As Illinois relaxes its social restrictions Friday (including allowing all gatherings of 10 people or fewer), the Quad City Arts Center, 1715 2nd Ave., Rock Island, will reopen Friday at 10 a.m. Free entry is available 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 11 a.m. to 5 Saturdays. Following the next phase of the “Restore Illinois” plan, which also allows bars and restaurants to open outdoor seating under restrictions, executive director Kevin Maynard said May 29 was the earliest the downtown gallery could reopen. “We’re taking all the precautions, taking it seriously,” he said Thursday. “Both... Read More

The cornucopia of closures due to coronavirus keeps growing, as what was planned to be the 50th PGA Tour event in the Quad-Cities, the John Deere Classic, is canceled this July. Because of the continuing Covid-19 restrictions around events and public gatherings in the surrounding area, the 2020 JDC at TPC Deere Run in Silvis was canceled, tournament officials announced Thursday. The tournament will, however, continue its commitment to the 2020 Birdies for Charity campaign, including a promise to deliver at least a 5-percent bonus to all participating organizations. Last year, the tournament raised... Read More

Bettendorf’s Family Museum and Davenport’s Figge Art Museum have taken different approaches to re-opening after shutdowns caused by the Covid-19 crisis. Since Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds allowed museums to re-open (among other places) on May 22, the Family Museum opened that day, while the Figge will open June 9, following members-only opening June 6 and 7. Kim Kidwell, director of the Family Museum, used the two-month closure to completely clean the facility, do needed renovations and train staff in disinfecting and safety guidelines. “We have been getting ready to reopen, pretty much over the... Read More

After so many shutdowns, economic devastation, and death caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, there’s something new and life-affirming opening in the Quad-Cities art scene. The Excelsior Studio and Galleria – owned by self-employed artist Melody Sloat, and her husband Jacob – will open Friday in a former antique shop at 13013 N. 700th Ave. (Route 19), in Cambridge, Ill., 40 minutes southeast of Moline. The couple bought the historic building, and did much clearing, repairs and renovations in preparation to open. (For more information, check out their Facebook page.) “It’s always been a dream.... Read More

Despite its title, there’s not a ton of burlesque in “Burlesque River,” a new romance novel set in the Quad-Cities, penned by veteran burlesque performer Kitty Bardot. There are key club scenes — at the start and near the end of this beautifully written book (part of a planned series) — that reflect the raunch, playfulness, camaraderie, the yearning to be someone different and glamorous, and the ecstatic high you get on stage with an appreciative audience. But the bulk of the 173-page debut novel, released in April by Boroughs Publishing (which specializes in romance fiction),... Read More

On this Memorial Day, it’s important to not only remember those who’ve paid the ultimate price while serving our country, but it’s vital to recall other crucial parts of our lives, also gone. Remember in the “before times,” when going out to hear live music – packed in with hundreds or thousands of other boisterous fans – was a thing we could do? Seeing a favorite artist perform live is a thrill like no other (for me, Paul McCartney last June in Moline is but one example). Hearing that performer’s live album is a special, satisfying memento that attempts to capture that uniquely... Read More

Since March, the Quad-Cities has been singing the quarantine blues. And due to the dissonant chords of Covid-19, that beloved music will be silenced later this year, as the 35th-anniversary of the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival is canceled. Though it initially pushed back the fest from the July 4th weekend, to Sept. 18-19, the Mississippi Valley Blues Society board decided “that it is in the best interest of our fans, artists and vendors to cancel a live Festival until the ongoing pandemic is far behind us,” president Bob Clevenstine posted on mvbs.org. The potential for a second coronavirus... Read More

Following Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ lifting of restrictions for public openings this week, the Figge Art Museum (225 W. 2nd S., Davenport) will reopen to the public on Tuesday, June 9 and to members-only on Saturday and Sunday, June 6 and 7. Admission will be free in an effort to create a no-touch visitor experience and visitors will be required to reserve a time slot prior to their visit. New policies and procedures designed to keep the museum staff and visitors safe upon reopening will be shared soon, according to Figge marketing director Natalie Dunlop, The Figge Cafe will remain closed in... Read More

Just 13 months after famed aviator Charles Lindbergh visited the Quad-Cities, Charles Lindberg was born Sept. 11, 1928 in Rock Island. He received his bachelor’s degree from Augustana College, where he was debate team captain, in 1950. Charles and his younger brother Peter (a 1961 Augie alum) would profoundly influence the private Rock Island school for years to come, including a new $18-million center for health and human performance that’s now going up — to help prepare students for growing career fields. While site work for the 52,000-square-foot Peter J. Lindberg, M.D., Center for... Read More

Haley DeGreve knows what matters in life. The passionate, driven Moline native – who graduates from Augustana College on Saturday (virtually) – will succeed not only by making a living, but more importantly, by making a difference. An Alleman High School grad, DeGreve majored in communication studies and business administration marketing. She’s already made her mark as founder of the 16-month-old Gray Matters Collective, a student mental-health group that led her this year to being chosen a winner of the George Orley Student Mental Health Advocate Award from the University of Michigan Depression... Read More