Quad City Arts has wrapped up another round of exciting new projects in the annual Metro Arts youth apprenticeship program, and held a virtual showcase for 2021 on July 8. Since the summer of 2000, Metro Arts has provided area youth 15-21 years old with paid summer apprenticeships in various arts disciplines. The program provides opportunities for youth and enhances the community through the arts. For five weeks, area youth work together in groups to complete art projects under the supervision and mentorship of professional artists. Participants learn the artistic techniques and applications of... Read More

EXCLUSIVE: The new four-story TBK Bank building in downtown Bettendorf already cuts a stylish figure inside and outside. Breathtaking and colorful locally-produced art on the second and third floors add a complementary cherry to the stunning architectural sundae. TBK Bank, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Triumph Bancorp, Inc., has relocated its Midwest division headquarters to 1521 Grant Street, opening for business Monday, June 21. The lucky 102 employees who work there get to see new 27-foot-long murals (coordinated through the Quad City Arts Metro Arts program) right off the elevator on the middle... Read More

It’s summer, covid is fading, and spirits are high for new beginnings and positivity! And we here at QuadCities.com, as we do every month, are giving you a dose of that positivity with our What’s The Good News column! Every month, we, in conjunction with our friends and partners at KWQC-TV6’s “Paula Sands Live,” give you a rundown of some of the positive things going on in and around the Quads. So, what’s the good news for this month? Here ya go… Quad City Arts Metro Arts Is Coloring Moline The Quad City Arts Metro Arts Youth Apprenticeship Program has... Read More

The Quad City Arts Metro Arts Youth Apprenticeship Program has kicked off and is bringing art to your area soon! This week, the group presented three outstanding proposals for a new mural that will go up along the bike path under the Arsenal viaduct downtown Moline. This mural will be visible from the river and will be enjoyed by everyone on the bike path. Meet “Retro Electric” a perfect blend of Quad City history and retro-pops of color! #downtownqc #renewmoline Moline Centre            Read More

The 2021 Quad City Arts Metro Arts Youth Apprenticeship Program is accepting applications through Wednesday, March 31.  This program provides area youth ages 15-21 with five-week paid summer apprenticeships. These apprentices will create community arts projects that positively impact our community. These projects include mural painting, poetry, film, graphic design, and more. Interested applicants can apply online at quadcityarts.com/metro-arts This year’s Metro Arts program will start on Monday, June 7, and end on Thursday, July 8. Apprentices will meet for up to four hours Monday through Thursday.... Read More

Many public places throughout the Quad-Cities are more beautiful and colorful because of Quad City Arts, which marks its 50th anniversary this year. The late executive director Lloyd Schoeneman (who died at 49 in 2001 from cancer) was the driving force behind our public sculpture program. In the 1990s, Lloyd introduced the concept of community-built art to the Quad-Cities, organizing design charrettes which resulted in the Navigation Steps at Leach Park (Bettendorf) the Nature Spiral at Illiniwek Park (Hampton) and the Lindsay Park Architectural Sculpture Park (Village of East Davenport). He also... Read More

This fall, Quad City Arts is celebrating its 50th Anniversary, dedicated to enriching the quality of life in the Quad City region through the arts. Looking back at the impact, the Quad-Cities would not be the Quad-Cities without Quad City Arts. ​ Founded in August 1970 as Quad City Arts Council, we are a nonprofit arts organization serving a six-county area in eastern Iowa and northwestern Illinois. We are passionate about the growth and vitality of the Q-C region through the arts and for the past 50 years, have been committed to making quality arts education accessible to everyone through arts... Read More

Local artists are being sought by the city of Moline and Renew Moline to create a $10,000 public art display on the Spiegel Building, 200 20th St., just north of River Drive on the ground floor’s boarded windows. The vacant Spiegel Building is owned by the city, and is one of the few remaining factory buildings in downtown Moline from the industrial era – originally built between 1928 and 1930 as the Eagle Signal Building, according to Renew Moline, a nonprofit organization and public-private partnership. The project intent is “to beautify and draw attention to the building, a city-owned... Read More

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

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