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

Do you have a passion for writing? Would you like to shine a spotlight on the POSITIVE things going on in the Quad-Cities? Would you like to go to concerts and events for FREE and write about them? Well, QuadCities.com is looking for interns for the summer and beyond into the school year! We’re seeking people interested in writing, podcasting and doing vlogs and video shows for our website covering the arts and entertainment scene and positive news in the Quad-Cities.  We’re also looking for potential interns to sell advertising and work with advertising clients, if that’s something... 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: Tristan Tapscott and Savannah Bay Strandin, talking about The Mockingbird on Main. The Mockingbird on Main burst onto the scene earlier this month with NEW BEGINNINGS,  a... Read More

The long and painful Covid-19 pandemic has hurt the mental health of most everyone, but Katrina Eirinberg has been focusing on helping local families with young children. She is the mental health therapist (and a licensed clinical professional counselor) for SAL Family & Community Services, home to Skip-a-Long Child Development Services. Children, without the ability to fully grasp what’s happened over the past year, can only feel that things have changed — and often, those feelings spark anxiety and fear, Eirinberg said Tuesday. “With the pandemic, we’ve had to create a whole new... Read More

A dozen outstanding Quad Citizens will be honored as part of the YWCA Quad Cities 3rd-annual Race Against Racism on May 22, presented by IH Mississippi Valley Credit Union. A special recognition ceremony will be held at the post-race party at Lindsay Park Yacht Club, Village of East Davenport. The race started in 2019, featuring a 5k run/walk and a 1-mile fun-run; however, the most important part of this event is honoring individuals who are standing firmly and intentionally against racism and doing this through their words, choices and actions, according to a Tuesday YWCA release. “At YWCA Quad... Read More

The Quad City Botanical Center is hosting its Headwaters of the Mississippi River Ribbon Cutting event on Friday, May 14. Join us as we celebrate the opening of our Children’s Garden phase two addition. This exciting interactive play exhibit expands our popular water feature and includes a naturalized pond, representative of the headwaters in Itasca, Minnesota. Due to social distancing guidelines, invitations were sent to select donors, grantors, elected officials and supporters of this project. The ribbon cutting is not open to the public, but media are welcome. The new exhibit opens to the... Read More

BREAKING NEWS: The Quad Cities’ grassroots music festival “Dawn and On” revealed their talent lineup on Tuesday for their 2021 event, taking place on July 10, 2021 at Schwiebert Park in Rock Island. With its roots in jam music, the festival’s lineup features local and national performers and remains diverse with a mix of rock, funk, bluegrass and folk bands. The day-long festival, now heading into it’s sixth year will be headlined by Colorado jam rockers Magic Beans and Illinois Bluegrass favorites The Way Down Wanderers.  Additionally, the festival will feature Wisconsin folk rockers... 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

Circa ’21 Dinner Playhouse, Rock Island, is seeking online submissions for upcoming shows. First, the theater is looking for two dancer/singer/actors for its summer production of “Saturday Night Fever.” Production dates, including rehearsal, are July 1 – Sept. 11, 2021. Online submissions are being accepted until May 15 to fill the following roles: Cesar/Ensemble: Male; Plays 19. Latinx. A Spanish dancer at the Odyssey 2001 Night Club; excellent dancer, with strong partnering skills and lift experience, who sings well and plays various ensemble characters. Maria/Ensemble: Plays... Read More

Local breweries will be spotlighted next week as the Quad-Cities serves up QC Craft Beer Week on May 10-15, just in time for the second anniversary of the QC Ale Trail. Over the past two years, hundreds of craft beer lovers from 17 states have blazed the QC Ale Trail, according to Visit Quad Cities. The QC Ale Trail invites beer lovers on a self-guided tour of local craft breweries across the region, from Muscatine, Iowa to Geneseo, Ill. The Q-C craft beer community continues to grow, with three new breweries opening last year and Nerdspeak Brewery opening soon at 7563 State St., Bettendorf. “Craft beer,... Read More