This Tuesday night, July 15, the public is invited to a free celebration of 25 years of the Metro Arts Youth Apprenticeship Program, one of Quad City Arts’ most impactful and beloved initiatives, at 6 p.m. at the Figge Art Museum, 225 W. 2^nd St., Davenport.

Since its start in 2000, Metro Arts has empowered young creatives across the region with a powerful message: art is work, and young artists are essential to the vitality and creative backbone of our communities.

Open to youth ages 15 to 21, Metro Arts is a paid, five-week summer apprenticeship where participants work side-by-side with professional artists on real, public-facing projects. From murals and mosaics to poetry, live performances, and digital storytelling, apprentices shape the creative landscape of the Quad Cities while gaining invaluable professional experience.

Apprentices receive a stipend of $500, and Senior Apprentices (project leaders) receive a stipend of $750.

A Metro Arts mural completed in summer 2024 in downtown Rock Island, 4th Avenue and 19th Street (photo by Jonathan Turner).

This year’s session features four bold projects that speak to the heart of community:

• Good Neighbor Project Mural (416 N. Harrison St, Davenport)
  Led by Sarah Robb, this mural near the Davenport Police Department (SW corner of 5th & Harrison) celebrates connection, trust, and neighborhood pride.
  Funded by Downtown Davenport Partnership, Quad City Bank & Trust, and the Davenport Noon Optimists.
• Lonnie Ray’s Academy Mural (815 9th St., Rock Island)
  Also led by Sarah Robb, this mural honors the history and future of Rock Island’s West End through the lens of youth empowerment.
  Funded by the City of Rock Island and the Rock Island Arts & Beautification Commission.

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  The right side end of the 90-foot-long new Milan mural, painted over five weeks, four hours a day, four days a week (photo by Jonathan Turner).

• Buckrop Chiropractic Mural (331 4th St. W, Milan)
  Led by Heidi Sallows, this vibrant, nature-inspired mural with patriotic themes is transforming downtown Milan.
  Funded by the Quad Cities Community Foundation – Grant W. Brissman and Virginia M. Brissman Foundation.
  • Documentary Filmmaking Project
    Led by Stacy Barton of Augustana College, this team is capturing the 25-year legacy of Metro Arts through film—highlighting voices from past and present.

  “These apprentices aren’t just painting walls—they’re building the creative backbone of the Quad Cities,” says Ben Gougeon, performing arts director at Quad City Arts. “We’re proud to celebrate this milestone year—having completed roughly 113 community-based projects—and to work alongside amazing community partners who make it all possible.”

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  A new Metro Arts mural done on the side of Lonnie Ray’s Academy, 815 9th St., Rock Island.

  The program will be celebrating with a special Metro Arts 25th Anniversary Showcase on Tuesday, July 15 at the Figge Art Museum. Sponsored by MetroNet, the evening will feature finished projects, alumni reflections, and a celebration of the mentorship, creativity, and youth voice that have defined Metro Arts for a quarter century.

  The city of Davenport, Davenport Police Department, and Metro Arts on July 11 celebrated the completion of a new mural honoring the Good Neighbor Project.

  The mural is on the train bridge wall next to the Davenport Police Department building on Harrison Street. Created in the spirit of the Good Neighbor Project mission, the mural represents connected neighborhoods, meaningful relationships, and Davenport pride. Now in its fifth year, there are 154 GNP partners citywide.

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  The new Good Neighbor Project mural done by Metro Arts in downtown Davenport, off Harrison Street near the Davenport Police Department.

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  “You can think of GNP as a rebranding of the traditional Neighborhood Watch, only with more heart,” says Allie McWilliams, Community Engagement Coordinator. “This mural is more than just a work of art. It will be an inclusive destination for all to admire, take a picture, and maybe even strike up a conversation with a new neighbor.”

  McWilliams and Davenport Police Sgt. Andrew Harris kicked off the mural project after visiting Madison, Wis., and seeing a mural there that inspired them to bring the idea to Davenport. They brought in Quad City Arts’ Metro Arts, an artist apprenticeship program, to design and paint the mural over five weeks.

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  Metro Arts students working on the new mural July 7, 2025 on the side of the Buckrop Chiropractic building, 331 4th Street West, Milan (photo by Jonathan Turner).

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  “The student artists are driven, hard-working, and kind,” says Sgt. Harris. “The mural is a beautiful reflection of their vision and their voice.”

  Advance registration for the Metro Arts Showcase is required by calling 309-793-1213. You can see a map of all Metro Arts completed murals HERE.

The Buckrop Chiropractic mural in downtown Milan (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.