Just as last year was unusual for the Quad City Arts Metro Arts Youth Apprenticeship Program, this summer also is unique. ​ Far fewer students – ages 15 to 21 – are participating, in fewer projects, and they are wearing face coverings and are social distancing, as is the current practice. That does not mean that the two outdoor murals and improvisational comedy being created over the past five weeks are any less meaningful, important or impressive. “Every Metro Arts site has a collection of masks available, if the student either doesn’t have one or has forgotten theirs that day, so we... Read More

Welcome to the QuadCities.com Virtual Art Gallery! In this feature, we’re spotlighting area artists and their work. Every Tuesday we’ll feature a new local artist. It’s free and our way of showcasing awesome area artists and allowing them to include a link to their own online gallery or patreon! If you’d like to be included in the gallery, just send your bio, a headshot pic of yourself and up to a half-dozen .jpgs of your art to Sean@QuadCities.com. We look forward to adding YOU to the gallery! Our latest artist is Glen Lowry! Glen’s work is mostly in the prints and painting realms,... Read More

From July 2-August 31, 2020, Quad City Arts Art @ the Airport presents Ralph Scott’s digital paintings, Andrea Van Wyk’s oil paintings and Terry Rathje’s sculptures. Ralph Scott (East Peoria, IL) manipulates cellphone images to create digital paintings. Through the use of software, Scott can achieve painterly effects or rework the composition to place emphasis on the most important details. He combines images, such as a tricycle with clouds, to create an otherworldly effect. The finished images are printed on aluminum. Andrea Van Wyk (Pella, IA) paints realistic magnifications of flowers... Read More

Welcome to the QuadCities.com Virtual Art Gallery! In this feature, we’re spotlighting area artists and their work. Every Tuesday we’ll feature a new local artist. It’s free and our way of showcasing awesome area artists and allowing them to include a link to their own online gallery or patreon! If you’d like to be included in the gallery, just send your bio, a headshot pic of yourself and up to a half-dozen .jpgs of your art to Sean@QuadCities.com. We look forward to adding YOU to the gallery! Our latest artist is a multi-talented creator, Jenny Lynn Stacy! Jenny Lynn hails from Davenport,... Read More

With social distancing and safety measures in place, the 2020 Quad City Arts’ Metro Arts Youth Apprenticeship Program was still able to move forward, providing thirty area youth, ages 15-21, with five-week paid summer apprenticeships. These apprentices create arts projects that positively impact our community: a mural in Moline, Improv Comedy, and a mural in Rock Island.  These projects were made possible through support from the City of Rock Island, Friendship Manor, Modern Woodman of America, The Moline Foundation, and Renew Moline. The mural in Moline is underway and located in the courtyard... Read More

The cultural life of the Quad-Cities is lifted in part by public art that is on permanent and temporary display throughout Davenport, Bettendorf, and Rock Island, thanks to Quad City Arts’ public sculpture program. In June, six public sculptures in Bettendorf and four in Rock Island were replaced with new ones, featuring colorful, creative and whimsical work from artists throughout the Midwest. Each city chose to keep one sculpture from last year’s selection for another year. Quad City Arts has facilitated the leasing and installation of public sculpture in the area since 2002, starting with... Read More

Six public sculptures in Bettendorf and four in Rock Island are in the process of being replaced with new ones. Each city has elected to keep one sculpture from last years’ selection for another year. Quad City Arts has facilitated the leasing and installation of public sculpture in the Quad Cities since 2002. The City of Rock Island has participated in the program, yearly, since 2007 and Bettendorf, since 2008. All of the sculptures are for sale and can be purchased by individuals, businesses or the city for permanent installation after June of the following year. In Bettendorf, look for “Uncle... Read More

On exhibit at Quad City Arts in downtown Rock Island from June 26 through August 14  is Assembled Portraits by David Van Allen and Jazz Noir-Images from the Iowa City Jazz Festival by Ron Meyer. Both artists are from Cedar Rapids, IA. David Van Allen presents “Assembled Portraits.” Van Allen’s process begins by collecting hundreds of images of a person, using silver-based black & white film. His camera is very close to his subject during the image collection part of the process and he changes camera position for each fragment. This tends to make the portraits mildly cubist.  He then... Read More

Mark McGinn’s love of the theater is literally in his blood. His father Jack (who died in 2000) started performing at Quad City Music Guild in Moline within two years of its founding in 1949, and was in dozens of shows. Mark, a 67-year-old Bettendorf resident, started with Guild at Prospect Park in 1972, playing clarinet for “Fiddler on the Roof,” and his first stage role was in 1976’s “Jesus Christ Superstar” (as one of the apostles). McGinn has since been involved in more than 70 other shows (including last summer as John Wilkes Booth in Black Box’s “Assassins” in Moline), mostly... Read More

Welcome to the QuadCities.com Virtual Art Gallery! In this feature, we’re spotlighting area artists and their work. Every Tuesday we’ll feature a new local artist. It’s free and our way of showcasing awesome area artists and allowing them to include a link to their own online gallery or patreon! If you’d like to be included in the gallery, just send your bio, a headshot pic of yourself and up to a half-dozen .jpgs of your art to Sean@QuadCities.com. We look forward to adding YOU to the gallery! Our first artist to be featured is… Tom Vaccaro is an artist who specializes... Read More