 19.
  

  The stage and green space at MLK Park and Interpretive Center, operated by the Friends of MLK in downtown Davenport (photo by Jonathan Turner).

  To apply, email a PDF to rfq@quadcityarts.com including the following information or submit online at form.jotform.com/260627026956159:

  • Name, phone number, email, and 2 references with contact info.
  • Website, Instagram, or other online profiles, if applicable.
  • Include 3-5 images of completed murals, including your most recent. Min. 900×900 jpg. No images embedded within PDFs, please.

  A brief bio about you as an artist and your process. For more information on the mural project, click HERE.

An artist will be chosen in May to paint this wall across from MLK Park by June 18, and will receive $17,500 for their work (photo by Jonathan Turner).

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Jonathan Turner

Jonathan Turner -- who has called the Quad Cities home since 1995 -- has decades of experience as a professional journalist and pianist. His experience writing for daily newspapers, public radio and local TV encompasses a wide range of subjects, including the arts, politics, education, economic development, historic preservation, business, and tourism.

Jonathan most loves writing about music and the arts (which he now does as a freelancer for the River Cities Reader and Visit Quad Cities). He has a passion for accompanying musicals, singers, choirs and instrumentalists, including playing for QC Music Guild's 2023 productions of RENT and SWEENEY TODD. He is assistant music director and accompanist for the spring 2025 Music Guild show, ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE. He wrote an original musical based on The Book of Job, which premiered at Playcrafters in 2010. Jonathan penned a 175-page history book about downtown Davenport, that was published by The History Press in 2016, and a travel guide about the QC published by Reedy Press in 2022.