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! You could easily say that Aimee Ford is as cool, friendly and talented AF. The veteran artist, former waitress, and children’s art instructor owns AF Studio on the ground floor of the LeClaire Apartments building, 421 19th St., Moline, and since May 2019 the driven Ford has focused her beautiful visual eye on a new body of work – tattooing the human body. “I’m crazy... Read More

EXCLUSIVE: Renew Moline on Friday publicly released a 102-page Public Art and Placemaking Plan, which will be considered by the Moline City Council at its meeting next Tuesday, March 30. The plan lays out three strategies that will help shape the future of public art in downtown Moline and creates a strong foundation in the city to support public art. “Public art in Moline importantly shows a vibrant, growing economy and is reflective of a community emerging from the challenges of the last year,” Mayor Stephanie Acri said in a Friday release. “We are looking forward to seeing the plan and... Read More

When Quad-Cities musician Donovan Gustofson created QC HIVE six months ago, to help others hurt by the coronavirus pandemic, he had little idea how it would grow and flourish. The Facebook group formed March 23 now has 6,855 members, and raised over $70,000 to support local musicians, artists, bars, restaurants and other small business owners struggling to make it after Covid has devastated the economy, as well as claiming 200,000 American lives. Gustofson — bassist in the Q-C band Funktastic Five, assistant music director at Davenport’s St. Paul Lutheran Church, and adjunct music teacher... Read More

Sara Barto was looking forward to her 40th birthday on Friday, March 13. She and her husband Dave were planning to go out of town for the weekend. The world had other plans. A bartender at the new Off Point Pub, on Davenport’s Hickory Grove Road, the Bettendorf woman went to the doctor that day after having side pain and nausea. After several tests, including an ultrasound and liver biopsy, Barto was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. She started chemotherapy immediately but lost her job soon after when the then-four-month-old bar had to close due to Covid-19. Barto was embraced with support... Read More

Like many musicians, artists, theaters and other arts organizations in this surreal time, Quad-Cities museums are putting their collections and programs online. Forced by the coronavirus crisis to close down March 17, Davenport’s Figge Art Museum, German American Heritage Center & Museum, and Putnam Museum & Science Center have significantly boosted their websites and social-media presence. The “virtual museum” has become reality for museums worldwide. “The challenge is with reaching our audience during this time of closure, really has brought this new opportunity... Read More

Do you have a little artist at home? Do you find their creativity flows when engaged in drawing or painting? How would you like to help them expand their knowledge and confidence? Aimee Ford, with AF Studio, is now offering one-on-one children’s art classes! AF Studio is located at 421 19th Street, in The LeClaire Building downtown Moline. Aimee opened the doors to AF Studio in December of 2016, filling it with her oil paintings, acrylics, watercolors, graphite work and more.  Before this, she worked from her in-home studio. She was busting at the seams with art, so she had to make the break... Read More