 The Moline Public Art Commission and Quad City Arts are seeking the design and installation of a public mural for an exterior wall in Moline, Illinois. The mural will be on the west-facing brick wall of 1405 5th Avenue and will be above the patio of a popular local restaurant. The mural will be highly visible as 5th Avenue is a heavily used downtown Moline corridor only blocks away from Mercado on Fifth. This addition to the collection of public art in Moline is intended to enhance community pride, local quality of life, beautification, and creative placemaking, as well as increase the public’s awareness of visual arts in Moline. This mural project is jointly undertaken by the Moline Public Art Commission and Quad City Arts. The Moline Public Art Commission is excited to begin the process of finding a mural artist and believes this is an excellent partnership between two entities that share a similar goal. “We are excited to implement this major art installation to be funded by the City of Moline through our commission,” said Jeff Dismer, Moline Public Art Commission Chair. “Earlier this year we sponsored the installation of four public sculptures through the rotating sculpture program with Quad City Arts, and the 5th Avenue Mural will build on our goals to enhance the richness of character and make our downtown a more vibrant place to live, work, play, visit and learn.” The Public Art Commission, formed in 2021, advises the City’s Corporate Authorities in all matters pertaining to City-sponsored art in the Downtown Moline Public Art Program Area, as identified in the Public Art Master Plan approved and adopted by the City Council. The Commission’s primary goal is to increase the public’s awareness of all visual arts, including, but not limited to, the exhibition of sculpture, paintings, mosaics, photography, and video. The Public Art Commission is responsible for interpreting and reviewing proposed Public Art projects in Downtown Moline, Cultural Corridors, and Public Art Program areas. “Nationally, cultural tourism is on the rise,” Kevin Maynard, Executive Director of Quad City Arts. “We are happy to help organizations in the Quad Cities to bring more art to our community. This is an exciting project and an excellent placemaking step for the city of Moline, and for the Quad Cities to grow our community collection of public art.” Quad City Arts is a nonprofit local arts agency dedicated to enriching the quality of life in the Quad City region through the arts. For more information about the open call, and to apply visit https://www.quadcityarts.com/moline-mural Learn more about the Moline Public Art Commission: https://moline.il.us/1794/Public-Art-Commission
 The Visiting Artist Series is turning 50 this year, and schools are invited to schedule engagements for the next school year with these artists. Schools will have access to professional performing artists who celebrate the diversity of the students and communities we serve as Quad City Arts also celebrates the 50th anniversary of the season. The series will provide outreach visits featuring music from Sweden, Japan, Quebec, Ireland, and Middle Eastern/American jazz, plus a bilingual children's theatre production, a female Muslim hip-hop dancer accompanied by a DJ, Native American music and dance, and a visual arts experience. As a keystone program of Quad City Arts, the Visiting Artist Series, which started in 1974 to present multi-disciplinary performing arts residencies in schools and community sites, has brought in 476 residencies, more than 830 artists, over 10,400 school visits, more than 450 concerts, and just over 2.73 million reached. In the 2022-2023 season alone, the series impacted 29,352 K-12 and college students. The 2023-2024 season is filled with music, dance, and theater from diverse cultures presented by acclaimed artists. Native Pride Productions, founded by Larry Yazzie, will visit in December 2023 to share stories and teaches about traditional Native American as well as contemporary styles of dance blended with traditional Native American and mainstream music during his solo and troupe performances. Internationally recognized hip-hop dancer, choreographer, and teacher, Amirah Sackett will be in residence February 2024. She explores and embodies her Muslim American identity through combining hip-hop movement and Islamic themes. She reached viral video fame after being featured on POPSUGAR Celebrity, The Huffington Post, AJ+, and Upworthy. Visiting in April 2024, Wanees Zarour is an award winning Palestinian-American composer, arranger and multi-instrumentalist steeped in maqam and jazz music. Zarour directs the Middle East Music Ensemble at the University of Chicago, co-directs the Chicago Immigrant Orchestra, and leads 'East Loop,' a septet that explores the intersections between the maqam and jazz traditions. As a passionate origami artist and teacher, Kuniko Yamamoto enchants audiences of every age with dramatic storytelling using myths and fables from ancient and modern Japan, spiced with social revelations to educate and amuse. Her residency will include a Japanese tea ceremony at Quad City Arts in May 2024. The 2023-2024 series celebrates the impact of both arts in schools and arts experiences for the Quad Cities community. The full roster of artists in residence is as follows:
