Public Sculpture
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The Public Sculpture Program is the first city to city outdoor public art exhibit in the Quad City area. The exhibits started in the Quad Cities in 2002 with an eight piece exhibit downtown Davenport. The city saw public art as a way to focus residents and visitors on plans for establishment of cultural corridor stretching along the Mississippi River on 2nd Street. Home to two museums, art galleries, music venues, restaurants, theatres, businesses, a baseball stadium and seasonal special events, the area has developed into a thriving destination. Today, Public Sculpture continues to thrive in Downtown Davenport, Rock Island, and Bettendorf. |
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Lloyd Schoeneman Memorial Sculpture by artist Stuart Morris in Schwiebert Park in Rock Island |
2011 - 2012 Season
Facilitated by Quad City Arts, and presented by the City of Rock Island, the city of Bettendorf and the Bettendorf Chamber of Commerce, these exhibits include public art pieces by six exceptional regional artists. Some of the past year’s sculptures were purchased and are now on permanent display in the community. Please visit all five high profile sites located in two downtown areas to view the 2011-12 sculptures.
Downtown Rock Island Arts and Entertainment District is participating in the program for the fifth year. Each piece is located in the vibrant historic downtown, within a block of Schwiebert Park on the riverfront. The sculptures are a complement to the growing number of murals that welcome people to businesses, shops, galleries, loft apartments and river view condos. They are a vital component of the city’s strategic plan to include the creation, performance, sale and public display of art.
The City of Bettendorf welcomes two new sculptures for their forth year in the public sculpture program. Bettendorf is one of the state’s fastest growing and most progressive communities. The City’s educational and cultural opportunities include the Bettendorf Public Library Information Center, the Family Museum, the Palmer Hills Golf Course, a skate park, running courses, recreational trails and public boat launch areas. Bettendorf’s economic development is thriving. A hotel expansion and the Quad Cities Waterfront Convention Center are two successful ventures. They are also part of the gaming complex which houses a riverboat casino and the only hotel in Iowa that offers 500 rooms in one location. The combination of small town living with many big city amenities makes Bettendorf a premier city.
ROCK ISLAND
Paul Bobrowitz - "No Strings Attached"
$ 32,000 (Stainless Steel) - The artist states, “This abstract fiddle/person started out as two eight foot diameter tank heads reshaped to my vision of a person of the musical persuasion.”
Michael Sneller - "Stone Seed"
$3,500 (Steel and Cement) - Sneller describes this sculpture as “… a whimsical piece that looks like a small plant growing out of the end of a rock. The idea is that you can find good things in unexpected places.”
Bounnak Thamavong - "Pollywiggle and Strands"
$10,000 (Corten Steel and Stainless Steel) Each section: 60” diameter x 96” High - Pollywiggle and Strands is an abstract visual metaphor for two farmers in a conversation; one who loves shiny new machines of modern agriculture; the other woven baskets of the third world; both in touch with the earth.
BETTENDORF
Donald Horstman - "Sea Spray"
Not For Sale (Stainless Steel) 89” x 21” x 16” - Sea Spray was fabricated from stainless steel, in the minimalist tradition. The artist captured the movement of water droplets being tossed by a wave and froze them into a stylized monumental form.
V. Skip Willits - "Prayer Torso"
$8000 (Monochrome Steel) 100” x 10” x10” - Prayer Torso is made with heavy gauge sheet steel welded in to two three sided pods, stacked. “In my imagination, this object extends upward continuously, touching and scraping the blue sky above as the earth slowly turns.
To purchase sculptures on display in Bettendorf, call (563)344-4060 or (563)355-4753 and for sculptures in Rock Island, call (309)732-2920.
Artists wishing to submit proposals for future exhibits may contact Dawn Wohlford-Metallo at 309-793-1213 X108 or dwmetallo@quadcityarts.com Artists whose work is selected receive a stipend for the rental of the work for one year.