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

Six public sculptures in Bettendorf and four in Rock Island will be moving out and replaced with new ones over the next two weeks, starting tomorrow. Each city has elected to keep a 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. Five sculptures have become part of Rock Island’s permanent collection, while Bettendorf has added 7. Davenport purchased nine sculptures while involved... Read More

Quad City Arts will offer the photography of Ken Urban and paintings by Margaret Ertz as their gallery entry through June 19. Ken Urban’s photographs tell a story. He travels the backroads of the Midwest with his camera in hand. This show is about the forgotten silos that blanket the countryside, no longer in use, but towering symbols of days gone by. In the rural American landscape, with its ever-changing farm practices and abandoned barns on the verge of collapse, the silos are often the only reminder of the past. Occasionally a tree blooms and grows in the protection of these silos. Urban’s... Read More

As Illinois relaxes its social restrictions Friday (including allowing all gatherings of 10 people or fewer), the Quad City Arts Center, 1715 2nd Ave., Rock Island, will reopen Friday at 10 a.m. Free entry is available 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 11 a.m. to 5 Saturdays. Following the next phase of the “Restore Illinois” plan, which also allows bars and restaurants to open outdoor seating under restrictions, executive director Kevin Maynard said May 29 was the earliest the downtown gallery could reopen. “We’re taking all the precautions, taking it seriously,” he said Thursday. “Both... Read More

Quad City Arts’ online exhibit through June 19, 2020, will be photography by Ken Urban of Durant, IA and paintings by Margaret Ertz, of Burlington, IA. Ken Urban’s photographs tell a story. He travels the backroads of the Midwest with his camera in hand. This show is about the forgotten silos that blanket the countryside, no longer in use, but towering symbols of days gone by. In the rural American landscape, with its ever-changing farm practices and abandoned barns on the verge of collapse, the silos are often the only reminder of the past. Occasionally a tree blooms and grows in the protection... Read More

Whatever artwork you have felt compelled to create during this time of uncertainty, Quad City Arts wants to share it with the public at a time when they hope to be able to gather socially again to celebrate the power of creativity.    All artists residing within a 250-mile radius of the Quad Cities are invited to submit up to two artworks of any medium created during the Quarantine period which began in March 2020, for a juried, group exhibition in Quad City Arts’ Rock Island Gallery from January 29-March 19, 2021. There is NO entry fee.  Timeline:  Friday, January 1, 2021: Entries... Read More

Like most others during this crazy Covid crisis, arts organizations locally and nationally are struggling to find financial help. Though four individual artists recently got some funding, no Quad-Cities arts groups – all reeling from the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic — were helped in the first round of $191,000 from the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs (IDCA). The first relief grants this month were limited to artists and very small nonprofits, including Q-C artists Courtney Lyon (dance), Lojo Russo (music), Matthew Terry (visual art) and Pat Bereskin (art and art education). In... Read More

ROCK ISLAND — Through Facebook and their website, Quad City Arts announced the winners of the 43rd Annual High School Art Invitational and presented $5000 in cash prizes and scholarships to area high school students and teachers for excellence in fine art. The awards are as follows: Senior Scholarship sponsored by The Butterworth Foundation, Zimmerman Honda and Jane & Kevin Koski: Liam Haskill, Rock Island High School   Senior Scholarship sponsored by Morency Family Foundation Lydia Bloome, Bettendorf High School Best of Show sponsored by Carlo Centore Michael PK, Central DeWitt High... Read More