Teachers and principals of all Quad City Area schools are invited to schedule an arts engagement for their students from a professional performing artist during the upcoming school year through Quad City Arts’ Visiting Artist Series. Residency host sites can sign up for visits ranging from all-school performances to hands-on workshops or performance opportunities with artists in residence hosted by Quad City Arts. School staff from public and private schools can schedule residency engagements for this fall and next spring by visiting www.quadcityarts.com/vas-scheduling. Community sites will be able to schedule engagements for their patrons and clients in the coming weeks through the same website. More details will be posted on www.quadcityarts.com/vas. The series serves students and community members in Clinton, Scott, and Muscatine Counties in Iowa, and Henry, Rock Island, and Mercer Counties in Illinois. Since 1974, the Visiting Artist Series has engaged Quad City residents of all ages in quality arts experiences with professional performing artists. Artists of various disciplines present demonstrations, workshops, and master classes at pre-K sites, elementary, intermediate, and high schools as well as college campuses and community organizations. For more information on this residency program, visit www.quadcityarts.com/vas.  New to the Quad City Arts team is our Operations Director Kady Patterson! Kady is an avid nature lover, and you may have seen her in a local theater production or two. She is an incredible addition to the office and fits right in here at the gallery. Get to know more about Kady down below! Are you a Quad Cities native? What brought you to the Quad Cities? Almost! I lived the first 20 or so years of my life in Geneseo, IL. What is your biggest achievement/goal/moment of success to date – personal or professional? Landing this job with QCA was a huge achievement for me. Working for an organization that strives to make my community a more beautiful and supportive place fills me with joy, and I am very much looking forward to the years to come. How did you first learn about Quad City Arts? Last year I was in a community theater show in Geneseo with Kevin Maynard. Kevin told me all about the great things QCA is doing for the community and I thought it sounded like an incredible organization. When I saw they had an opening for Operations Director I jumped at the opportunity to become a part of this amazing team!  What are you most excited for in your role at Quad City Arts? Sharing my office with an art gallery! What is your favorite arts experience in the Quad Cities? Genesius Guild! Where else can you find Greek Theater, Shakespeare, and ballet in a beautiful park, for free! What is your favorite arts experience outside of the Quad Cities? When I was in middle school our family was able to take a trip to the UK over winter break. We toured The National Gallery in London, and it was a magical experience for me. Who is your favorite artist? (This can be any artist – visual, performing, etc.) Impossible question, but Frida Kahlo is one of my favorites.
What is one thing that might surprise people about you? I’m a total plant nerd. Love plants. I love growing them, looking at them, learning about them and eating them. What are you currently watching on Netflix or TV? The Great North is my go-to feel-good show. Star Wars or Star Trek? Oh, Star Trek, 100%. The Next Gen. series holds a very special place in my heart. Jean-Luc Picard is my hero. Where is the best pizza in the Quad Cities (or where you are from)? Tony’s Chicago Style Pizzeria in Moline – for some great deep dish, or Palace Tavern in East Moline if you want an awesome calzone. If I’m having “regular” pizza, my go to is the frozen cauliflower crust pizza from Costco. Controversial, I know. But if I make it at home I can add as many green olives as I want. What is your favorite book? Even Cowgirls Get the Blues by Tom Robbins Where is your go-to place for inspiration? Outside! If you are willing to pay attention there are a million dramas playing out every day in your yard.
What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
My secret dream is to be part of a traveling Shakespeare Troup. If you could have a drink with any artist living or dead, who would it be? Vincent Van Gogh, because I’d like to know just how crazy he really was. Kady is running our behind-the-scenes operations, but she is still a friendly face here in the gallery. Don't be afraid to say hi the next time you see her!
