Saturday in the Arts is a comprehensive, in-depth feature on a topic, trend or personality impacting the Quad-Cities, posted every Saturday morning on QuadCities.com.   The day before the state of Illinois entered Phase 4 of reopening, affecting his longtime acting home of Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse, Moline’s Tom Walljasper was filming scenes as a farmer in small-town Iowa. A full-time actor, Walljasper had not acted since “Kinky Boots” closed at Circa in March, and both he and his wife Shelley were cast in small parts for a TV pilot, “Complete Bull,” filmed in June and July (with... Read More

I want to give kudos to Rein Razer. In our story earlier this week on QuadCities.com on her upcoming burlesque show, Rein Razer’s Court of Royalty, coming to Village Theater tonight, she said the following:   “I got the idea from how the Speakeasy was doing their booking for shows.”   Seems simple, right? Just actually acknowledging that you got the idea for something from someone else on the local arts scene. But you’d be surprised at how little this is done. More often, much more often, people have an incredible selective amnesia about things others in the scene... Read More

Lynne Stukart of LeClaire can’t sing the praises of a staggeringly huge virtual choir loudly enough. But that makes sense, since for Eric Whitacre’s Virtual Choir 6 – with 17,562 singers from 129 nations – they literally were told to “Sing Gently.” At a time when we could all use some peace, togetherness and harmony, Stukart, a veteran flute teacher, was thrilled to be part of the online musical project. She’s a big fan of Whitacre, the popular choral composer and his ambitious virtual choirs – a project that started in 2010 with individual videos from 185 singers from 12 countries,... Read More

Though Illinois allowed indoor museums to reopen June 26, the Covid-19 pandemic still rages across the nation. Museums, historic homes and gardens in the Quad-Cities have taken differing approaches to reopening. As of that Friday in late June, with phase 4 of Illinois’ reopening implemented, very few museums on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River were open to the public. As of today, most have reopened, with attractions remaining closed include the John Deere Pavilion in Moline and Colonel Davenport House on Arsenal Island. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, all major Deere tourist facilities... Read More

On Friday, you can gaze up at the summer night sky and watch the stars in wonder. Join well-known local storyteller Brian “Fox” Ellis this Friday, July 24 at 8 p.m. for a fun, family-oriented evening of American Indian Star Stories at The Twinflower Inn, 110 N. Olson Street, Bishop Hill. Safe social distancing guidelines will be in effect. Fox is an author and storyteller of Cherokee heritage. There will be drumming songs and a chance to sing long. Patrons are encouraged to bring a lawn chair, bring a snack, and bring a friend. The evening is sponsored by the Twinflower Inn and Fox Tales International.... Read More

Do you have an adventurous child or grandchild with a passion for 2-wheel adventures? Do you catch yourself witnessing their impressive jumps or being asked to pull out the ol’ stopwatch? Then maybe it’s time to check out the fastest growing family sport in America. East Moline BMX League is hosting an open house for new families at the East Moline BMX Speedway (1930 Avenue of the Cities East Moline) this Wednesday Jul 22 from 5 – 6:30 p.m. This free experience will give your family a hands-on, up-close-and-personal look at BMX Racing. This open house is designed to be an “appetizer”... 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

Saturday in the Arts is a comprehensive, in-depth feature on a topic, trend or personality impacting the Quad-Cities, posted every Saturday morning on QuadCities.com. Nathan and Whitney Meyer are a bit like the plucky, cute orphans who are often protagonists of a Disney adventure. Nathan, a 34-year-old graduate of North Scott High School, Eldridge, and his wife (like most of us, isolated and home-bound) actually work for Walt Disney World and are accomplished, blazingly talented singers and actors. Despite the four theme parks in Orlando, Fla., reopening this past week, the Meyers remain out of... Read More

Get your Saturday morning started right this weekend, with some local vendor shopping! Iron and Grain Home (575 12th Avenue East Moline) will be hosting a Sidewalk Pop-Up Sale this Saturday Jul 18 from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Enjoy local eats and coffee from Iron + Grain Coffee House, as well as local small business and maker shopping! Pop-ups will be available from the follow vendors: Iron and Grain Home Makin Sawdust Prep to Table Respect Abilities Dona Vitae Interiors East Moline C&J Collection Boutique Designs On 3rd Redhead Ceramics Red Barn Boutique Guilford/Gauge The Bag Broker SAINTS Celestial... Read More

A little more than two weeks after the Mississippi Valley Fair announced it would scale back its offerings this year, including no big-name grandstand acts, on Tuesday it said it would cancel the 101-year-old tradition altogether. The fair, at 2815 W. Locust St., was scheduled for Aug. 4-9. “We have continued to work closely with the Scott County Health Department to ensure that if we put on a fair this year we met all the requirements of the principles shared by both organizations,” MVF general manager Shawn Loter posted Tuesday on Facebook. “Health leaders determined our safety plan was... Read More