A self-taught artist, Rock Islander Melanie Vallejo’s panoramic florals and colorful landscapes will be brightening up Taste Buds, 150 16 ½ St., Rock Island, for the next two weeks, beginning with a reception at 5 p.m. Friday. The event is open to the public and will feature free drinks, refreshments, snacks and other cool stuff, and you’ll get to meet the artist and talk to her about her work, which will be on display through March 2. Recently, Vallejo chatted with us about her muse. When did you first get into art and what got you into it? I am a self taught artist.  I have been painting... Read More

Looking for some vibrant pictures for your home of anything from boxing dinosaurs to horror film icons? The fun, colorful artworks of Jackie Krebs will continue to be on display through Thursday at atTaste Buds, 150 16 ½ St., Rock Island. Krebs and over two dozen art aficionados were on hand for her opening night reception Feb. 3 and she was pleased at the outpouring of support. “It’s great to be a part of this, it’s exciting!” Krebs said. A new artist will be unveiled Friday at the Rock Island snack, candy and coffee shop, with opening receptions from 5 to 6 p.m. every other Friday.  Read More

You’ve gotta love an artist whose muses have included Beetlejuice and Vincent Price. Jackie Krebs, who has painted portraits of those two titans of horror films and more, is the new artist-in-residence at A Taste of Q-C Art beginning Friday, Feb. 3 atTaste Buds, 150 16 ½ St., Rock Island. You can get a taste of Quad-Cities art while getting a taste of some delicious snacks and beverages beginning at the opening reception for Krebs’ art at 5 p.m. Friday. A Taste of Q-C Art is a new rotating art exhibit featuring area creators debuting at the Rock Island shop notable for its smoothies, coffees,... Read More

Shy Brewer was far from her name at her opening night for her new art show at Taste Buds in The District, Rock Island. The local artist was the first to exhibit her art at the new regular show A Taste of Q-C Art at the venue, and at her opening reception Jan. 20 she was all smiles, chatting it up with a variety of guests about her colorful paintings and landscapes. “It’s great, I’m so happy to see my artwork up and excited to see people come out to see it,” Brewer said. “I hope people come out and enjoy the show.” A Taste of Q-C Art will showcase a new local artist’s work every two... Read More

You’re not going to want to be Shy about checking out the work of Shy Brewer. The local artist will bring her vibrant and colorful work to Taste Buds in downtown Rock Island as the inaugural creator exhibiting in A Taste of Quad-Cities Art. You can get a taste of Quad-Cities art while getting a taste of some delicious snacks and beverages beginning Jan. 20 at Taste Buds, 150 16 ½ St., Rock Island. A Taste of Q-C Art is a new rotating art exhibit featuring area creators debuting at the Rock Island shop notable for its smoothies, coffees, candy and other snacks. Every other Friday, a new local... Read More

You can get a taste of Quad-Cities art while getting a taste of some delicious snacks and beverages beginning Jan. 20 at Taste Buds, 150 16 ½ St., Rock Island. A Taste of Q-C Art is a new rotating art exhibit featuring area creators debuting at the Rock Island shop notable for its smoothies, coffees, candy and other snacks. Every other Friday, a new local artist will have their works exhibited on the walls of Taste Buds, and starting Jan. 20, every other Friday at 5 p.m. will be an opening reception for the new artist in which they’ll be able to talk about their works. Free refreshments will... Read More

Is the Black Friday traffic too stressful? Do you prefer a more relaxed day of shopping that includes great deals? Then the 2nd annual “That Dam Shopping Trip” is something you’ll want to partake in. On Saturday, November 26th, small businesses from both sides of the dam will be holding sales, refreshments, and prizes on Small Business Saturday. The shops that will be participating in this event are: Skeleton Key Art and Antique, The ARTery, Vintage Varieties, Taste Buds and Gentry Boutique in Rock Island, and Abernathy’s, Crafted QC, The Full Kit, Bucktown and Riverbend Retro in Davenport.... Read More

Renaissance Rock Island will celebrate three businesses with a rolling ribbon cutting on Friday, November 18th. J Wild Marketing, LLC is celebrating a year in the McKesson Lofts building with an official ribbon cutting. Avenue Studios opened at 100 19th Street earlier this year after relocating from another downtown Rock Island location. Taste Buds moved from the College Hill District to downtown Rock Island in August, and is celebrating with a ribbon cutting as well. Attendees will move from business to business during the rolling ribbon cutting, allowing them to see what each new business has... Read More

Rising from the roots of the old Mad Roots Juicery, Taste Buds in downtown Rock Island, 150 16 ½ St., is offering similar fare, but with its own twist. One of those familiar aspects of the menu is the smoothie and juice bar, which features a variety of concoctions for the health-conscious and those looking for a delicious and nutritious treat. I ventured down to Taste Buds last week to check out its menu and have one of the aforementioned smoothies. Now, whenever you see a story like this, invariably the reporter ends up getting one of the craziest combinations on the menu. You don’t see the... Read More