Quad City Arts has facilitated the leasing and installation of public sculptures in the Quad Cities since 2002. This year, we are facilitating the installation of a record number of 22 sculptures. Sculptures are chosen by committees representing each city or venue and are leased for one year from sculptors living in the Midwest. All the sculptures are for sale and can be purchased by individuals, businesses, or a city for permanent installation after June of the following year. All newly installed sculptures, along with permanent sculptures purchased from past exhibits, can be viewed on Quad City Arts’ website www.quadcityarts.com/public-sculpture, with a map and driving directions. The most exciting part of the process is watching a Hampton Crane operator use their boom to lift a sculpture from an artist’s vehicle, hoist it high in the air, and skillfully bring it down gently onto a concrete pad, as directed by the artist who created it. The artist will then drill holes into the concrete and secure the sculpture. (Hampton Cranes generously donates their services). Selfies are encouraged and visitors can tag #QuadCityArts on Instagram, or @QuadCityArts to tag us on Facebook. Below is a little insight into what the sculptures are about from the artists who created them:
All sculptures currently on exhibit, along with permanent sculptures, view them on our website at www.quadcityarts.com/public-sculpture. Take advantage of the public sculpture map and driving directions!  You might have seen a new face around the office recently as we've welcomed a new Festival of Trees Administrator! Katie Padavich has been part of facility decor for Festival of Trees for two years so we feel like she's already part of the team. She's been hitting the ground running and there's nothing she's afraid to take on. We love her can-do attitude and we can't wait to see her vision of Festival come to life. If you see Katie around, give her a high-five, she's doing a fantastic job! Get to know more about Katie in our questionnaire below.
Are you a Quad Cities native? Yes, born and raised in the corn fields of Illinois. Edgington was my home for most of my childhood. Graduated from Rockridge High School in 2001 What brought you to the Quad Cities? Moved to Davenport in Jan 2002 to attend college at Marycrest International University on a softball scholarship. What is your biggest achievement/goal/moment of success to date – personal or professional? I own my own business, Mississippi Marketplace in Davenport since 2018, which is a thriving 19,000 sq foot indoor flea market. I'm a stepmother of 2 amazing kids, Kayla Padavich 19 yrs old, and Cole Padavich 22 yrs old. I'm married to Jason Padavich since 2017. How did you first learn about Quad City Arts? My friend Lori Byrd brought me to Festival of Trees two years ago to chair décor with her and at that time I learned of Quad City Arts and all the fun they bring to the Quad Cities through so many events like Chalk Art Fest, Riverssance, Visiting Artist Series and of course the biggest one of all, Festival of Trees! What are you most excited for in your role at Quad City Arts? Creating an amazing event, Festival of Trees, that includes art, community, and fun--- that also funds all the amazing programs at Quad City Arts. It is really the impact on the community that drives me. The awe and wonder of Festival of Trees, but also being able to offer creativity in local artists that they may not know is available. Being just a small part of a huge overall goal and community building event is such an honor. What is your favorite arts experience in the Quad Cities? Festival of Trees of course! What is your favorite arts experience outside of the Quad Cities? I focus a lot on baseball events, I would consider those art experiences because they're completely immersive! It's amazing watching people in their element, doing what they do BEST!
