50 YEARS OF THE VISITING ARTIST SERIES

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:  

• ADAAWE, West African fusion band, in residence Oct. 2-7 
• SchoolSculptures with Kevin Reese, mobile sculpture creation, Oct. 23-27, 2023 
• Native Pride Productions, Native American dance and music, Dec. 4-9, 2023 
• Jaerv + The OK Factor, Swedish folk quintet + American strings duo, Jan. 22-26, 2024 

• Amirah Sackett, hip-hop dancer/ choreographer, Feb. 5-10, 2024 
• Jessica Fichot, songwriter and accordionist, Feb. 19-23, 2024 
• Tomas and the Library Lady, bilingual musical theatre, March 4-8, 2024 
• Grosse Isle, traditional music from Quebec and Ireland, March 18-23, 2024 
• Wanees Zarour, Palestinian-American composer and multi-instrumentalist, April 15-20, 2024 

• Kuniko Yamamoto, Japanese storytelling, April 29-May 4, 2024 
• Daniel Pak, singer, songwriter, and producer, May 13-17, 2024 
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​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.  ​​