The Rock Island Artists’ Market has announced it will be hosting two events for the 2021 season. Join local artists, makers, and growers on Sunday, June 27th and August 29th from 12 to 5 pm in the parking lot of Skeleton Key Art and Antiques, 520 18th Street, Rock Island, IL. This outdoor event is free to the public, and family friendly. Applications are now being accepted for vendors. Interested artists can find more information and the application form under the “Rock Island Artists’ Market” tab on Skeleton Key’s website, www.skeletonkeyqc.com, or in person during regular store hours.... Read More

The newest Quad City Arts’ Art at the Airport exhibit is all in the family — paintings by Kristin Quinn of Davenport, with ceramic creations by her sister, Megan Quinn, of Rock Island, on display through June 30. Megan Quinn is a professor at Augustana College in Rock Island, while Kristin Quinn is a professor at St. Ambrose University in Davenport. Megan is a ceramic artist, and Kristin is a painter. The two sisters grew up in a family of five children with parents who were educators, and their dad was a physicist who specialized in optics and provided access to visually stimulating... Read More

Quad City Arts presents the 44th-annual High School Art Invitational at Quad City Arts Gallery in Rock Island, through April 29, 2021. The exhibition is free and open to the public. The gallery (1715 2nd Ave., Rock Island) will be open extended hours — until 8 p.m. — on April 29th.  A virtual award presentation is live on Quad City Arts Facebook page , along with an online gallery where all of the entries can be viewed at www.quadcityarts.com/hs-invitational.html, This exhibition features exemplary works of art selected by each high school art teacher in the region. On average, 16 schools,... Read More

While last year’s Quad City Arts Chalk Art Fest was virtual, the fifth-annual event will be back live and in person June 26-27, at Schwiebert Riverfront Park, in downtown Rock Island, directly across the street from Quad City Arts headquarters and gallery. Last year’s event was spread out over two weeks in the second half of August, where 100 artists chalked up their driveways, porches and sidewalks, and the first-place winner was from southern California. Inspiring and engaging for people of all ages, this free, two-day street painting festival in June will bring together hundreds of local... Read More

If you visit the Quad City Botanical Center by the end of May – and you certainly should – you’ll see a portrait of an artist as a young man. A very young, talented man indeed. Eight-year-old Levi Folker of Davenport is the youngest artist ever to have his own exhibit in the 23-year-history of the QCBC, with 28 of his deeply colorful, imaginative paintings on the walls in the main hallway. They’re on display for all of April and May. “I like painting because it makes me happy,” Levi, a second-grader at Adams Elementary, who’s been homeschooled this past year, said recently. “I like... Read More

Quad City Arts presents the 44th-annual High School Art Invitational at Quad City Arts Gallery in Rock Island, from Saturday, March 27 through April 29, 2021. The exhibition is free and open to the public. The gallery (1715 2nd Ave., Rock Island) will be open extended hours — until 8 p.m. — on April 1 and 29th.  A virtual award presentation will go live on Quad City Arts Facebook page on April 1st, along with an online gallery where all of the entries can be viewed at www.quadcityarts.com/hs-invitational.html, This exhibition features exemplary works of art selected by each high... Read More

Quad City Arts announces the open Call for Entries for public sculpture to be considered for exhibition in the Quad Cities on a one-year lease. Currently, the cities of Bettendorf, Rock Island and Moline participate in the program with their own selection committees who choose from the available sculptures for pieces that provide points of interest, inspire discussion, and attract visitors to the community. Quad City Arts has facilitated the leasing and installation of public sculpture in the Quad Cities since 2002. All the sculptures are for sale and can be purchased by individuals, businesses,... 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

The Bereskin Gallery and Art Academy, 2967 State St., Bettendorf, will highlight the multimedia artworks of Davenport artist Steve Banks in March and April. An opening reception with Banks will be held Friday, March 5 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Banks’ new exhibit. “Construct/Destruct,” emphasizes the architectural underpinnings in his artwork, which includes several ceramic sculptures. There are 25 pieces — both two-dimensional and three-dimensional works – in the gallery. “It’s something this area hasn’t seen. This is the first time he’s ever exhibited anything like this,”... Read More

In late October 2020, Quad City Arts’ Visiting Artist Series launched the Educational Resources project with content from 11 professional performing artists. A dozen new artists presenting a broad selection of music, dance, theatre and visual arts are joining the project as of Friday, March 5, for a total of 21 artists and ensembles participating. Quad City Arts has enlisted these performers, including a North Carolina rapper and banjo player, a former NPR “Tiny Desk Concert” contestant, and an emerging Chicago dance studio, to create videos and documents to be shared with Quad City educators... Read More