There was an overpowering feeling of celebration, joy and pride Friday in the former Grand Lobby of the Putnam Museum & Science Center, 1717 W. 12th St., Davenport. Rachael Mullins, Putnam president/CEO, welcomed about 100 guests, supporters and donors of the Quad-Cities institution for a ribbon-cutting and open house preview of the new World Culture Gallery. “We are so appreciative of this moment after the year we’ve all shared together in our community, to have a moment of true celebration here at the Putnam,” she said. Funded by Bechtel Trusts, Scott County Regional Authority, the... Read More

Quad City Arts is pleased to present the 5th annual Chalk Art Fest, live and in-person this summer!  While last year’s event went virtual with artists chalking up their driveways, porches and sidewalks, we are thrilled to host this year’s event in the beautiful setting of Schwiebert Riverfront Park, in downtown Rock Island, directly across the street from Quad City Arts headquarters and gallery. Inspiring and engaging for people of all ages, this free, two-day street painting festival brings together hundreds of local and regional artists that spend hours transforming the blank cement pavement... Read More

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! After 15 months of coping with the crazy Covid pandemic, we all need a day to get out, have fun and paint the town. That’s exactly what the Quad Cities Cultural Trust has planned for Tuesday, June 8, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. That’s when the free, family-friendly “Paint the Town” event will be at River Music Experience, 129 Main St., Davenport. Including food, drinks,... Read More

Quad City Arts is helping promote a new grant opportunity for artists to help combat rampant vaccine hesitancy nationwide. It is posting the fact that Arts Alliance Illinois is looking for practicing local artists (any medium) whose audiences reach Illinois residents under 35 years old, people of color, and women. Ideally, these artists have audiences and followings in the target demographics. The artists themselves do not have to fit within said demographics. The goal of the Arts and Vaccination Campaign is to encourage Illinois residents to combat Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy, and to support Illinois... Read More

Quad City Arts is having an in-person artist reception for its current exhibit at 1715 2nd Ave., Rock Island, on Friday, May 21 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Admission is free and beer, wine and pre-packaged snacks will be served. Face masks will be encouraged, but not required in conjunction with the new CDC and state guidelines, according to Quad City Arts. The featured artists – Peter Xiao, art professor at Augustana College, and sculptor Ioan Marcu of Davenport – will speak about their works at 7:30 p.m. Xiao presents a mixed body of work, “INundATIONs,” completed through the year of the... Read More

Artists in Conversation is a weekly column running Wednesdays on QuadCities.com. It features a conversation with a local creator going into their artistic process, projects and more. Get to know your local arts scene and local creators better on QuadCities.com with Artists In Conversation! If you’re a local creator and would like to be featured, please email us at Sean@QuadCities.com or Tristan@QuadCities.com! THIS WEEK: Educator, director and performance artist Shelley Cooper who is at the helm of Circa ‘21’s BEEHIVE! What attracted you to BEEHIVE? Beehive is a 60’s concert to celebrate... Read More

The Rock Island Artists’ Market has announced it will be hosting two events for the 2021 season. Join local artists, makers, and growers on Sunday, June 27th and August 29th from 12 to 5 pm in the parking lot of Skeleton Key Art and Antiques, 520 18th Street, Rock Island, IL. This outdoor event is free to the public, and family friendly. Applications are now being accepted for vendors. Interested artists can find more information and the application form under the “Rock Island Artists’ Market” tab on Skeleton Key’s website, www.skeletonkeyqc.com, or in person during regular store hours.... Read More

Looking to express your creative spirit in paint? Today, there’s a Paint Party from 6 to 8 p.m. at The Quarry, 3557 Middle Rd, Bettendorf! Here are the deets: I am super excited to be painting at The Quarry! Join us for a fun night of sipping and painting! We will guide you through step-by-step. No experience is needed and all materials are provided. Come laugh, sip, unwind, and leave with a masterpiece of your own! Tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite or venmo @karie-rauch for $30 per person. Seating is limited so get your tickets ASAP!! *Please do not buy from anyone claiming to have... Read More

It’s Sunday, and QuadCities.com proudly presents Fun10, a list of the top 10 things to do in the Quad Cities this week, and every week! Every Sunday, we drop a new Fun10, to give you a head start on your week and a heads up on what’s going on over the coming seven days. Check out Fun10 every Sunday for the details on ten awesome events happening around town. It’s a cool read, and a great way to get started planning your entertainment for the week. FUN10 — ten ways for you to have fun in the Quad-Cities, this week and every week, running every Sunday, only on your site for fun, free, local... Read More

Congratulations to RIHS student Riley Jones, whose piece “Black Pride” was selected as the winner for the Congressional Art Competition! Riley’s artwork will be on display in the U.S. Capitol! Congresswoman Cheri Bustos announced the winner and runners-up of the 2021 Congressional Art Competition in Illinois’ 17th Congressional District. The public got to vote for their favorite submission. The first-place winner this year is Riley Jones from Rock Island High School, whose submission “Black Pride” will be displayed in the United States Capitol! The Congressional Art Competition... Read More