Calling all Quad Cities Area college students! Classes will begin shortly, so why not enjoy a night out with friends while knocking out some of those summer cobwebs? Quad City Botanical Center (2525 4th Ave Rock Island) is hosting an after-hours College Night on Tuesday Aug 7 from 6-9 p.m. The main event will be an unconventional tour (this is an uncensored, adult tour so expect some raunch, puns, and plant facts that will make you blush) of the gardens led by Augie interns. You’ll also have time to enjoy some lawn games and relax outdoors before you’re stuck in the library studying again.... Read More

Take a trip down the Mighty Mississippi with the newest production from the Mississippi Bend Players! Big River is now playing at the Brunner Theatre Center at Augustana College (3757 7th Avenue Rock Island). The show has three performances left: Friday Jun 29 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday Jun 30 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday Jul 1 at 2 p.m. To purchase tickets for any of the remaining performances, visit https://www.mississippibendplayers.com/. Hurry, because seats are going fast! Big River’s characters, plot and themes are based on Mark Twain’s beloved novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. It proves... Read More

Are you looking to add a little musical magic to your weekend? The Quad City Symphony Orchestra will be hosting their Quad City Symphony Youth Ensembles (QCSYEs) Winter Festival Concert this Sunday Feb 25 from 3-5:15 p.m. at Centennial Hall, Augustana College. Tickets for this event are $10 for adults and $5 for students with ID’s. Tickets can be purchased online at https://qcso.org/concerts/qcsyes-winter-festival-concert. You can expect to appreciate the most beautiful and melodic sounds from the Youth Symphony Orchestra, Youth Philharmonic Orchestra, Youth String Ensemble, Prelude Strings,... Read More

The Yuletide evening sky is especially rewarding, and now you and your family have a chance to learn all about it! The John Deere Planetarium at Augustana College is hosting a free planetarium show, “Season of Light”, starting this Saturday Dec 9 and going through Friday Dec 15. This one-of-a-kind holiday sky demonstration will be offered weekdays at 7 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. Admission is free, but reservations are requested. For reservations, please call (309) 794-7318 during weekday business hours. The planetarium’s doors will open 15 minutes before each show. Those who... Read More

A new Quad Cities-based theatre company, the Mississippi Bend Players, is kicking off their three summer-stock presentations at Augustana College’s Brunner Theatre Center with “Zombie Prom” this weekend! “Zombie Prom” is a 1950s horror comic book brought to life as a musical comedy by John Dempsey and Dana P. Rowe. This campy, rollicking romp takes the audience through America’s Atomic Age and the Golden Age of horror comic books. This production will be performed on July 8-9, July 14-16 on Brunner Main Stage at Brunner Theatre Center, located at 3750 7th Avenue Rock Island. Ticket... Read More

There are 1 in 68 children diagnosed with autism each year. And thanks to local organizations, such as the Royal Ball Run for Autism, increasing awareness and support in our area is possible. The Royal Ball Run for Autism has donated more than $100,000 to local autism programs, including the Quad Cities Autism Center and the Augustana College Speech and Language Therapy program. And now they need your help to raise even more! On Friday June 23, the Royal Ball for all the Prince and Princesses will be held from 5-8 p.m. at the Camden Centre (2701 1st Street E Milan).  They will have bounce houses,... Read More

Augustana College has loaned seven of its works by the painter Frank Lundahl to the Safety Building in Rock Island. This loan was coordinated by the Doris and Victor Day Foundation located in that same building, built 1907-1908. The case where the recently installed works are on display has sat empty for years. Dave Geenen, executive director at the foundation, said he believes “that art needs to be brought to the people and made accessible to all.” Geenen’s hope is that, “people will know that we have lots of history, talent and innovation in the Quad Cities and will celebrate our past... Read More

“The A Team,” a touring ensemble formed of members of the Augustana Chamber Singers, will perform in an international music festival in China this month. In addition to four concerts, two in Shanghai and two in Nanjing, the group will have opportunities for more informal, impromptu cultural exchanges, including singing and interacting with choirs from China and other countries from around the world. Their director, Dr. Jon Hurty, is the director of choral activities at Augustana College. He also leads the Augustana Choir and the Augustana Chamber Singers. “This is a fantastic opportunity... Read More

In 1999 the Quad-City Playwrights Festival was created to inspire and showcase the work of budding high school writers. In 2005, it expanded to include writers from throughout the community. Each year, playwrights submit 10-minute original plays to an adjudication committee. Selected plays are given to a director and a cast of all Augustana College students to present a staged reading of the work. Augustana College will host the 18th annual Quad-City Playwrights Festival on Saturday, May 13 at 1:30 p.m. The 2017 selected plays include:     It isn’t Funny by Victoria Navarro     The Familiar... Read More

There are some exciting things happening this month in the arts at Augustana College! Here’s a rundown of some of the cool events: Titanic: the Musical opened last weekend, with more performances this weekend May 5-6 at 7:30 p.m. and May 7 at 1:30 p.m. Get your tickets at www.augustana.edu/tickets. The Senior Art Exhibition opened Friday, featuring the Senior Inquiry projects of the studio art and graphic design majors of the Augustana Class of 2017. As part of the Celebration of Learning on May 3, students will give artist talks in the Centennial Hall galleries beginning at 10:30 a.m. A closing... Read More