Saturday in the Arts is a weekly feature covering a trend, subject, event or personality of local interest. It runs every Saturday morning on your site for the best entertainment and arts coverage in the area, QuadCities.com! Josh Turner is the name of a successful, 43-year-old country artist. More importantly to me and my family, Josh Turner is the name of my younger son, a 21-year-old extraordinary musical artist in his own right. Though I have long known Josh to be a multi-talented musician, the depth and meaning of his sweeping, varied, dazzling artistry didn’t become clear or as important... Read More

There’s a foreboding line early in the excellent “Murder in Green Meadows” (which concludes its run Saturday at the Black Box Theatre) – “Everything is perfect. What could be wrong?” Well, as we’ll soon learn, quite a lot. The new production at the Black Box Theatre, 1623 5th Ave., Moline, features a quartet of the Quad-Cities’ most talented, experienced actors in a tense, psychological thriller, and it’s helmed by an enthusiastic, dedicated student director. Even before a line is uttered, the upscale, sophisticated living room set is impressive to behold. I’d love to live there... Read More

Everything about Mary Francis is big and boisterous – her brassy, unpretentious personality, her infectious laugh, her sense of fun, her voluptuous figure, and her passion for burlesque and the Quad-Cities. The founder and leader of Mary Quite Contrary’s House of Burlesque (launched in late 2019), Mary is celebrating all things Q-C in a new “Stay Classy Quad-Cities” show Saturday, Aug. 28, at 8 p.m., at the Spotlight Theatre, 1800 7th Ave., Moline. In addition to the flaming-red-haired Mary, performers are Sassy LaShay, Wicked Jezebel, Moira Mayhemm, Randi Sinclare, Lola Lament, Nova Foxglove,... Read More

In an age of complex environmental challenges, why not look to the ingenuity of nature for solutions? The forms, patterns, and processes found in the natural world—refined by 3.8 billion years of evolution—can inspire our design of everything from clothing to skyscrapers. This approach to innovation, called biomimicry, is becoming increasingly popular. Nature’s Blueprints: Biomimicry in Art and Design opens Wednesday, Sept. 1 at the Putnam Museum and Science Center (1717 W. 12th St., Davenport), a Smithsonian affiliate. “The Putnam is the first stop on this exhibit’s national tour... Read More

When Jeff and Renae Hoskins of Rock Island adopted their adorable little girl from China in early 2008, they had no idea that eight years later, Ava and her family would be plunged into an unimaginable bout with a rare, advanced childhood cancer. Now 14 and starting her freshman year at Jeff’s alma mater, Alleman High School in Rock Island, Ava is in remission and wrote an introduction to Hoskins’ memoir of their extraordinary experiences – “From Cancer to Kinnick: Love Finds a Wave,” to be released Sept. 3 by Ice Cube Press of North Liberty, Iowa. “I hope that you will be inspired,”... Read More

For the past seven years, Sherry Ristau has focused on transforming the Quad Cities Community Foundation. After Friday, when she leaves as president/CEO, the 60-year-old will focus on transforming herself. “When I arrived in the Quad-Cities, I was welcomed as the new leader of this organization with overwhelming warmth and openness. That’s a testament to the good will of this community, but it speaks to something else equally important for our future: our willingness to embrace change and the chance to improve—to transform ourselves for the better,” Ristau said in a blog post Tuesday. “This... Read More

Kelly Rundle of Moline has long been a director of documentary films. Now he and his wife Tammy – partners in Fourth Wall Films – are co-executive directors of the Quad-Cities’ newest non-profit — Truth First Film Alliance, Inc. (TFFA). The organization will focus on bringing films and filmmakers to local screens in special free programs that feature curated documentary films and narrative films based on true stories. Screenings will be followed by a moderated Q&A with directors, producers, and writers with an emphasis on the craft of filmmaking. The formation of the new non-profit... Read More

Visit Quad Cities, the region’s official destination management and marketing organization, announces the launch of the new QC Pro. This fun and interactive program leads Quad Citizens on a journey of discovery about all things Quad Cities. To get started, people can register at QuadCitiesPro.com. Once registered, Visit Quad Cities will send three videos emailed in succession to view and answer interactive questions about the QC right within each video, according to a Wednesday release. After the three videos are completed correctly, a QC Pro digital badge, toolkit, and certificate will be... Read More

The past 17 months have kind of been a disaster around the world. In the land of Quad-Cities musical theater, “Disaster!” will continue into 2022, as both Quad City Music Guild and Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse plan to stage a ‘70s-themed jukebox musical comedy of that name within three months of each other. In early July, the Moline community theater announced that “Disaster!” would kick off its 2022 season in April, and on Monday, the professional Rock Island dinner theater announced that the silly show would run there July 20-Sept. 10, 2022. Earthquakes, tidal waves, infernos and... Read More

The Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce has hired three key new staff in recent months to help tell the story of the area and strengthen the local economy. Lindsay O’Brien is the new Coordinator, Marketing & Social Media. She supports the sales, marketing, communications and events of the Chamber through marketing, promotions, social media and multi-media creation. A native Quad Citizen, O’Brien earned a Graphic Design degree at St. Ambrose University. As a freelancer, she created content, campaigns and graphics for the entertainment industry, including musicians and shows such as “The Tonight... Read More