Quad City Arts has made the difficult decision not to host the 35th-annual Kwik Star Festival of Trees in person this year due to uncertainty and concern for the safety of volunteers, staff, and community as a whole regarding the Covid-19 pandemic. The Holiday Parade and all other special events will also not be held this year. This decision was led by Festival of Trees volunteer management team with the full support of the Quad City Arts’ staff and board of directors, the regional nonprofit announced Wednesday morning. “We recognize that Festival of Trees is a beloved holiday tradition in... Read More

Welcome to the QuadCities.com Virtual Art Gallery! In this feature, we’re spotlighting area artists and their work. Every Tuesday we’ll feature a new local artist. It’s free and our way of showcasing awesome area artists and allowing them to include a link to their own online gallery or patreon! If you’d like to be included in the gallery, just send your bio, a headshot pic of yourself and up to a half-dozen .jpgs of your art to Sean@QuadCities.com. We look forward to adding YOU to the gallery!   Like last week’s artist, Les Bell, today’s featured artist is also a local... Read More

Welcome back! It’s Monday, and you all know by now that means today you get your Video You Deserve. That’s right, every Monday, to begin your week with awesomeness, we, the kind, tender, gentle, loving, butt-kicking souls at QuadCities.com give you a cheesy music video to start your week with a laugh and maybe a weird video and catchy song or something. This week’s video is from a band that was a one-hit wonder in the United States and like, a four-hit wonder in their native UK. It was 1982, and a four-piece band calling themselves, pretentiously enough, Art Nouveau, was seeking just... Read More

Quad City Arts is officially open and excited to show off their latest exhibit. Assembled portraits by David Van Allen and jazz noir images from the Iowa City Jazz Festival by Ron Meyer are now on display at the Quad City Arts Rock Island Gallery (1715 2nd Avenue Rock Island), as well as online. All pieces are available for purchase. Gallery hours are Monday – Friday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. The gallery is closed on Sundays. No admissions fees are required. About the Artists David Van Allen – Van Allen’s process begins by collecting hundreds of images of... Read More

Several Quad-Cities cultural organizations and projects were among 176 grants totaling just over $2 million, announced Friday by the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs (IDCA), for works in art, film, history, and culture. The funding comes through programs overseen by the department’s divisions: the Iowa Arts Council, the State Historical Society of Iowa and Produce Iowa, the state office of film and media production. “These funds are critical to help sustain arts, film, heritage and cultural vibrancy across the state and showcase Iowa’s world-class cultural programs and destinations with... Read More

The City of Moline is joining the Public Sculpture Program, facilitated by Quad City Arts and funded by Renew Moline. Two new sculptures will be arriving on the riverfront in coming weeks. “Swans on the Marsh” by V. Skip Willits of Camanche, IA, will be mounted this week on the river walk at 15th Street. Regarding inspiration for the sculpture, Willits states, “I was walking along the shore of a marsh by the river one day and spied three swans on the water. This is my rendition of that scene.” Arriving July 22nd on 17th Street near the KONE Building will be “Metamorphosis” by Hilde... Read More

Anyone can be an artist, and while the fourth-annual Chalk Art Fest won’t be able to gather in person this year, Quad City Arts is committed to bringing this colorful street art event to the community. So it will take place virtually from Aug. 15 to 28 and anyone and everyone is invited to participate. Chalk artists can create their work safely at home, on their driveway, sidewalk, porch or balcony. Snap a photo of your masterpiece and send to Quad City Arts (via website or e-mail) by Aug. 28 at 3 p.m., and be eligible for over $1,500 in cash prizes, including a youth category (for ages 12-17)... Read More

Listen, I’m not going to say that Kanye West dropped out of the race for President of the United States just because I announced I was running. After all, I’m writing this, not reading it out loud. But I do find it coincidental that after I announced I was running for president last Friday, within days, Kanye suddenly dropped his 2020 campaign. Hmmm. Suspicious. Kind of like a lot of other behavior by famous folks lately. Perhaps you’ve been hearing about some of it. Certain big-name celebrities have been shockingly AWOL the past few months. Tom Hanks. Ellen DeGeneres. Pauly Shore. All of... Read More

Welcome to the QuadCities.com Virtual Art Gallery! In this feature, we’re spotlighting area artists and their work. Every Tuesday we’ll feature a new local artist. It’s free and our way of showcasing awesome area artists and allowing them to include a link to their own online gallery or patreon! If you’d like to be included in the gallery, just send your bio, a headshot pic of yourself and up to a half-dozen .jpgs of your art to Sean@QuadCities.com. We look forward to adding YOU to the gallery! Today’s artist is, most definitely, a local legend on the art scene. He’s one of... Read More

Welcome back! It’s Monday, and you all know by now that means today you get your Video You Deserve. That’s right, every Monday, to begin your week with awesomeness, we, the kind, tender, gentle, loving, butt-kicking souls at QuadCities.com give you a cheesy music video to start your week with a laugh and maybe a weird video and catchy song or something. Now, today’s video is a Very Special Request, from a young woman named Kristy. Recently, Kristy wrote me a message with a Very Special Question: Why aren’t there more videos with shirtless, shaved, Dad-bodded guys wearing tight black pants... Read More