Who is your favorite artist? (This can be any artist – visual, performing, etc.) Dick Van Dyke – he is a creative legend, actor, entertainer, and comedian. When I think about him I have to smile. When I watched him as a child in the moment I knew that everything would be okay, he brings me comfort. What is one thing that might surprise people about you? I did ultimate fighting at Stars and Stripes in my early 20s and trained at a small gym in downtown Rock Island. I did this to stay in shape for the upcoming softball season. In my mid 30s I found a large passion for being in front of the camera. I am published in 5 small fashion magazines. What are you currently watching on Netflix or TV? Finally broke down and watching Yellowstone, just finished Peaky Blinders Star Wars or Star Trek? Star Wars Where is the best pizza in the Quad Cities (or where you are from)? I really like Happy Joes BLT pizza, it is my absolute favorite. But Casey's Taco pizza is a close second. I know that a lot of Quad Citians would not consider either of those a Quad City style pizza but I don’t care, my heart lies with Happy Joes. I am a huge wing fan. Traditional wings with buffalo sauce, everywhere I go… if they have good wings that is what I am getting. What is your favorite book? Podcast about sports history, reading makes me sleepy! Where is your go-to place for inspiration? My Lolli, she is the best source of confidence and support. Lolli never lets me forget all that I have accomplished and all that I still can accomplish. Lolli is like my second mom, she took me in after my mom passed. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? To be honest I live my dreams every single day, I am a small business owner which allows me to impact my community in positive ways and now I have a position with Festival of Trees that lets me do the same! I consider myself lucky to have two positions that I truly choose to do every day. If you could have a drink with any artist living or dead, who would it be? Dolly Parton – I feel she would give me an honest perspective on the goods and bads of fame, and how she as survived all aspects of her life. She's an incredible philanthropist and a constant do-gooder! She inspires me!   It’s that time of year again when you can maximize the impact you can have on arts and culture in our community by making a donation to Quad City Arts through Birdies for Charity! Quad City Arts supports arts education for the entire community and is dedicated to enriching the quality of life in the Quad City region through the arts. Our programs impact over 295,765 people each year through public art events, public art installations, in-school artist residencies, paid internships in the arts for students, gallery exhibits that support local artists, a re-granting of funds to artists and organizations, arts advocacy and so much more! With Birdies for Charity, Quad City Arts receives 100% of your donation PLUS a guaranteed bonus of 5-10% that funds these vital areas of importance to our community. When you donate to Quad City Arts, you’re helping to provide:
Your support keeps the arts alive. Please consider a tax-deductible donation so together we can continue bringing outstanding arts programming to our community for generations to come. On behalf of the artists, the board of directors and the staff at the Quad City Arts, thank you for your generosity. We hope to see you at future events.  Arts Dollars has been granting funds to artists and nonprofits in the Quad Cities region since 1979 thanks to our generous funding partners who believe in the power of the arts to enrich our communities. The vision that Quad City Arts has in facilitating these grants is that individual artists and nonprofits of all sizes would be able to accomplish projects in the Quad Cities and surrounding communities and that those communities would see a long-lasting benefit from the completed projects, paying artists for their work in the process. Each year, artists and nonprofits apply for grants in one of three categories: Projects, Education, and Capacity-Building. The funds awarded in the Project and Education categories are an investment in the arts across the six-county region served by Quad City Arts, activating nonprofits and artists who are engaging their community through projects in visual arts, theatre, music, film, and more. Our records show that since 1990 alone, Arts Dollars has funded $1.4 million in projects in our region. What an amazing legacy! Capacity-Building grants are highly competitive and specially designed for arts-centered nonprofit organizations that are seeking support to expand their reach and impact through the arts in their community. This category was added in 2016 as Quad City Arts saw a need for small organizations to have access to funds to increase their capacity. Arts Dollars has funded important organizational infrastructure support like strategic planning, database solutions, temporary staff, and more. In total, Quad City Arts granted nearly $85,000 to local artists and organizations during this grant cycle. Our 2023 grant awards were recommended by a panel of arts leaders and community members who sifted through the nearly $215,000 in requests from across the region and approved by Quad City Arts Board of Directors. Please join us in celebrating these individuals and organizations! We are excited about the impact each one will make on our community as they advance their mission and the mission of Quad City Arts: to enrich the quality of life in the Quad City region through the arts. Below is a listing of the organizations and projects funded through Arts Dollars:
To learn more about Arts Dollars, view our program page: quadcityarts.com/arts-dollars-grants Arts Dollars Program 2024 grant cycle will be opening in December of 2023!  CALLING ALL CREATIVES!
