Saturday In The Arts is a weekly look at a personality, place, trend or topic of interest to the Quad-Cities. It runs every Saturday morning on your site for fun, free, local entertainment and features, QuadCities.com. Ludwig van Beethoven was not an easy person to like in real life, but 250 years after his birth, the monumental musical genius is easy to love and admire with a jaw-dropping sense of awe. He’s a protean superhero who had to overcome so much adversity, and is being justly celebrated in the Quad-Cities and around the world. The Quad City Symphony Orchestra titled this 2020-21 season... Read More

Heartland Connections – based in Cambridge, Ill. — has launched a campaign to collect videos of holiday songs, stories, and messages, of which a special program will be created and sent to nursing homes, hospitals, and those most affected by the challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic. The deadline for submissions is Dec. 22, and programs will be delivered via email on Dec. 23. All are welcome and encouraged to submit and sign up to receive the program at no cost. To submit videos or sign up to receive a copy of the program, visit www.cheerrr.com.  Read More

The Quad City Symphony Orchestra will livestream its Holiday Brass concert Saturday, Dec. 12 at 7:30 p.m., from the Central DeWitt Performing Arts Center. The livestream and recording will be available for $25 per household. The concert will be available via digital access through Jan. 11, 2021. Conducted by QCSO music director Mark Russell Smith, the program features 13 brass players from the orchestra, plus timpani and percussion, and includes holiday favorites like “Hark the Herald Angels Sing,” “Adeste Fideles,” “Silent Night,” “Nutcracker Suite,” “Jesu Bambino,” “Joy... Read More

Two local nonprofit institutions – the Figge Art Museum and United Way Quad Cities – are holding unique online auctions. The Figge (225 W. 2nd St., Davenport) is having its first “Art Off the Wall” auction, aiming to raise $15,000 for the museum and its mission “to bring art and people together through the healing power of art.” It first provided member-only access (Dec. 7-10) to bid on the 86 donated pieces of painting, sculpture, jewelry and other beautiful objects, and the public auction online will go through Sunday, said Tessa Pozzi, membership and database manager. All bidding... Read More

To help her cope with a traumatic, unprecedented year, Rock Island native Lissie Maurus turned to some of her favorite songs by female artists. The 38-year-old, internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter recorded five of them for a new EP of covers, “Thank You To The Flowers,” out now via Cooking Vinyl. Listen to or purchase the EP here. It features the new single, “Wrecking Ball” – a stunning take on the Miley Cyrus mega-hit – with a video produced by fellow Rock Island High School alum Ben Chappell. “Thank you to Miley Cyrus and the brilliant writers who created this unbelievable... Read More

In a crazy year when most theaters and choirs have canceled performances, the Nova Singers have found a way to come together in person, to bring some much-needed peace, love and joy into our lives on Saturday. Under the direction of their fearless, passionate founder, Dr. Laura Lane, the 20-member vocal ensemble will present its first livestream event on Saturday, Dec. 12 at 7:30 p.m. On Facebook Live, “Peace, Love, Joy!” will feature solos, small group performances, and songs by the whole ensemble, with commentary by artistic director Laura Lane, director of choral activities at Knox College,... Read More

At the close of a year that has very much gone wrong, Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse has made another difficult decision – to postpone its forthcoming comedy, “The Play That Goes Wrong,” from this January to January 2022. “With the explosion of Covid–19 cases in the last few weeks, and our governor reverting back to the restrictions of Stage 3, coupled with the huge post-Thanksgiving surge anticipated in the next 2 weeks, and the post-Christmas increase, it was abundantly clear we had to postpone the show,” Circa ‘’21 producer Denny Hitchcock said Wednesday. “Our main concern,... Read More

In a normal holiday season, about 6,000 people would see Ballet Quad Cities’ “The Nutcracker” at Davenport’s Adler Theatre, including a free performance for area schoolchildren. But of course, 2020 is anything but normal – so a select, supremely fortunate 180 patrons are able to enjoy a new “Nutcracker in the Round” this month at The Outing Club, 2109 Brady St., Davenport. Due to the November Iowa restrictions for Covid prevention, a maximum of 15 guests are allowed to see the professional ballet company at one time, in a ballroom that can seat 500. Ballet Quad Cities originally planned... Read More

United Way Quad Cities is accepting applications for its new United for Equity Fund grants, with up to $200,000 to distribute — supported by local business and industry leaders as well as individual gifts. Applications will be accepted through United Way’s website until noon Jan. 8. The ideas of 450 Quad Citizens, brought up during 29 small-group conversations at the Quad-Cities Equity Summit in October, have informed and inspired the framework for United Way’s United for Equity initiative, aimed to reduce and prevent racial disparities affecting the education, income and health in the... Read More

Janessa Calderon’s young, fast-growing career has led her to exactly the perfect place. The driven, 26-year-old native of Muscatine, Iowa, is the new executive director (and the youngest Latina in the job) of the Greater Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce (GQCHCC). After more than two years working for the nonprofit, the board promoted Calderon to the position – its only paid staff — effective Dec. 1, 2020. “I’m very excited about it,” she said Monday. Calderon succeeds Zenaida Landeros, the first Latina executive director of the chamber, who resigned this past spring to become executive... Read More