The leaves are starting to drop from the trees and the artists are starting to drop into area schools as Quad City Arts’ fall visiting artists series kicks off this week! Quad City Arts opens its 46th Visiting Artist Series started this week with residencies by bluegrass and chamber ensembles. Andrew Collins Trio, a bluegrass trio from Toronto, Canada, will give 14 outreach performances for schools and community sites Sept. 16-20. The trio showcases a collision of folk, new acoustic roots, chambergrass and jazz. Collins is a prolific, robust performer – comfortable on mandolin, fiddle,... Read More

Quad City Arts Art at the Airport presents “Electrified” now and through Sep 2. Artists from the Quad City region will transform the gallery at the Quad City International Airport (2200 69th Avenue Moline) with sculptures that incorporate neon and video, along with other lighting effects. This show features pieces on loan from K. V. Dahl of Dahl Ford Davenport and Amy Nielson, and works by various artists including Gail Ray, Bruce Walters, Dawn Wohlford, Bill Wohlford, and Ron Kessel. Art at the Airport in The Quad City International airport gallery is easy to find. It is just across from... Read More

On exhibit from June 28 through August 16, 2019 at Quad City Arts in downtown Rock Island will be paintings by Christopher Reno of Galesburg, IL, and digital collages by Rene Meyer Ernst of Davenport, IA. Christopher Reno creates paintings that are based on the grid as a structure from which to improvise. Reno states, “Technology allows me to incorporate manipulated photographic imagery and capitalize on the efficient repetitive labor of digital output tools such a plotters or engravers to make objects that I could never make with my own hand.” His paintings act as a marker for his... Read More

The Quad City Arts’ Visiting Artist Series will present its first ever summer residency June 15-19 with New Orleans jazz band Jazzy Ash & the Leaping Lizards! The group will be putting on free performances around the QC region, including a Father’s day concert during the Freight House Farmer’s Market in Davenport (11:00 am June 16), at the Moline Public Library on June 17 at 6:30 pm, the LeClaire Community library outdoor plaza on June 18 at 6:00 pm (rain location: next door at the firehall, 201 N 15th St.), a free concert for Rock Island summer camps and the public at MLK Jr. Park... Read More

Quad City Arts presents the 42nd Annual High School Art Invitational at Quad City Arts Gallery in Rock Island, from March 30-May 2. The exhibition is open to the public, and includes a reception and award ceremony on Thursday, April 4th from 6:30-8:30 p.m. This exhibition features exemplary works of art selected by each high school art teacher in the region. On the average, 16 schools, 28 teachers and over 170 students are provided the opportunity to show their artwork in a commercial art gallery and compete for over $4000 in scholarships and prizes.  Primary sponsorship is provided by The William... Read More

There’s so much bad news in the world, how about some good stuff? There’s always plenty of good news happening around the Quad-Cities, and here in What’s The Good News?, our cooperative effort with the good folks at KWQC-TV6’s “Paula Sands Live,” we highlight some of the awesome things happening around our area! Have something you want included next time around? Email Sean Leary at Sean@QuadCities.com. We’re happy to help! Now let’s get started in taking a look around the local spots for some positive and upbeat news…   A KISS for the USO, from the Q-C Storm! The Quad City... Read More

Quad City Arts presents the 42nd Annual High School Art Invitational at Quad City Arts Gallery in Rock Island, from March 30-May 2. The exhibition is open to the public, and includes a reception and award ceremony on Thursday, April 4th from 6:30-8:30 p.m. This exhibition features exemplary works of art selected by each high school art teacher in the region. On the average, 16 schools, 28 teachers and over 170 students are provided the opportunity to show their artwork in a commercial art gallery and compete for over $4000 in scholarships and prizes. Primary sponsorship is provided by The William... Read More

Rock the Arts will light up downtown Rock Island during a December art stroll happening at the Desoto building, The ARTery/MidCoast Gallery West and Quad City Arts. The three art sites will be open on Friday, December 7 during 6 to 9 p.m. and Saturday, December 8, from noon to 3 p.m. At Desoto, there will be demonstrations on woodworking by the Quad City Woodturners, outdoor raku firing with Joel Knanishu and intricate collage with Amber Williams. The Desoto studio will have a table where children can experiment with clay.  New for this event will be the collage demonstration by Amber Williams.... Read More

Jason Vieaux, a highly praised classical guitarist with accomplishments ranging from symphony soloist to a Grammy Award winner, will provide outreach engagements in Quad City schools and community sites from Nov. 26 through Dec. 7, with a solo recital in Davenport on Dec. 8.  Vieaux is the guitarist that goes beyond the classical and is “among the elite of today’s classical guitarists,” according to Gramophone Magazine. Vieaux’s most recent solo album, “Play,” won the 2015 Grammy Award for Best Classical Instrumental Solo. In 2012, the Jason Vieaux School of Classical Guitar... Read More

It’s Festival of Trees time again! The 2018 KWIK STAR FESTIVAL OF TREES, benefiting Quad City Arts, is sprouting up November 15-25, 2018. General Admission opens Saturday, November 17 at the River Center, 136 E. 3rd St. Davenport. This year’s theme is Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree for the 33rd annual gig featuring a spectacular display of over 150 designer trees, rooms, wreaths, fireplace mantles, gingerbread creations and other holiday gift shop items that are all sold to raise money for Quad City Arts, a local non-profit arts organization dedicated to enriching the quality of life in... Read More