Thanks to advocacy efforts by a statewide coalition led by Arts Alliance Illinois (AAI), the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) will distribute a historic $50 million in grant money to assist businesses, nonprofit organizations, and sole proprietors in the creative sector that have struggled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Quad City Arts is helping AAI spread the word! We know we have a lot of creatives in our region that was hit hard during the pandemic, and we want to make sure they are aware of this opportunity. You may not be an arts sole proprietor, arts business, or arts nonprofit, but you probably know some, and we would love for you to forward this email to them! The DCEO Illinois Creative Recovery Grant application portal opens on Wednesday, April 5. If you operate in the creative space, we encourage you to visit illinois.gov/b2b for details on eligibility guidelines and more information on how to apply. Applications will open on April 5, and eligibility guidelines and more are available at Illinois.gov/B2B. Arts Alliance is your go-to resource for help with your application. Visit their website at artsalliance.org/creativerecovery! Important Dates: March 21 - Grant opportunity is announced March 24 - DCEO Informational Webinar at 10AM March 27 - Arts Alliance help desk goes live April 5 - First day to submit an application May 10 - Grant portal closes at 11:59pm  Quad City Arts announces the launch of the Artist Index, inviting artists to create a profile on their searchable platform with a built-in filtering system. This digital platform is completely FREE and is meant to be a resource for the community. The index can aid in searching for artists to hire for commissions, purchasing regional art, getting hired for corporate/city projects, or just exploring and seeing the talent in our region. Quad City Arts will use this index when clients approach them looking for artists and commissioned works, being listed will be beneficial and lucrative to artists who choose to be a part of this index. This searchable platform has been the center of input sessions for several years. The goal is to provide more business for the artists in our community by making them more accessible to the public. The Artist Index platform is open to all artists that are 18 years old or older, with original works of art, residing within a 250-mile radius, the current area that Quad City Arts services. Quad City Arts helps businesses find art that represents their company culture, their community, and their aesthetic. A sample of previous projects includes:
The index has been a project crafted by long-time art supporter, Twin State Technical Services. A project that has taken roughly nine months to complete between developing, testing, and further alternations. Quad City Arts hopes that this platform is as inclusive as it can be to all artists in the region. Creating a robust index will allow them to be better advocates for creatives in the area, connect artists with clients, and show off the creative backbone that makes our region unique! The public can access the platform directly by going to:  49TH VISITING ARTIST SERIES SEASON CONTINUES WITH AWARD-WINNING PERFORMERS AND A BARGE PARTY1/11/2023
 Quad City Arts announces the spring semester of artists in residence for the 2022-2023 school year. The 49th season of the Visiting Artist Series will resume with a weeklong visit from trans-Atlantic band Skye Consort and Emma Björling Jan. 23-27. Residencies will continue through May 2023 and will focus on presenting outreach engagements in schools and community sites in and around the Quad Cities.
 PASS: Performing Arts Signature Series intimate VIP experience provides the opportunity for Q&A with artists, drinks and hors d'oeuvres are served January artists in residence Skye Consort and Emma Bjorling perform arrangements of songs & tunes from Sweden, Norway, Ireland, Scotland, England, Québec, Acadia, the USA, as well as original compositions. Each musician brings their own individual interpretation to these traditions to create this extraordinary collaboration, consisting of voices, fiddle, nyckelharpa, cello, bouzouki, banjo, and percussion. During their residency, they will give informal performances open to the public 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 24 at the Moline Public Library, and then two performances Thursday, Jan. 26, the first at 2:30 p.m. as part of the Jackson Concert Series at Wesley United Methodist Church, Muscatine, Iowa, and then at 7 p.m. at the Bettendorf Public Library.
This engagement of Ngaiire is made possible in part through the Performing Arts Global Exchange program of Mid Atlantic Arts with support from the National Endowment for the Arts with assistance from the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body, and the Embassy of Australia in Washington, D.C.
 Partnering with Common Cord to present Ngaiire at the Redstone Room Four of this spring’s artists are featured in Quad City Arts’ Performing Arts Signature Series. Attendees can enjoy a spotlight performance from an artist in residence along with complimentary cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. An event with Skye Consort and Emma Björling is 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 25, at the Rogalski Center, St. Ambrose University, Davenport. Broken Box Mime Theater will perform at a PASS 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9, at The J Bar, Davenport. Eisenhower Dance Detroit is featured at an event 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 22, at the Figge Art Museum, Davenport. The PASS season ends with a barge party on the Mississippi River featuring Martha Redbone 6 p.m. Wednesday, May 10. For more details and ticket information, visit https://www.quadcityarts.com/pass.html.
Since 1974, the Visiting Artist Series has engaged Quad City residents of all ages in quality arts experiences with professional performing artists. Artists of various disciplines present demonstrations, workshops, and master classes at pre-K sites, elementary, intermediate, and high schools as well as college campuses and community organizations.
For more information on this residency program, visit https://www.quadcityarts.com/vas.html. |
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