The Genesius Guild’s 2021 season continues with a joint Don Wooten and William Shakespeare production, Shakespeare’s Life in His Works, with performances at 7 p.m. on July 3, 4, 10, and 11. All performances are held at the Don Wooten Stage in Lincoln Park, Rock Island, and admission is free. Originally developed by Don Wooten (who founded Genesius Guild in 1956) as a readers’ theater production many years ago, Shakespeare’s Life in His Works has been adapted to fit the stage. The show explores Shakespeare’s life and his tremendous impact on the English language... Read More

At its annual meeting Monday, the Downtown Bettendorf Organization (DBO) celebrated the fiscal year 2021 successes of the Downtown Bettendorf Self-Supported Municipal Improvement District (SSMID) and outlined downtown highlights expected in the coming year. “Downtown has turned the corner, our roads are realigned, the new Interstate 74 Bridge is coming to completion and the urban park’s construction is going to start in the fall,” DBO Executive Director Ryan Jantzi said. “That is creating more energy downtown and people are realizing this is real. The sky’s the limit on what we want to... Read More

Kids can discover a different country each week through crafts, activities, and snacks! Program kits will be available starting on Monday of each week, and kids are welcome to join Miss Christie on Zoom every Thursday beginning July 1st through July 29th at 1:00 pm for discussions and crafts demonstrations. This program is best suited to elementary-aged kids. Registration is required. Register here: bit.ly/dpl-littleexplorers Keep up with our virtual programming on our Virtual Branch Calendar of Events at https://davenportlibrary.libcal.com/calendar/virtual. This event is FREE and open to the public.... Read More

The West Davenport Arts Council, in conjunction with Metropolitan Community Church of the Quad Cities (MCC QC), is hosting an art exhibition for local artist Jen Hansen on the evening of Wednesday, June 30th, from 6-8 PM. Light refreshments will be served. Jen’s art is currently on display at MCC QC, located at 2930 Locust St. in Davenport, through the end of July. Jen is an outsider artist who found their calling while taking a class to teach therapeutic art. Living with an illness brought them to a place of living art and all of the joy that comes with this freedom. This exhibit is the first... Read More

POP onto Zoom for this fun, pop art-inspired activity put on by the Davenport Public Library and Figge Art Museum on Wednesday, June 30th at 6:00 pm. Use collage and an easy printing method to make your own iconic artwork. Registration is required! This event is limited to 30 participants. Art supplies will be provided to registered participants. You will be responsible for picking up your supply kit from the library before the event. We will meet on Zoom on June 30th to create the artwork. Registration is required to receive Zoom meeting details. Register here: https://bit.ly/dpl-artnightwiththefigge Keep... Read More

Davenport Public Library has crafts for every color of the spectrum! Each week at the Fairmount Library we’ll offer a craft corresponding to color; do one or do them all. Registration is required for each week at http://bit.ly/dpl-craftingbycolor. Best for ages 6+ Wednesday, June 30th at 12:00 pm: Orange Hanging Paper Fish Wednesday, July 7th at 12:00 pm: Yellow Pineapple Planter Wednesday, July 14th at 12:00 pm: Green Pea Pod Clay Sculpture Wednesday, July 21st at 12:00 pm: Blue Bubble Wrap Painting Wednesday, July 28th at 12:00 pm: Violet Beaded Dragonflies When signing up, please indicate... Read More

Visit Quad Cities on Tuesday announced a new collaboration with local attractions for their new QC Family Pass. The pass provides a fun and interactive experience for visitors and Quad Citizens to spend time with family and friends. The QC Family Pass uses mobile-based code check-ins, discounts, special offers, and gamification to engage participants. Anyone can sign up for the free pass at www.qcfamilypass.com. As you visit attractions, you will access codes from each location to check and track your progress. Participants are entered into drawings for chances to win Visa Gift Cards and a Quad... Read More

Quad City Arts had a successful fifth-annual Chalk Art Festival last weekend – giving out $1,600 in cash prizes and new swag bag awards, as well as leaving amazing, colorful displays on the pavement at Schwiebert Riverfront Park, Rock Island. “It was wildly successful,” Quad City Arts executive director Kevin Maynard said Tuesday morning of the June 26-27 event, which drew 66 artist entries – many representing teams, with over 100 artists participating altogether. That was roughly the same number of people who took part in the last two years of the festival. “We are truly proud of all... Read More

The latest Quad City Arts’ Art at the Airport exhibit is all in the family — paintings by Kristin Quinn of Davenport, with ceramic creations by her sister, Megan Quinn, of Rock Island, on display through June 30. Megan Quinn is a professor at Augustana College in Rock Island, while Kristin Quinn is a professor at St. Ambrose University in Davenport. Megan is a ceramic artist, and Kristin is a painter. The two sisters grew up in a family of five children with parents who were educators, and their dad was a physicist who specialized in optics and provided access to visually... Read More

In the past 24 hours, a review on this site of Countryside Community Theater’s “The Music Man” written by Tristan Tapscott has become embroiled in controversy. So much so that it prompted a guest column from local actor Lou Hare, and my invitation, still open, for any other interested parties to send me rebuttals to Tristan’s review. As always, we look forward to hearing from people and stimulating conversation about the local arts scene, whether the responses are pro or con, particularly in regard to a review, which is an opinion of the writer meant to prompt thought and... Read More